Polihua Beach

Located on the north-western shoreline of the Hawaiian island of Lanai (also known as Lānaʻi), Polihua Beach is a one-and-a-half mile long and wide beach with pale cream sand. This beach is one of the largest beaches in the island of Lanai. A rocky cliff is present near the northern end of this beach - this cliff is made up of igneous rocks. In addition, many kinds of tropical plants are also present near Polihua Beach. As an interesting fact, the beach’s name in Hawaiian means "eggs in a bosom" or "egg nest" - the beach most likely got its name due to the fact that it used to be a popular nesting site for the Hawaiian green turtle. In addition, the beach was also popular among native Hawaiians as a great sea turtle hunting spot. Polihua Beach was also featured in Hawai’i Magazine’s 2017 article "A Local’s Guide to Hawaii’s Must-See Beaches." In addition, Polihua Beach has been named the 36th Best Beach in the Top 50 Beaches in the United States list in 2022 by Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as "Mr. Beach." Polihua Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except some huts and shelters, so plan your trip accordingly. Getting to Polihua beach can be difficult - the beach is located near the northern end of an extremely long and extremely rugged jeep trail named the Polihua Trail. Driving to the beach takes around an hour from Lanai City and around 30 minutes from an incredibly beautiful rock garden named Keahiakawelo that looks like you could be on the planet Mars. Once you arrive you’ll find a dirt parking lot next to the beach. We recommend carrying water while visiting Polihua Beach because there are no stores or places to stop along the way. We also recommend being careful while visiting Polihua Beach as it is occasionally known to have thirsty wild bees - the best way to avoid these bees is to simply leave some water at a distance in order to divert their attention.

Polihua Beach offers many fun activities including wildlife watching, sunbathing, picnicking, beachcombing, tidepooling, and hiking. Water activities are unsafe in the water near Polihua Beach as it is known to have extremely strong rip currents, considerable and steep depth, and dangerous rogue waves. In addition, drowning-related deaths have also been reported in the water near Polihua Beach. The beach can occasionally also get windy, which often results in visitors having an unpleasant beach visit. Nevertheless, this beach is a great sunbathing spot, especially when the local winds are calm. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Polihua Beach including migrating humpback whales (usually between December and April) and sea turtles - while this beach was earlier a popular nesting spot for local sea turtles, it is important to note that sea turtle nesting activity has considerably declined now.

In addition, please also note that while some tourists have been known to drive their vehicles on Polihua Beach, we recommend strictly refraining from doing so as this activity may damage the sea turtle nests on the beach. In addition, vehicles may also get stuck in the sand on Polihua Beach. Polihua Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience as the beach sees many fewer visitors than most other Hawaiian beaches. If you are planning to fish in the water near Polihua Beach, we recommend following the local fishing regulations. If you like tidepooling, you can explore the interesting tidepools present near the northern end of Polihua Beach. Polihua Beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Kalohi Channel, the nearby island of Molokai, and distant views of a volcanic tuff cone in the island of Oahu named Diamond Head.

There are many attractions near Polihua Beach within an hour’s drive. Kānepu‘u Preserve protects a portion of native dryland forest that was earlier prevalent in the Hawaiian lowlands - you can explore the preserve’s vibrant habitat via a self-guided trail present here. In addition, you can view many kinds of animals and plants in this preserve including the endangered nāʻū (a native variety of gardenia), maʻohau hele (a native variety of hibiscus), non-native axis deer, pueo (short-eared owl) and thekōlea (Pacific golden-plover). Keahiakawelo - which means the "the fire of Kawelo" in Hawaiian - is a unique rock garden that has many interesting large stones and rocky towers - this rock garden offers amazing Instagram-worthy photographs during sunsets and it also offers amazing views of the nearby Oahu and Molokai islands. This garden has a rugged and barren moon-like landscape that is devoid of any vegetation. If you are looking for another attraction near Polihua Beach, Dole Park (also known as Lanai City Commercial Square) is a large grassy recreational area with many nearby shops and restaurants. This recreational area also hosts a weekly farmers’ market where you can taste delicious local produce and also purchase local handicrafts.

There are many attractions near Polihua Beach within an hour’s drive. Kānepu‘u Preserve protects a portion of native dryland forest that was earlier prevalent in the Hawaiian lowlands - you can explore the preserve’s vibrant habitat via a self-guided trail present here. In addition, you can view many kinds of animals and plants in this preserve including the endangered nāʻū (a native variety of gardenia), maʻohau hele (a native variety of hibiscus), non-native axis deer, pueo (short-eared owl) and thekōlea (Pacific golden-plover). Keahiakawelo - which means the "the fire of Kawelo" in Hawaiian - is a unique rock garden that has many interesting large stones and rocky towers - this rock garden offers amazing Instagram-worthy photographs during sunsets and it also offers amazing views of the nearby Oahu and Molokai islands. This garden has a rugged and barren moon-like landscape that is devoid of any vegetation. If you are looking for another attraction near Polihua Beach, Dole Park (also known as Lanai City Commercial Square) is a large grassy recreational area with many nearby shops and restaurants. This recreational area also hosts a weekly farmers’ market where you can taste delicious local produce and also purchase local handicrafts.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Polihua Beach within an hour-and-ten minute drive. Nobu Lanai is an upscale restaurant in the Four Seasons Resort Lanai that offers amazing Japanese dishes - the restaurant is known for its delicious signature miso cod. Pele’s Other Garden offers amazing dishes for lunch and dinner including sandwiches, burgers, seafood, burritos, quesadillas, pizzas, salads, and pasta. The Blue Ginger Café offers amazing dishes exhibiting local culinary influences including seafood, breakfast dishes, burgers, burritos, sandwiches, pork dishes, steaks, and Asian-inspired dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Polihua Beach, there are many great nearby options within an hour’s drive. The 5-Star Sensei Lanai, Four Seasons Resort offers many amenities including a pool, a spa, multiple restaurants and bars, tennis courts, a fitness center, and an 18-hole golf course. This hotel also offers many activities including horse riding and archery and hula lessons. As another 5-Star hotel, Four Seasons Resort Lanai is an hour-and-seven minutes away by car and offers many amenities including two pools, a spa, multiple bars and restaurants, a complimentary local area shuttle service, a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, a kids’ club, and a fitness room. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hotel Lanai which is set in a 1920s plantation home and offers a restaurant with regular live local entertainment, an airport shuttle service (available for a fee), and a complimentary continental breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Polihua Beach, Dreams Come True Lanai is a bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including a communal lounge with antique furnishings, a garden with tropical plants and flowers, and a guest kitchen.