Uncover the mysteries of Kauai’s Club Med Ruins – an intriguing blend of history and natural beauty.
- Region: North Shore/Hanalei
- Only the foundations and some walls remain of a failed 1980s condo venture.
- One of the most beautiful locations on Kauai, on a promontory overlooking Hanalei Bay.
- Visitors can stroll the grounds as long as the property rules are followed (stay off the structures).
- Map: Google Maps
Once known only to local residents, travel guidebooks and social media have highlighted this unique set of abandoned concrete structures on a beautiful promontory overlooking Hanalei Bay. At least two-dozen concrete slabs and structures can be found on the property, giving the setting the look and feel of an ancient abandoned temple. The structures are from a failed 1980s condo venture that never came to fruition. Before this venture, the site was the location of a Club Med Resort in the 1970s that had been converted from the 1960s-era Hanalei Plantation Hotel. Despite the 1980s project, the location is popularly known as the Club Med Ruins.
Unlike some other abandoned places on Kauai, access to the location is permitted (as long as you use caution and stay off the structures, according to signs on the property). There are two ways to reach the ruins. The most popular way is to start at Puu Poa Beach at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and walk down the beach and through the trees (towards Hanalei Bay) until you see the short trail that goes up to the property. The other way is to walk down from Hanalei Plantation Road starting near the Nourish Hanalei food stand.
PHOTO: Historic American Engineering Record, Creator, and Department of Land & Natural Resources. Hanalei Pier, Hanalei Bay off Weke Road, Hanalei, Kauai County, HI. Hanalei Hawaii Kauai County, 1968. Translated by Gill, Barry Leemitter. Documentation Compiled After. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/hi0207/.
Above is a very interesting photo from 1968 that shows the location of the Club Med Ruins in relation to the Hanalei Pier. In the upper left corner of the photo you can see the Hanalei Plantation Hotel (the location of the so-called Club Med Ruins). That ridge is now free of buildings except for the ruins.
