Kaunakakai is the largest town on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. The town has an easy, laid back atmosphere and looks somewhat like a mix of a tropical port and an Old West frontier town.
Kaunakakai's harbor was originally used for the export of pineapple, but nowadays, Kaunakakai Wharf is only visited by a commercial barge once a week. There are mooring facilities for smaller boats. The remains of King Kamehameha V's vacation palace that was built in the 1860's, can still be seen in the form of stone foundations along the foreshore. The King's sacred bathing pools and the Kapuaiwa ('mysterious taboo') Coconut Grove are only 15 minutes walking from the west of town. The Coconut Grove consists of acres of coconut palms that were planted for His Majesty. During the evenings, you can often experience a fiery red sunset over Kaunakakai and its harbor.
Accommodation and restaurants are available in town. Kaunakakai has no shopping malls and no chain stores. The town is on Molokai's southern coast, some 90 km east of Honolulu.
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