Halepalaoa Beach

Top choice


Running southeast from the pier at Halepalaoa Landing is the reef-protected and shaded Halepalaoa Beach, which seems to have come from desert-island central casting. It's tricky to get to and only accessible with a 4WD, but you'll have it to yourself. In winter the number of whales breaching offshore may outnumber the humans basking on the sand.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Halepalaoa Landing

0.15 MILES

Just under 2 miles southeast along the road from Keomuku you'll reach Halepalaoa Landing, from which the sugar company planned to ship out its product…

2. Keomuku

1.4 MILES

The center of a short-lived sugarcane plantation, Keomuku is 6 miles southeast of Maunalei. The highlight is the beautifully reconstructed Ka Lanakila o…

3. Naha

4.77 MILES

Four miles south of Halepalaoa you'll come to Naha, which is both the end of the road and the site of ancient fishponds just offshore. This is a dramatic…

4. Lanaʻi Culture & Heritage Center

6.65 MILES

This engaging small museum is the best place to start before exploring the rest of Lana'i. It has displays with cultural artifacts covering the island's…

5. Shipwreck Beach

7.63 MILES

You can stroll along this blustery shore for 7 miles looking for flotsam and shipwrecks, and taking in the views of Molokaʻi and Maui. This area is the…

6. Pōāiwa Petroglyph Trail

7.74 MILES

Near Shipwreck Beach a 0.5-mile trail leads directly inland to the Pōāiwa petroglyphs – a cluster of more than 20 fragile carvings on dense basalt-lava…

7. Manele-Kapakuea Heritage Trail

7.91 MILES

East of Manele Habour is a 0.6-mile trail that leads to the 8m-wide, 2m-high Ka Hana Lawa'a (Fishermen's Temple), stacked with boulders. Fishermen would…

8. Manele Harbor

8 MILES

This harbor, off Hwy 440, is where the ferry from Maui docks. There are bathrooms and a few sheltered picnic tables here, plus a convenience store. During…

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