One of the most popular places to see on Molokai is Kalaupapa Peninsula, a rugged and wave battered sprig of land that famously served as a leprosy colony for nearly 100 years. Accessible by foot, by plane, or by mule, Kalaupapa is a place where visitors can journey back in time and hear the stories of leprosy patients who not only originally contracted the disease—but also lived through a cure—and chose to live out the rest of their days in the town at the base of the cliffs.To explore the island’s ancient culture, one of the best places to visit in Molokai is verdant Halawa Valley, where a half-day, guided cultural tour takes visitors on foot to the back of the valley and thundering Mo‘oula Falls. Over the course of the three-hour hike, visitors will learn how to respectfully ask for permission to enter the valley and see remnants of walls, terraces and burial sites that Ancient Hawaiians constructed here as early as 650 AD. Some other places to visit on Molokai are the local fruit stands and farms where you can learn to crack a macadamia nut at Purdy’s Mac Nut Farm or pick up organic papayas and produce at popular Kumu Farms. At the small post office in Ho‘olehua, you can even decorate a dried coconut and then ship it home through the mail. If the sun is shining high in the sky—or sinking low on the horizon—head to the string of west shore beaches where you can have an entire beach to yourself at spots like Kawakiu, or watch the sunset from Papohaku—one of the largest beaches in Hawaii. To refuel after all the exploring, grab a filling, local plate lunch at the Kualapu‘u Cookhouse, or dine at the island’s only oceanfront restaurant inside of Hotel Molokai. Some of the most iconic places to see on Molokai are the island’s restaurants and eateries, such as Kanemitsu Bakery in Kaunakakai and famous “hot bread lane.” Beginning every night at 8pm, a takeout window behind the bakery serves loaves of sweet bread as big as your head that will satisfy the world’s strongest sweet tooth. Finding the window means taking a stroll down a small, dimly-lit lane. It’s the last place you’d expect to find one of Molokai’s most popular stops, but things are refreshingly different on the Friendly Isle—which is just the way everybody likes it.

Things To Do on Molokai

Hawaiʻi is packed with things to do, and Molokaʻi is no exception. Even though the “Friendly Isle” sees a fraction of visitors when compared to the larger islands, there are just as many things to do on Molokaʻi as anywhere else in Hawaiʻi. Beachgoers here are spoiled for choice when it comes to hitting the beach, as Molokaʻi is graced with dozens of beaches that are often completely empty. You can leave the only string of footprints on a long, white sand shore, and then sit and watch a fiery sunset from a private oceanfront perch. When it comes to snorkeling, Molokaʻi has something that no other island can offer—a fringing reef that spans 30 miles with dozens of spots to explore. Unlike the other Hawaiian Islands where you can snorkel or dive off the beach, only a handful of Molokaʻi beaches are protected enough for casual snorkeling. Instead, charter boats visit the massive reef off Molokaʻi’s southern coast, where sand channels, pinnacles, and deep blue holes offer endless opportunities for exploring underwater with no other boats in sight. In winter you’ll find pods of Humpback whales that breach and splash offshore, and the deep sea fishing is some of the best you’ll find in all of Hawaiʻi. Read more