Shipwreck beach is a must stop to see the massive fuel tanker that got shipwrecked on the coast of…read morelanai in the 1950's. There is off-roading to get to this location so be sure to rent a car that allows for that if you are visiting the island - the road is bumpy! The beach itself would not be the best for swimming, but you could. Bring good shoes and plan to walk a story trail or there is a rocky shoreline.

Shipwreck Beach is a great secluded beach on the north coast of Lana'i, and it does require a 4x4…read morevehicle (Jeep) to get to the parking area. Lovely views of Molokai and Maui when going through the narrow paved road. Yes, you do have to do a bit of hiking and rock-climbing to get to the main part of the beach itself, but you will see the YOGN-42, a ferro-cement navy fuel barge lodged on Kaiolohia Bay's coral reef within sight of the beach. Not a good beach to swim or snorkel at because of the rough currents and waves. You can also see the Poaiwa Petroglyphs along the way.

Upon arrival to the dock, our catamaran swung by this rock and we caught a glimpse of it for some…read morephotos. Intriguing. No need to hike to it if you can see it from the ocean right? Haha

Sweetheart Rock. One of my favorite things on the entire trip to Hawaii was this hike in Lana'i at…read moresunset solo. It was a very easy hike from the hotel - I simply walked down the hill to the beach, kept going through the park, and followed the road/trail up to the rocks. The trail was easy to see from there and I followed it all the way to the top where you have a nearly parallel view to Puu Pehe. I saw it the night before from the water on a sunset cruise so it was nice to do the hike and see it from a different vantage point. Highly recommend this is something you do at sunset or sunrise as it is simply beautiful with the waves crashing in around it and you can spend some serene time watching the beauty of Hawaii. Easy hike - not difficult at all - from the trail it's probably 15 minutes to the top with a moderate pace. From the hotel (Four Seasons) it was probably a half an hour total from my room.

Wow, such an amazing, wonderful, peaceful and beautiful place to visit in Lana'i, and you will feel…read morelike you are on some kind of martian land. Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) is literally a big rock garden with red dirt and boulders of various sizes. Plus, you can see Moloka'i and Maui in the distance. There is no particular walking path but don't be disrespectful and move rocks around or pile them on top of each other because it is a sacred place. Don't know what happened to the original "Garden of the Gods" stone at the entrance that I have seen on videos and other users' images in the past, but it seems to me that it has since been replaced with a smaller metal sign. Garden of the Gods and all the other attractions along this rocky dirt road are only accessible with a 4-wheel drive (Jeep). I would love to come back to see this incredible location in the near future.

Keahiakawelo, on the island of Lanai, is also known as the Garden of the Gods…read more The beautiful area reminds me of what it must be like to be on Mars. You drive on some serious 4x4 rugged dirt roads to reach it and when you do it's like being transported to another planet. There is red dirt and random boulders everywhere! The area is easily accessible, and there is no climbing or difficult paths. Anyone can go experience the beauty! You get amazing views of several other Hawaiian islands such as Maui and Molokai. You can see the beauty of the Pacific Ocean all around you. The boulders gleam in the morning and evening sunlight and you get some beautiful different iridescent colors. We used a private guide to get there and we were glad we did. Our hotel arranged it for us and we spent a short but perfect amount of time at the Garden of the Gods. I appreciated how the area was so clean and pristine. You can keep traveling farther on the same road and I'm not sure where that leads. When we were there, there was a lot of Vog (volcanic smog) coming from the big island. Because of the vog, we weren't able to see as far as others may be able to on a clear day. We could still see two of the islands. Our guide said on a really clear day you can see Oahu. One Island legend tells us that the rocks and boulders were dropped from the sky by the gods tending their gardens. Another ancient tale explains that the rocks house the spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors. And still another legend says that the gods enjoyed creating art, and this spot on the island is where they made their favorite sculptures. They created powerful winds to literally sculpt each rock formation (perhaps explaining why there is no vegetation in the Garden of the Gods). This site is located about 7 miles outside of Lanai City. The dirt road is well marked but only a 4-wheel drive vehicle can manage the rutted and rugged trail. If there has been any recent rains, the road if may be closed and unsafe for driving. This road leads all the way to Ka'ena Point and Polihua Beach.

What a wonderful, uncrowded way to spend the day with friends, food, wine and song! Woo hoo!read more

