Hulopoe Bay Bay

Hulopoe Bay is Lanai's finest beach and a protected marine preserve, a crescent of white sand backed by the Four Seasons Resort on the island's south shore. Clear water, a healthy reef, and tide pools make it the best spot on the island for swimming and snorkeling for most of the year, and a resident pod of spinner dolphins often visits the bay.

As a marine life conservation district, the bay shelters coral, green sea turtles, and abundant reef fish, with the best snorkeling along the rocky left side near the tide pools. It is public land with full beach-park facilities, so it stays welcoming even in the shadow of the luxury resort above it.

• Reef along the bay's left side with parrotfish, tangs, and triggerfish
• Green sea turtles and frequent spinner dolphin sightings
• Volcanic tide pools teeming with small marine life
• Sweet white-sand crescent good for swimming most of the year
• Beach park with restrooms, showers, picnic tables, and grills

Hulopoe Bay is the most accessible sight on Lanai, reached on paved Manele Road about a 15-20 minute drive south from Lanai City, next to the Four Seasons Resort. From Manele Harbor, where the Expeditions ferry from Lahaina docks, it is a short 15-20 minute walk downhill, so no 4WD is needed. There is ample parking at the public beach park; bring your own snorkel gear, as none is rented on site.

Summer offers the calmest, clearest water for snorkeling, while winter can bring larger surf. Water is flattest and visibility best before about 10 a.m., which also means fewer people. Mornings give the best light for seeing the reef, and afternoons are pleasant for the beach when the swell is low.