Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
While the other islands dance to a different, faster drumbeat, Moloka'i is content to re-
main forgotten, slowly ambling along at whatever rhythm it pleases.
Empty and remote, only a few Moloka'i beaches are good for snorkeling or casual swim-
ming. North- and west-facing beaches are prone to rough surf and hazardous shorebreak in
winter, while south shore beaches are ringed by the long fringing reef. If having an entire
beach to yourself and listening to nothing but the crashing surf seems like your kind of
afternoon, then pack a beach chair and a good book to tune out the rest of the world. No
beachside tiki bars, no pesky activity agents—just you, the sand, and the vast blue Pacific
stretched out before you.
The west end of the island has the best beaches on all of Moloka'i, although your beach
experience out here will largely be determined by the season. Summer is best for swim-
ming. The beaches are usually spared the relentless northeasterly trade winds which fre-
quently crank on the eastern half of the island. During winter, however, western Moloka'i
catches the full brunt of the winter swells that turn the coastline into a dangerous stretch of
high surf and rip currents. Regardless, the dry, empty shorelines are always good for sun-
bathing, and the sunsets from this western-facing vantage point are among the best in the
state. If a bottle of wine, a beach chair, a fiery sunset, and a beach you have all to yourself
sound like something you could get in to, then pick your spot out on the west end of the
island and sit back and enjoy the show.
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Papohaku Beach
At over two miles long and nearly 100 yards wide,
Papohaku Beach
is where most visit-
ors who drive out to the west end of the island will end up. Despite being the most heavily
visited beach on the island, Papohaku rarely sees more than six or seven people at a time.
Though smatterings of private homes adorn the southern portion of the beach, the majority
of Papohaku is still undeveloped shoreline with empty sand made for strolling. Swimming
is a terrible idea here as the rip currents and undertow can be overwhelming during any
part of the year. Your time at Papohaku is better spent taking a morning jog or watching
the sun set over the distant lights of Honolulu. To get here, follow Highway 460 toward the
