Standing at the edge of Kalaupapa Lookout in Pala'au State Park and gazing down nearly 2,000 feet to the peninsula below, one gets a sense of how truly spectacular Molokai's geography is. Home to the world's tallest sea cliffs, the island remains a pristine, uncrowded destination, with many spots still possessing the mana (life force) of earlier times.

Not far from the lookout, you'll find the massive, phallic-shaped stone known as Kauleonanahoa — one of the finest examples of a traditional fertility rock to be found in the Islands, and one of the most powerful. It is believed to this day that if a woman goes to Kauleonanahoa with offerings and spends the night, she will return home pregnant.

The island offers many other historic sites. In 1865, King Kamehameha V selected Molokai as the coffee-growing region for the Kingdom of Hawaii. Today, those seeking a mule-drawn tour and a fine cup of 100-percent Molokai coffee should head for the rolling hills of Kualapu'u, near the center of the island, which are home to the 500-acre plantation of Coffees of Hawaii.

Not far from here one can also find the Molokai Museum and Cultural Center, which hosts an extensive collection of artwork from the late 1800s, plus the entire R.W. Meyer Sugar Mill, a National Historic Place built in 1878 that has been restored to its original operating condition.

If you're island hopping...
We recommend spending at least 2 full days exploring Molokai's many natural wonders.