Lanai

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.

The main sights

• 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.

Things to know

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.

Key facts