One of the highlights of my trip to Maui was coming to Black Rock Beach in Lahaina. Originally we…read morewere supposed to stay in Lahaina, but because of the rebuilding of the area, we stayed a little further south. I wish I did stay in the area because the whole area is a vibe. It's a little more touristy with resorts and shopping areas, but once you get on the beach you forget all that. Some of our group was already here and gave us specific instructions on where to park. We parked in a paid parking garage and had to walk between hotels to find the entrance to the beach. This particular stretch is in front of the Sheraton Maui Resort. This beach was awesome! Don't get confused like I did and think this was a black sand beach. Black Rock refers to the giant black lava rock going from the beach into the ocean. It's a very popular cliff diving area. In my opinion, you got to have some athletic ability to do the cliff diving. There's two ways to get to the peak of the rock to jump. There's a path from the shore, but you have to do a little climbing with a very sketch path to the top. The other option is to swim in the ocean towards the end of the rock where you have a little ladder to get you up, but you still have to get to the top of the rock. My friends and I decided to do the swim out which in itself was a challenge. One I got close, I decided to be the photographer in the water for when my friends jumped. We hung out in the water for awhile before swimming back to shore. The beach is perfect for lounging around, with soft white sand and crystal clear water. I brought my snorkel and goggles to really appreciate what's under the sea. We stayed out here way longer than we planned because time flies when you are having fun. On my next trip to Maui, I would totally consider staying right on this beach. I will most definitely be back!

Favorite beach in Maui. You can guarantee you will see 3+ turtles by the rocks on the right side…read moreevery time. And occasionally, a Hawaiian monk seal that comes up to bask in the sun during the day. Tourists here are the worst though! I have seen them crowding the turtles (10 ft distance is the law), standing on the swimming turtles to treat them like surf boards, and even approaching the monk seals or blocking their path back to the water (50+ ft is the law). Enjoy this beach responsibly and respect the beautiful wild life that frequent this beach.

Went to Lanai today on an excursion through Trilogy. Catamaran docked at the harbor and we went to…read morethe beach for some snorkeling. Saw a bunch of fish but waters were choppy with medium size waves. Now we can say we've been on the 5th island of Hawaii! Woohoo.

Lana'i: Quiet and Laidback…read more We stayed in Maui and planned a long enough vacation that we were able to squeeze in a day trip to Lanai and it was, without a doubt, worth it. We went online and booked a ferry ride to take us to Lanai. After a quick 45-minute ferry ride, we found ourselves landing on a different island! Lanai is located just nine miles from the west side of Maui and is one of three populated islands that make up the County of Maui: Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. When we docked at the Manele Harbor we got in one of the shuttles that took us to Downtown. The shuttle requires guests to make advance reservations. Yikes! The cost of a rental car can be over $200 per day. We used the shuttle system. It costs $10 per person for the shuttle. Tips are appreciated. $1-2 should be good. It's basically a ride sharing service so it won't just be your private group in the car, you will likely be riding with someone else. The shuttle will basically go anywhere there's a paved road... just so you know many of the sights are on unpaved roads and required some hiking so be prepared. Downtown Lanai is very small. We found shops, art galleries, restaurants, grocery markets and other businesses here (gym, laundromat, movie theater). The size of some of the business structures are no bigger than an average-sized house. The movie theater only showed two films. Currently, Spider-Man and Top Gun: Maverick were showing. Dole Park is in the center of these businesses. Locals here are friendly... we met one guy at Dole Park, Filipino, came to the islands when he was 3. Chatted with us while he ate his lunch. I almost picked up on his Pidgin English. He spoke of changes in the island and said "change is good, eh" referring to the growing tourist business. Originally an island-wide pineapple plantation (nicknamed "The Pineapple Isle") Lanai now is known for its quiet beauty and luxurious five-star resorts. And Oracle co-founder, Larry Ellison doesn't just own a home in Hawaii -- he owns an entire island. In 2012, Ellison bought 98% of the island of Lanai. Happy travels! That's all. Review #2687

Tough ride out but amazing views! No one on the beach as we walked for a mile. I'd suggest it for…read morenear end of day if you feel comfortable driving the rugged terrain.

Polihua Beach is the most amazing and beautiful wilderness beach I have seen in the entire state of…read moreHawaii, and it is the longest one specifically on the Island of Lana'i (stretching for 1-1/2 miles). I've seen images and videos of the beach in the past, but it is such a different and amazing experience when you get to see it in-person. The only way to get here is via a very rough, bumpy and long trail from Lana'i City - Central on a 4x4 vehicle like a Jeep, and it really does help to have prior 4x4 driving experience. Allow about 1 hour in each direction, and you will come across a lot of rocky and somewhat steeper stretches, so that's where you want to utilize the 4x4 drive mode. When you get to the beach itself, don't drive onto the white sand as you are most likely going to get stuck. As for the beach, so wide and secluded, you may be the only person or group there. It's not good for swimming or snorkeling at all as the currents and waves can be very rough, but it is good for sunbathing, photography or doing beach strolls from one end to the other. Very spectacular views of Molokai and Maui in the distance! So worth the effort if you are able to make it to Polihua Beach on the north coast of Lana'i.

Molokai is, handily, the most underrated of the Hawaiian islands. It's insane that more people do…read morenot visit here. This beach is quiet and secluded. You are likely to be some of the only people here. The sand is incredible. It has layers of deep orange tint to it. It's hot against your skin. It's almost like a middle eastern dessert intersecting with the sea. It can definitely be windy, but as someone that grew up in a place where we literally count the breezes (FL), I don't consider that a negative!

Beautiful beach for walking and sunning. I would not want to…read moredo any swimming as the waves and rip are pretty strong.