Papohaku Beach

I’ve been to most beaches in Hawaii (except for Lanai, which is a smaller island with smaller beaches anyway). Popohaku Beach is probably the third biggest beach in all Hawaii. Polihale Beach on Kauai is the biggest at 17 miles long. Waimanalo Beach on Oahu is probably the second biggest at more than 5 miles long. Popohaku Beach is about 3 miles long (and up to 100 yards wide) and is informally named «3 mile beach». Kailua Beach in Oahu is about 2.5 miles long.
Eighty Mile Beach in Western Australia is the world’s longest beach and is actually 140 miles long. Ninety Mile Beach in Australia is just over 90 miles long. Padre Island in south Texas is about 112 miles long and I think may be all beach, but I never drove to the end. I digress…
Papohaku Beach has large-​grained reddish-​golden sand and has a different vibe to the other Hawaiian beaches. First of all, there is pretty much no-​one there. When we went there was just one other person walking the beach, and some random recent footprints. Probably the only time there are more than a few people is for the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival for three days in May. Each May the annual Ka Hula Piko Festival is held here as a celebration of the hula dance. Molokai is widely held to be the birthplace of hula. The Hawaiian legend is that Laka, the goddess of the hula, began the hula dance at a sacred hill in Kaana, named Puu Nana. Laka then travelled the Hawaiian islands teaching the hula. It is said that the spirit of Laka remains at Puu Nana hill.
This is a walking beach. What a great beach walk with no-​one else around. But when doing the long walk from the parking area to the beach, be careful of the kiawe tree thorns and don’t go barefoot. View a spectacular sunset to the west over the water. If it’s not too hazy you can see the coast of Oahu to the west and north a little bit. You can see Makapu’u Lighthouse at night and the lights of Kailua.
This is not a swimming beach. An Aussie will swim at most places, but I definitely would not swim here. If the waves are not strong it is deceptively enticing. But if you watch the water carefully you will notice that the current does not move in just one direction, but swirls in many different directions. The 22 mile channel between Molokai and the east side of Oahu is one of the most treacherous in the world (Did you notice there is no ferry from Oahu to Molokai?). Also, there is a rock platform just under the water. I could imagine slipping on the rock, getting injured and then getting swept out to the ocean. BYO lifeguard. Halawa Bay was bad enough, and I swam at Sunset Beach in the winter till it kicked my butt. But I’m not going in here. As Amy Winehart said: they tried to make me [go to rehab] and I said No, No, No!
Go early in the day when the tropic sun is less fierce, and the winds are calm. Facilities include outdoor showers, restrooms, drinking water and picnic grounds. To get there you take Highway 460 west toward Maunaloa. Turn right on Kaluakoi Road before you reach Maunaloa town. Continue on Kaluakoi Road, past the entrance to the Kaluakoi Resort. Papohaku Beach is two miles past the resort entrance. You can camp here if you get a permit from Department of Parks, Land, and Natural Resources at Kaunakakai (I think $ 3 per night).
Be respectful of the Molokai people as they take this place very seriously as the most Hawaiian of all the islands. Say no to cruise ships.
Mahalos yeah fo’ checkin’ out dis place.

On the West end of Molokai where the Kaluakoi Villas are, There lies one of the biggest stretches of white sand beaches in the entire state of Hawaii. About a mile wide and three miles long, the view is just breathtaking and the pictures don’t do it justice. It was just awesome to take in the view with the cool breeze and NO ONE else around!
Picture perfect scenery, peaceful, tranquil, and undisturbed… only on Molokai… ALOHA!!!
Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE-(178/365) «One of Hawaii’s Beautiful Beaches»