South Lanai Tourism Guide

South Lanai has many interesting places to visit. Some of the interesting places you can visit include Puu Pehe, Hulopoe Bay, Kaumalapau Harbor, and Kaunolu Village.

Puu Pehe, also known as Sweetheart Rock, is a very popular tourist destination. It is called the sweetheart rock because a young warrior committed suicide for a Maui princess there. According to the legend, a warrior from Lanai was so impressed by the beauty of a Maui princess that he married her. After marrying the Maui princess, the warrior kept her in a cave because he doesn’t want anyone to be near her. It happened that there was a bad weather and the cave was flooded. When the warrior returned, he found her dead. He was grieved about it so he jumped of the rock and committed suicide. Scientists’ findings show that the legend is inaccurate because there are no human bones at the site. It is suggested that the tomb at the cave is a bird heiau. The triangular rock measures about 80 foot in height. From the rock, you can view the coastline clearly. You can take a stroll at the trail near the Hulopoe Beach.

Hulopoe Bay is well known for recreational activities such as swimming, picnicking and etc. You can board on a ferryboat at Lahaina to reach the bay. Hulopoe Bay has crystal clear water and plenty of fishes. Snorkeler can view various types of reef and marine lives when diving under the ocean. It is a protected bay so visitors cannot catch fishes in the sea. Occasionally, you can observe dolphins and green sea turtles at the Hulopoe Bay. The east side of the bay has lava terrace. Nearby the bay, there is a resort called Manele Bay Resort. You can travel to the Manele Bay Resort on foot from the harbor.

Kaumalapau Harbor is the sole harbor at the Lanai Island. Many fishing boats depart from the harbor every day. It used to be a busy boat harbor when the island has a thriving pineapple plantation. Today, the harbor does not receive as many visitors as before. The shipping vessels of Lanai Oil Company frequently depart from the harbor. You can perform fishing activities at Kaumalapau Harbor.

Kaunolu Village is a 15^th century fishing village. It used to be the site where King Kamehameha had his vacation. If you visit Kaunolu Village, you will be able to explore the stones foundations for the storerooms, Hawaiian homes and etc. There are more than 100 stone foundations for the Hawaiian homes at the fishing village.