Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There is a range of other goods to browse as well, including an excellent selection of
Hawaii-themed books and artworks, clothing and crafts originating from everywhere,
from just down the road to Bali.
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Kaluakoi Resort Area
You can almost picture this place when times were good: a low-key resort fronted a per-
fect crescent of sand while upscale condos lined the fairways of an emerald-green cham-
pionship golf course.
Well, that was then (the 1980s) and the now is rather bleak. The resort was closed
years ago and is in a state of advanced decay. The golf course died when MolokaŹ»i Ranch
pulled the plug in 2008. The fairways are now a sort of post-apocalyptic-desert spectacle.
Meanwhile the condo complexes do their best to put a good face on the situation as the
individual owners try to play up the quiet aspects of the complex in their efforts to mar-
ket their vacation rentals. Surrounding house lots have sold very slowly, although a few
large mansions lurk behind walls along the beaches.
As with the rest of the west, you're best off bringing a picnic from Kaunakakai and en-
joying the beautiful beaches. Everything is accessed from a good road that branches off
Hwy 460 at mile marker 15 and curves its way down to the shore.
Beaches
Kawakiu Beach
BEACH
MAP
Kaluakoi's northernmost beach is also the best. Kawakiu Beach is a broad crescent beach
of white sand and bright-turquoise waters. It's partially sheltered from the winds that can
bedevil the beaches to the south and when seas are calm, usually in summer, Kawakiu is
generally safe for swimming.
When the surf is rough, there are still areas where you can at least get wet. On the
southern side of the bay, there's a small, sandy-bottomed wading pool in the rocks; the
northern side has an area of flat rocks over which water slides to fill up a shallow
shoreline pool. Spindly kiawe trees provide shade. Outside of weekends, you may well
have the place to yourself.
