Maunaloa

If remote living that skirts gloriously close to uninhabitable draws your attention, you may want to explore Maunaloa. Historically famous for its development-resistance culture, this tiny plantation village in upcountry Molokai is quite literally the only community on the island of Molokai’s drier west end. This microcosm of native Hawaiian and newer residents to the island was developed for self-sufficiency, and still includes a post office, quaint grocery market, and a kite factory. It persists even after longstanding employer Molokai Ranch shut down their cattle-rearing operations in 2008, effectively closing the Molokai Lodge, Kaluakoi Golf Course, Maunaloa gas station, and Maunaloa Town Cinemas.

The lifestyle here is for those who prefer staying off the beaten path. In fact, its appeal is in its palatable lack of modern buildout and uncrowded wilderness. You won’t be shopping at malls here, but you will be drenched in primitive splendor, and a feeling of having stepped back in time to a simpler place. Maunaloa locals are deeply connected by an aloha spirit to preserve what’s naturally plentiful—and not lose what makes Molokai magnificent.

Simple 700-square-foot homes built in 2017 as well as larger 1,800 square-foot homes built in 2008 here are priced under $500,000. Beautiful plantation-style homes with wraparound decks and cathedral ceilings can ask around $650,000. Homes greater than 2,000 square feet built in 2006 can ask closer to $750,000. Maunaloa’s paved streets are trimmed with sidewalks and mature trees, making for a pleasant walk anywhere in the neighborhood.

The island of Molokai is less than 40 miles long, so public school students across the island attend Maunaloa Elementary School within the Maunaloa neighborhood, and move on to Molokai Middle and Molokai High schools. Because of the island’s low population density, students enjoy small class sizes with a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1 at the elementary level and 14-to-1 at the middle and high levels.

Living in Maunaloa, you can walk across the street from the elementary school to relax at the small open greenspace of Maunaloa Community Park. To really get away from it all, you can drive 7 miles northwest to Papohaku Beach Park. Here, you can stroll one of the longest and widest beaches in Hawaii, referred to by locals as Three Mile Beach, where residents go to enjoy soul-transforming seclusion. The surf is a bit too unpredictable for swimming, especially in winter; however, its raw essence is imbued with a sense of nirvana.The entire western coast of Molokai surrounding Maunaloa is fringed with beach after beach, from the northernmost Kawakiu Beach to the rugged Hale O Lono Beach around the southern bend, just 5 miles from Maunaloa.

Because Molokai is much less developed than other Hawaiian islands, you won’t have a host of fancy restaurants at your fingertips. You can, however, make the 15-mile trek east into Kaunakakai to treat yourself to decadent donuts and fresh-baked bread at Kanemitsu’s Bakery and Coffee Shop – a Molokai go-to for more than 80 years.

The neighborhood once again offers its own Maunaloa General Store, after a long history of opening in the 1930s when Maunaloa was a bustling plantation town, and eventually closing in 2020. In 2021, it was reopened by Maunaloa native Jane Sasada who also owns Haleola Essentials Boutique and Gift Shop in Kaunakakai. Residents can walk to this store for essentials and food, from baby necessities to household goods and fishing supplies.

One of the Maunaloa’s bastions is the Big Wind Kite Factory on Maunaloa Road where you’ll find everything from high-end stunt kites to dancing hula girl windsocks — many made by hand in Molokai. The friendly staff here are happy to teach you proper kite-flying techniques or take you on a tour of the factory. And in a tiny forest-green cottage, you’ll find your community’s own U.S. Post Office.

For those who imagine home in the stark quietude of a far-flung island town, Maunaloa may be your dream come true.

Written By

Lia Girard