by Jonathan Howery
January 31st, 2015


A lot of tourists get confused about which islands are which when traveling to the beautiful state of Hawai’i. Some believe that the main city has a volcano that erupts every month. Some think that Pearl Harbor is minutes away from the tallest mountain Mauna Kea. When I first came to live on the island of O’ahu, I had no knowledge of what to expect when coming here, other than it was warm, sunny, and had beaches everywhere. Well in this article I am going to set the record straight about which islands are which plus tell you exactly where they are located and what their nicknames are.


The Hawaiian Islands are composed of over 137 islands, most of them being offshore islets, cures, and atolls. However I’m not going to name all of the minor ones but explain the Big 8. We have Hawai’i, Maui, Lana’i, Kaho’olawe, Molokai, O’ahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Lets start with the largest and that is the Hawai’i Island, also known to the locals and nicknamed Big Island. Big Island is located at the south eastern tip of the chain of islands and has the most active volcano Kilauea. Hawai’i is said to have been named after the legendary polynesian navigator who discovered the islands, Hawai’iloa.

The next largest is the island Maui, the Valley Isle located just west of Hawai’i island. Maui’s landscape consists of large mountains and vast valleys far and in between. Some of the best whale watching can be done out of Lahaina. Maui was named after Hawai’iloa’s son who was in turn named after the demi god Maui. To the southeast of Maui lies Kaho’olawe, the smallest of the Big 8. A long time ago this island housed small fishing villages however the U.S. military took over the island and used it as a training ground and bombing range. Thus it was nicknamed the Target Isle and currently has a population of 0.

To the south of Maui we have Lana’i, the Pineapple Island. Lana’i was home to the largest pineapple production plantation owned by the Dole Company before it was bought by Larry Ellison in 2012. It is currently being developed for resorts. The origin of the name is uncertain however it means the day of conquest and was traditionally under the control of Maui chiefs. Moloka’i, the Friendly Isle, lies to the west of Maui and holds some of the nicest people you’ll meet while traveling. It has the world’s largest sea cliffs and houses the former leper colony overseen by Father Damien in the 1800s.

Traveling westward from Moloka’i you’ll reach O’ahu, the Gathering Place, also named after a son of Hawai’ioa. This island holds over 80% of the state’s population most of which is found in the city of Honolulu with the destination mind set toward Waikiki Beach. Here you can visit the famous Dole Plantation, the ships at Pearl Harbor, hike up Diamond Head crater, and much more. These tours and activities can be booked at a discounted price at HawaiiDiscount.com. To the west of O’ahu you’ll find Kaua’i, the Garden Isle. This island holds some of the wettest regions on Earth bringing forth lush green rainforests, beautiful water falls, and Waimea Canyon (the canyon of the pacific). This island was named after the favorite son of Hawai’iloa which granted it higher status in ancient times. Now finally we reach the last island to the west of Kaua’i which is Ni’ihau, the Forbidden Island. Here you’ll find communities made up of a purer Hawaiian bloodline with preserved language and culture. This island is off limits to the public except by special invitation, hence the title forbidden.


Well there you have it folks, the Hawaiian Islands in a nutshell.

Loa’a wale lā!





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