Lanai (Lānaʻi) was at one time completely owned by Dole Foods and was the largest pineapple plantation in the world; it is now home to several exclusive resorts.  It is also known as Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The island's only settlement of note is the small town of Lānaʻi City. As of 2012, the island is 98% owned by Larry Ellison (CEO of Oracle), with the remaining 2% owned by the state of Hawaii.

Lānaʻi is somewhat comma-shaped with a width of 18 miles (29 km) in the longest direction. The land area is 140.5 square miles (364 km2), making it the 42nd largest island in the United States.  It is separated from the island of Molokaʻi by the Kalohi Channel to the north, and from Maui by the ʻAuʻau Channel to the east. The United States Census Bureau defines Lānaʻi as Census Tract 316 of Maui County. Its total population shrank from 3,193 as of the 2000 census to 3,102 as of 2010.[5] Many of the island's landmarks are accessible only by dirt roads that require a four-wheel drive vehicle.

THINGS TO SEE

The scenic Munro and Naha trails travel through the mountains and around the island. The scenic Kaumapalau Highway and Manele Road (highway 440) travels from Kaumapalau Harbor, past the airport, into Lanai City, and south to Manele Harbor. Dole Park in downtown Lanai City is a great place to relax, and it includes a small playground for the kids.

The most popular beach on Lanai is Hulupoe Beach at Four Seasons. However, if you want to be somewhere more quiet, Shipwreck Beach near the northern end of the island is the place to be.