Now you understand why it is called that way !!
Surrounded by ocean and high cliffs, Kalaupapa lies isolated on Moloka'i's north shore.
The peninsula was created when lava erupted from the ocean floor near Kauhako Crater and spread outward, forming a low shield volcano.
A settlement was established on the peninsula for those afflicted with leprosy. The original site was at Kalawao, located on the opposite side of the peninsula : it was there that Father Damien settled in 1873. The most recent site is Kalaupapa.
Beginning in 1866, Hawai'ians learnt to dread the name "Kalaupapa" : in an attempt to stop the spread of leprosy, King Kamehameha V signed an act ordering advanced cases to be isolated there. Having leprosy was grouds for arrest, and hundreds were banished from their families and homes, never to return... Kalaupapa gained repute as a "living tomb".
