An enduring love affair began the day I stood on the deck of a ferry and watched as the lush green cliffs of Lāna’i emerged from the swirling sea mist that cloaked the shore. My most powerful healing journeys always involved an immersion in nature, and this island, of all Hawai’i’s many treasures, provides an environment ideally suited to balancing motion with contemplation.

This sense of harmony is especially intriguing, given the myths and lore embedded in the landscape. Long before it was hailed as the Pineapple Island to reflect its lush, plantation-covered plains and valleys — and much, much earlier than its incarnation as a setting for wellness and rejuvenation — Lāna’i Island was steeped in dark legends that told of man-eating fiends and cruel monsters who stalked the living.

These old stories, handed down through oral traditions, paint a fearsome tale of sorcery and mischief finally resolved when Kauluā’au, the errant son of a Hawai’ian chieftain, was banished to Lāna’i for uprooting all of the breadfruit trees on Maui. Young Kauluā’au eventually redeemed himself in his father’s eyes through acts of courage and cunning that led to all the lingering forces of malevolence being successfully driven from the lovely island’s shores.

Legends aside, it’s difficult to imagine anything disagreeable lingering here. There’s a pervading sense of serenity and an appealing, down-to-earth profile that hints at another era. Far less developed than Hawai’i’s other public islands, there are no crowds or lines or traffic jams. In fact, there are no traffic lights anywhere, and most of the island’s few roads aren’t even paved.

It’s a landscape ideal for rejuvenation. One of the best places to tap into the local tranquility is a hike to Mount Lāna’ihale, the dormant volcano located within the central region. The Munro Trail leads here; and if you climb on a clear day to the top along the sometimes rough, steep path, you’ll be rewarded with views of five of the islands within the Hawai’ian archipelago.

An easier, more relaxing destination is Puupehe, or Sweetheart Rock, just past Hulopoe Beach near Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay. Named for two mythical lovers who suffered a sad fate in a long-ago tale of loss, the rock rises dramatically from the waves offshore and is best viewed at sunset. If you’re staying at the resort, you can request an evening picnic to enjoy while relishing the changing colors on the rock face.

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At multiple locations on Lāna’i, it’s possible to view ki’i pohaku — collections of ancient rock carvings — most of which have yet to be completely explained. Two main sites at Kaunolu and Luahiwa depict human figures mingled with birds, animals and canoes. The bird carvings are believed to be connected to the Hawai’ian myth of Halulu, a man-eating creature with wings. Halulu was so important, the Halulu Heiau temple was dedicated to it. This temple, regarded as an archaeological site of great significance, perches on the island’s south shore close to the village of Kaunolu. It was King Kamehameha who had the temple constructed and who decreed that lawbreakers able to access the temple’s sacred space before they were apprehended would be granted refuge.