Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Small statues of Buddha line the path to the top of the mountain.
Mitaki-dera
A view of the Sandiaoling bike tunnel.
Sandiaoling Bike Tunnel
The old ticket house at League Park now houses the Baseball Heritage Museum.
League Park
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Passersby stop to admire the punny offerings of Brooklyn’s only dinosaur bodega.
We Visited the Dino Bodega in (Jurassic) Park Slope
about 17 hours ago
Native Americans have a longstanding, rich, and vibrant culture in Wyoming.
Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History
about 20 hours ago
This strawberry cucumber sorbet tastes like early summer in a scoop.
Salt & Straw Wants You to Create Your Own Ice Cream Flavors
2 days ago
Catch a glimpse of some of the many wildflowers Crested Butte is known for.
Rodeos, Star Parties, and Festivals: Your Guide to Colorado’s Magical Summer Events
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Hawaii Kapa'a Coco Palms Resort
Coco Palms Resort is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Coco Palms Resort

This former luxury resort in Kaua'i is now an abandoned relic.

Kapa'a, Hawaii

Added By
Daniel R. Thorne
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
  slehfer/CC BY-ND 2.0
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
  Avi/CC BY-SA 2.0
Balcony of the resort   Avi/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Avi/CC BY-SA 2.0
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
March 2022   jhawk737 / Atlas Obscura User
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
Coco Palms Resort   danielrthorne / Atlas Obscura User
The chapel (a movie set that stood the test of time)   RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
Tourist information board   Avi/CC BY-SA 2.0
  RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
The remains of the fountain from Elvis’ bungalow in Blue Hawaii   RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
His and hers bathrooms (minus the dividing wall)   RachelCassidy / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Hawaii is known for its lush resorts and the booming tourist economy that keeps them afloat. However, not every resort has flourished on the islands.

The Coco Palms Resort was the very first resort on Kauai, built in 1953 and, in its heyday, it was the hottest place around. Frank Sinatra was known to have stayed there, and it was also one of Elvis Presley’s favorite spots. The wedding scene from Elvis's film Blue Hawaii was shot at the resort. However, this luxury didn't come cheap with even the most modest rooms going for over $400 a night. 

That all changed when Hurricane Iniki hit in 1992. Iniki was a Category 4 hurricane and its eye passed directly over Kauai. Because of the massive devastation across the whole island, the insurance companies went bankrupt and, as a result, the Coco Palms Resort was never repaired. Even after the Kauai economy recovered, the Coco Palms Resort was simply sold and resold as its condition deteriorated.

In 2016, a group of Native Hawaiians led by Noa Mau-Espirito began occupying a portion of the former Coco Palms resort. They cleared a roadway and began to plant taro and other traditional plants with the goal of "living self-sustainably" on the land. Mau-Espirito and his cousin Kamuela Kapule O Kamehameha traced their ancestry to Kauai's King Kaumualii and held that a royal patent, called a Palapala Sila Nui, gave their family rights to the land.

In October 2017, real-estate developers took the group to court, but a judge refused to remove them, stating there wasn't enough information to determine rightful ownership of the land.

Related Tags

Islands Abandoned Resorts Indigenous

Community Contributors

Added By

danielrthorne

Edited By

Rachel, Martin, hrnick, Blindcolour...

  • Rachel
  • Martin
  • hrnick
  • Blindcolour
  • mswendybe
  • heidisorgenfrei
  • Katecrimson
  • RachelCassidy
  • michellecassidy1
  • jhawk737

Published

November 7, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Palms_Resort
  • http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=230389561&id=230389561
  • http://www.coco-palms.com/
  • http://beatofhawaii.com/coco-palms-to-be-nationally-branded-construction-to-start/
  • I was on Oahu in the Marine Corps during Hurricane Iniki. Much of the military was used for the cleanup and to support the people of Kauaii. The storm was massive and hit the western edge of Oahu as well. It had sustained winds of 180 mph and wind gusts up to 225 mph. The original Jurasic Park movie was filming when it hit and they used actual storm footage of Iniki hitting the island in the beginning of the movie.
Coco Palms Resort
4-241-4-1219 HI-56
Kapa'a, Hawaii, 96746
United States
22.048822, -159.335791
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kapa’a Japanese Stone Lantern

Kapaʻa, Hawaii

miles away

Moikeha Canal Bridge

Kapaʻa, Hawaii

miles away

Pineapple Dump Pier

Kapa'a, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kapa'a

Kapa'a

Hawaii

Places 5

Nearby Places

Kapa’a Japanese Stone Lantern

Kapaʻa, Hawaii

miles away

Moikeha Canal Bridge

Kapaʻa, Hawaii

miles away

Pineapple Dump Pier

Kapa'a, Hawaii

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kapa'a

Kapa'a

Hawaii

Places 5

Related Stories and Lists

The United States of Abandoned Places

List

By Mar Nwe Aye and Charlotte Chadwick

Related Places

  • The eastern side of the island, the closest to the coast, the abandoned structures can be seen on the left.

    Praia A Mare, Italy

    Dino Island

    The abandoned ruins of a failed resort hide on this verdant, picture-perfect island.

  • Blue Zebra chalet

    Salima, Malawi

    Nankoma Island

    The ideal location for an immersive ecological experience.

  • Bulgaria

    Abandoned Tsar Boris the Third Sanatorium

    An abandoned sanatorium building from the early 20th century sits in the forest of the Rila mountains.

  • View of Drake’s Island from Plymouth Hoe

    Plymouth, England

    Drake's Island

    After several centuries as the home of coastal defenses, this island is full of history—and maybe ghosts.

  • Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • Guermassa, Tunisia

    Guermassa

    A charming Amazigh village carved into a mountaintop.

  • Mound Key, in southwestern Florida’s Estero Bay, is an artificial island made from layers of shells and other material.

    Estero, Florida

    Mound Key Archaeological State Park

    Long before Europeans arrived, Native Americans built an artificial island out of shells that has withstood a millennia of hurricanes.

  • Imperial Austrian Baths “Neptune”

    Băile Herculane, Romania

    Abandoned Baths of Băile Herculane

    An old spa town in the mountains of Romania where, according to legend, the great hero Hercules once bathed.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.