Lanai
A Hawaiian island that was a single pineapple plantation for decades and is now almost entirely owned by one person.
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James Dole bought most of the island in 1922 and turned it into a pineapple plantation that at its height supplied a large share of the world's canned pineapple; growing ended in 1992 and the economy shifted to two resorts. In 2012 Larry Ellison bought about ninety-eight percent of the island, and the remainder is largely state and private lots - so nearly everything, including the utilities and much of the housing, has a single owner, which residents have mixed views about. There are around fifty kilometres of paved road. Hulopoe Bay is a marine preserve with spinner dolphins. The Garden of the Gods is a red rock field of wind-eroded boulders reached by dirt road, and the Munro Trail crosses the island's spine.
What you actually see
- An island under near-single ownership - about ninety-eight percent of it.
- Hulopoe Bay - a marine preserve with spinner dolphins.
- The Garden of the Gods - eroded red rock, by dirt road.
- Around fifty kilometres of paved road - the rest requires four-wheel drive.
When to go
Year round. Several days.
Honest expectations
Most roads require four-wheel drive and hire is expensive and limited. There are very few restaurants and shops. The resorts are among the priciest in the state. Single ownership of the island is a live local issue, not a neutral fact.
Nearby
Maui is across the channel by ferry; Molokai is north.
What to pack for Lanai
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
