Day Trip to Lana'i Island: Expeditions Ferry to Hulopo'e Bay ('Sweetheart Rock') & Cat Sanctuary

When you sit on the beach in West or South Maui and look 14 kilometres (9 miles) due west across the 'Au'au Channel, you see the mountainous profile of Lana'i ('The Pineapple Isle', where Dole once grew 75% of the world's pineapples). Hawaii's smallest publicly accessible inhabited island (population 3,000, with zero traffic lights and only 30 miles of paved roads) makes an memorable, crowd-free day trip from Maui.

1. Two Ways to Visit Lana'i for the Day (Without Needing a 4x4 Jeep)

• Way 1 (Independent, Walk Right from the Ferry Dock to Hulopo'e Beach): board the official Expeditions Lana'i Passenger Ferry (check current daily departure times and fares from Ma'alaea Harbor at go-lanai.com). The boat docks at Manele Small Boat Harbor on the southern coast of Lana'i, and from the ferry pier, a flat, paved 10-minute (600-metre) coastal walkway leads directly onto the public white sand of Hulopo'e Beach Park with no car needed.
• Way 2 (All-Inclusive Catamaran Day, 'Trilogy Excursions Discover Lana'i'): family-owned Trilogy Excursions sails across the channel on a catamaran (with cinnamon rolls and BBQ lunch) directly into Manele Harbor with guided snorkelling and beach chairs at Hulopo'e Bay.

2. What to Do at Hulopo'e Bay (Marine Preserve) & Up in Lana'i City

1. Swim, Snorkel & Explore the Volcanic Tide Pools at 'Hulopo'e Bay': protected as a Marine Life Conservation District with public showers, toilets and picnic tables, Hulopo'e Bay is visited almost every morning by pods of acrobatic Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins (Nai'a). Walk to the eastern lava point to wade in clear volcanic rock tide pools.
2. Walk the 15-Minute Coastal Cliff Trail to 'Pu'u Pehe (Sweetheart Rock)': from the western end of Hulopo'e Beach, follow the red-dirt bluff path past sea arches to a cliff viewpoint facing the 24-metre red volcanic sea stack of Pu'u Pehe ('Sweetheart Rock').
3. Take a Shuttle Up to 'Lana'i City' & The 'Lana'i Cat Sanctuary': up at 500 metres elevation among Cook Island pines sits plantation-era Lana'i City and the non-profit Lana'i Cat Sanctuary, an open-air garden where over 700 rescued cats welcome visitors while protecting endangered ground-nesting Hawaiian Petrel birds.