Molokai - Activities

Activities & Attractions

Much like everything else on Molokai, there is nothing pre-fabricated or pre-packaged about any of the myriad choices of activities you'll enjoy here. It is truly a natural playground where you are free to walk, run, hike, kayak, swim, or bike your way through an unforgettable vacation.

Among Molokai's biggest attractions are the world's tallest sea cliffs, plunging an astounding 3,000 feet to meet the crashing surf. This awesome coast is a must-see, and there are several ways to experience it. You might charter a sightseeing boat, hike, bike, horseback ride, or take a thrilling mule train trip down the very face of the cliffs.

Naturally, you'll also find miles of magnificent beaches, most of them almost entirely people-free. The largest, Papohaku, offers a 3-mile stretch of white sand. Further inland, you'll find opportunities for horseback rides, archeological site explorations, cultural hikes, and an expansive mountain biking trail system.

Other interesting options include seasonal whale watching excursions, a visit to the Molokai Coffee plantation, or a delicious trip to Purdy's Macadamia Farm.

Beaches & Outdoors

If your image of paradise includes miles of secluded sands and sparkling waters, you will be amazed to find that picture-perfect shores await you…full as people are few. For the perfect day on the sand, the west end beaches are most likely where any local will point you in the summer and east end beaches in the winter. Papohaku Beach, located on the west end is a sensational beach is three miles in length and as wide as 100 yards! As it's the second largest in the entire state, you're sure to find plenty of room to spread out your towel and soak in the serenity.

You'll find no end to the ways you can enjoy the Island's varied coastline. Spend your days sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, kayaking, or boogie boarding your way around the Island's many coves, inlets, and wide-open shores.

Golf

Golfing on Molokai is as unassuming as you might expect it to be. At the lovely Ironwood Hills Golf Course, there are no tee times. No golf pros. Not even a clubhouse. Talk about a relaxing round! Just take your time and enjoy the cool, upcountry air and splendid views from this unique course originally created for Del Monte executives. Or try your luck at the Kaluakoi Golf Course, currently a 9-hole course, located in the Kaluakoi Resort just a few minutes drive from the Sheraton Molokai Lodge and Beach Village. This mountain side course will challenge and delight all golfers.

For golf on a grander scale, a short hop to Lanai or Maui will let you play some of the finest courses on the planet and make it back to Molokai in plenty of time to catch a world-famous sunset.

Outdoors & Adventure

Molokai is famous around the world for its virtually unlimited range of outdoor activities, including some of the best mountain biking anywhere.

Hiking is arguably the best way to discover the wonders of the island, and there are uncounted miles of trails‡long pristine tide pools to thrilling trails along the famous cliffs to spellbinding explorations of Kamakou Preserve on the slopes of the Molokai's highest mountain. This 2,774-acre rainforest is filled with hundreds of native plants and birds.

Also unique to Molokai are its miles of pristine barrier reefs. Ideal for exploration by snorkel, scuba, or kayak, the reefs are a protected underwater wilderness bursting with vibrant sea life and spectacular coral formations.

Some of the best adventures on Molokai are to be found only on horseback. Gallop through miles of whispering forests, along sun-drenched coasts, across stunning inland plains?enuine Hawaiian paniolo (cowboy).

Deep-sea fishing excursions are also a major draw here, and several charter companies will take you from Kaunakakai Harbor into the heart of big-game fishing territory. And for a one-of-a-kind adventure, take the 90-minute trip down the cliffs above the Kalaupapa Settlement.