About Lanai

Nine miles across 'Au'au Channel from west Maui, sits the oyster-shell shape of tiny Lanai. Formed by a single volcano rising to 3,370 feet, it is Hawaii's sixth largest island. Steep, eroded valleys fall away to the east from a central rolling tableland, where the island's only town perches, and to the west, high cliffs drop away to the sea. The island is all orange-red dirt, and ancient lava, with traces of the remote Hawaiian past -- a large field of petroglyphs (pictographs etched in stone) as well as several smaller ones, temple sites, an awesome cliff once used as a testing ground for warriors who jumped off the edge into the sea, and the ruins of an old Hawaiian village -- still visible throughout the island.

The island is 13 miles wide and 18 miles long and most of its nearly 140 square miles is owned by Castle and Cook, the company that owns Dole Pineapple. There is a lookout at Lanai hale summit above Lanai City, where you can see five of Hawaii's other islands -- every island except Kauai and Niihau. Along the Munro Trail, a jeep road and hiking trail that winds up through Norfolk pine forests planted by New Zealand naturalist George C. Munro, there is an overlook above Hauola Gulch, Lanai's deepest gorge, which drops 2,000 feet down to sea level on the island's east coast.

Until the construction of the first luxury hotel on Lanai, nearly everyone who visited the island were there to see friends or family or to enjoy a great back-to-the wild getaway -- hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. Axis deer, mouflon sheep and goats, partridges and pheasants abound on Lanai. These game birds and feral animals were all introduced in the past two centuries. Because of the lack of natural predators they thrived, devastating the native ecosystem.

Almost all of the residents live in Lanai City, which sits precisely in the center of the island at an elevation of 1,645 feet and is about a mile form the small airport. Lanai City is a trim plantation camp town with symmetrical cross-hatch streets and old wood-frame houses with tin roofs, built to house the people who worked in the once-ubiquitous pineapple fields. In recent years the old plantation buildings are being renovated into little shops and cafes and new housing has been built for hotel employees.

Tourism has replaced pineapple as the major industry on Lanai. In 1990, the Lodge at Ko'ele, a luxury hotel built by Dole currently operated by Four Seasons Resorts, opened in the cool uplands above Lanai City. A sister hotel, the Manele Bay, meant to be another luxury enclave for the very wealthy, opened shortly afterwards above the beach for which it was named, six miles to the south of Lanai City.

In 1993, the last Lanai pineapple for the canning market was shipped aboard a barge from Kaumalapau Harbor on the west coast.

Weather Overview:

Lanai, like all of the Hawaiian Islands has different climatic regions depending on the areas orientation to the trade winds. Lanai airport, with a low average rainfall of almost 21 inches per year and average temperature of about 71 degrees does not fall directly in the path of the trade winds. Lanai city, which is located inland and at a higher elevation, receives about 43 inches of rainfall and cooler temperatures each year and is located in the path of the trade winds.

Get a complete Lanai City hourly forcast from accuweather.com.

If you go - Getting there:

Air:

Lanai Airport (LNY) is located about three miles southwest of Lanai City on the island of Lanai. The airport has a single runway and primarily serves scheduled interisland and commuter/air taxi traffic, with some unscheduled charter and general aviation activity. A new passenger terminal complex was recently constructed to replace the aging facilities. The new complex includes improved roadway access, parking, and rental car facilities, as well as new cargo and airport support facilities.

The runway is proposed to be extended in the future to permit use by jet aircraft without payload restriction. The existing airport access roadway from Kaumalaupau Highway will continue to serve as the primary access route from Lanai City. Connecting commuter flights serve Lanai. Fares vary. Currently serving Lanai:

Island Air
Pacific Wings

Ferry:

Ferries sail five times daily in each direction between Lahaina, Maui and the Manele Bay harbor on Lanai. The trip takes 45 minutes. $25 each direction. Reservations are necessary. Phone toll free 800-695-2624 or go to on the web - www.go-lanai.com.

Hotels:

Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay - is perched atop a rugged red-lava cliff above a white-sand beach. It offers two golf courses, a spa and dynamic adventure amidst pristine, natural landscapes.

Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele - is secluded within the dramatic central highlands, providing a gracious retreat amidst manicured gardens along with two golf courses and a wealth of recreation options.

Hotel Lanai: Rooms have private baths with shower, ceiling fans and thin walls. King-bed rooms are available. Continental breakfast is included. Rates range from $115 to $175. Phone toll free 877-665-2624 or go to on the web - www.hotellanai.com.

Dining:

Click HERE for a guide to Lana'i restaurants including reviews.

Adventure:

Visit our LINKS page for links to all the Lana'i activities.