Imagine the Hawaii of the past. Unspoiled country and untouched beaches. No skyscrapers or stoplights. The chance to truly live as the locals do. That’s Molokai today.

Hawaii’s fifth-largest island, Molokai is only 38 miles long and 10 miles across at its widest point. Molokai is home to the highest sea cliffs in the world along its northeast coast (3,600-3,900 feet) and Hawaii’s longest continuous fringing reef (28 miles) off Molokai’s southern coast. On foot, by bike or by 4-wheel drive, this is an island of outdoor adventure. Take the road less traveled and get red dirt in your shoes whether you’re hiking along the 1,700 foot cliffs leading to Kalaupapa National Historical Park or discovering Papohaku Beach, one of Hawaii’s biggest white sand beaches.

With a high percentage of its population being of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Molokai is place where Hawaiian culture thrives. The people of Molokai continue to preserve their rural lifestyle thanks to their love of the land, or aloha aina, and you can feel this aloha from small town Kaunakakai to sacred Halawa Valley. Hawaii’s past comes alive on Molokai.

History

With a high percentage of Molokai’s population being of Native Hawaiian descent, it’s no wonder why Molokai is sometimes known as “the most Hawaiian Island.” A visit here is like a journey into Hawaii’s past, where historic spots can be discovered today, looking much like they did hundreds of years ago.

One of the oldest known Hawaiian settlements on Molokai was in Halawa Valley, an area you can still explore today. Hawaiian Fishponds built hundreds of years ago can still be seen along Molokai’s southern coast. Molokai is also said to be the birthplace of the hula. Legends speak of Laka, who practiced the hula at sacred Kaana near Maunaloa and spread this knowledge to the other islands. Today, the Molokai Ka Hula Piko festival held every May at Papohaku Beach Park celebrates the art of the hula.

Western contact came to Molokai in the early 1800’s by Christian missionaries. Kaluaaha Church was Molokai’s first Christian church, built in 1835 on the southeast coast. In the late 1800’s, King Kamehameha V built a vacation home in Kaunakakai. Kamehameha also co-managed ranch lands and was responsible for the planting of over 1,000 coconut trees in Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove. But Molokai is probably most famous for Saint Damien’s work with Hansen’s disease sufferers at the current site of Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

Today, the people of Molokai continue to foster a strong connection to the land, a responsibility to perpetuate the Hawaiian culture, and a love for country living that sets them apart from the other Islands of Aloha.