Kalaupapa Peninsula: Tragedy and Triumph
Today, it’s hard to picture how for over a century Molokai's remote Kalaupapa Peninsula was "the loneliest place on earth," a feared place of exile for those suffering from leprosy (now known as Hansen’s disease).
But for visitors who crave drama, there's no better destination than this remote strip, where the scenery blends with quintessential facets of small-town life.
The world’s tallest sea cliffs, rain-chiseled valleys, and tiny islets dropped like exclamation points along the coast emphasize the passionate history of the Kalaupapa Peninsula. You’ll likely be tugged by emotions—awe and disbelief, for starters. It’s impossible to visit this stunning National Historical Park and view the evidence of human ignorance and heroism without responding.
Getting to the peninsula is still not easy, and there are only two ways: you can hike or you can fly into the small Kalaupapa Airstrip. The strenuous hike takes about an hour down and 90 minutes up; once on the ground, you must join a guided tour.
Visitors under 16 are not allowed at Kalaupapa, nor is photographing patients without their written permission. Whatever your experience is, chances are you’ll return home feeling that the journey to present-day Kalaupapa is one you’ll never forget.
Daily tours are offered Monday–Saturday through Damien Tours or on the Kalaupapa Guided Mule Tour; be sure to call in advance for times and reservations.
The Settlement’s Early Days
In 1865, pressured by foreign residents, the Hawaiian Kingdom passed "An Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy." Anyone showing symptoms of the disease was to be permanently exiled to Kalawao, the north end of Kalaupapa Peninsula—a spot walled in on three sides by nearly impassable cliffs. The peninsula had been home to a fishing community for 900 years, but those inhabitants were evicted and the entire peninsula was declared settlement land.
The first 12 patients were arrested and sent to Kalawao in 1866. More banishments followed. People of all ages and many nationalities were taken from their homes and dumped on the isolated shore. Officials thought the patients could become self-sufficient, fishing and farming sweet potatoes in the stream-fed valleys. That was not the case. Settlement conditions were deplorable.
Father Damien’s Arrival
Belgian missionary Father Damien was one of four priests who volunteered to serve the leprosy settlement at Kalawao on a rotating basis. His turn came in 1873, and there were 600 patients on the island already. When his time was up, he refused to leave. Father Damien is credited with turning the settlement from a merciless exile into a place where hope could be heard in the voices of his recruited choir.
Sixteen years after his arrival, in 1889, he died from the effects of leprosy, having contracted the disease during his service. Renowned for his sacrifice, Father Damien was canonized in 2009.
Kalaupapa Today
Kalaupapa today exudes bittersweet charm. Signs posted here and there remind residents when the bankers will be there (once monthly), when to place annual barge orders for nonperishable items, and what’s happening around town. It has the nostalgic, almost naive ambience expected from a place that’s essentially segregated from modern life.
About eight former patients remain at Kalaupapa (by choice, as the disease is controlled by drugs and the patients are no longer carriers), and all are now quite elderly. They never lost their chutzpah, however. Having survived a lifetime of prejudice and misunderstanding, Kalaupapa’s residents haven’t been willing to be pushed around any longer—in past years, several made the journey to Honolulu from time to time to testify before the state legislature about matters concerning them.
To get a feel for what residents’ lives were like, visit the National Park Service website (www.nps.gov/kala) or buy one of several heartbreaking memoirs at the park’s library-turned-bookstore.
