Kalaupapa: The Isolation Settlement of Molokaʻi

Kalaupapa is a remote peninsula on the north coast of Molokaʻi, cut off from the rest of the island by some of the tallest sea cliffs in the world. Beginning in 1866, it became a place of forced isolation for people with Hansen's disease, then called leprosy. Its history is one of suffering, but also of profound compassion, and it is remembered today with deep respect.

What Kalaupapa is

The peninsula's isolation, ringed by cliffs and open ocean, is exactly why it was chosen. Patients sent here were separated from their families, often for life. The settlement is now Kalaupapa National Historical Park, managed by the National Park Service to preserve the site and honor those who lived and died there. You can learn more at nps.gov/kala.

A settlement of forced isolation

In 1865, during the reign of Kamehameha V, Hawaii passed a law to isolate people with Hansen's disease, and the first patients were sent to Kalaupapa in January 1866. Over the following century, thousands of people were exiled here, taken from their ʻohana because the disease was feared and not yet understood or treatable.

Father Damien and Mother Marianne

In 1873, a Belgian priest known as Father Damien arrived to care for the patients, building homes, churches, and a sense of community until he died of the disease himself in 1889. A decade later, Mother Marianne Cope led a group of Franciscan Sisters who arrived in 1883 and served for decades, caring for patients with dignity. Both were later canonized as Catholic saints for their work here.

Kalaupapa today

Effective treatment for Hansen's disease became available in the mid-20th century, and the isolation policy was eventually lifted. Kalaupapa endures as a national historical park and a place of remembrance. Approaching its story with humility reflects the values in our respectful tourism guide, and it deepens any understanding of Molokaʻi and of Hawaii's history.