Molokai - The Friendly Isle

From the tiny island of Moloka'i in the Hawaiian archipelago come extraordinary premium coffees. The 500-acre plantation and mill in the village of Kualapu'u is the only source of 100% Moloka'i coffee. Visit Moloka'i and take a mule-drawn wagon tour of the plantation.

Molokai grows red catuai which were selected for their superior quality and compatibility with local growing conditions. These arabica coffee trees are rooted in the vivid red earth of the central island's upper slopes. Kualapu'u is the traditional name for this area- "sweet potato hill." The sweet potato ('uala) is a staple food of Hawaiian culture, grown just about everywhere that the land was too dry to support taro (kalo). As the name suggests, this land has been fertile farm country for a long, long time.

The plantation is located in the town of Kualapu'u on Farrington Highway, quite visible from Route 470 ("highway" means two-lane country road on Moloka'i!). They're open 6 to 5 on weekdays, 8 to 4 Saturdays, and 8 to 7 on Sundays. Their self-guided deck tour will get you thinking about the history of coffee in Hawai'i and introduce you to all the inner workings of their plantation.

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