To Hana and Back

One of the tourist activities on Maui is a drive on the Hana Highway to the tiny town of Hana. The saying is that it's about the journey, not the destination. This is a drive that we did years ago on our first visit to the island and it was kind of fun. There are waterfalls and glimpses of beautiful coastline sights. The highway is on the windward side of the island, meaning it's a jungle. There are dozens of sharp turns and one-lane bridges, so it's a slow slog out to Hana.

We made the drive again because I wanted to do a few things that we didn't do last time. So we headed out along the coast.

North Coast of Maui Looking Toward Hana

We stopped at a couple of waterfalls, of which there are quite a few.

Along the Hana Highway

During our last visit we looked for, but didn't find, the red sand beach. This time I was better informed about its location and I found it after a brief walk along a path with steep drop-offs and loose footing. It's small and known as a clothing-optional beach. There were a couple of couples who were there without clothing on, so I tried my best to take photos without them visible, and I tried not to look like a gawker. Anyway, here's a photo.

Kaihalulu Beach with Red Sand

We also visited the Hana Lava Tube, which is dark, cool, wet, and grimy. The colors and rock formations are kind of cool. But I took no pictures because it's very dark in there.

And we visited Waianapanapa State Park. This is now my favorite beach on Maui. There are only a couple of small beaches nestled among lots of rock, and the sand is a rather coarse black color mixed with rocks and pebbles. And the surf crashes in. So it's not a sunbather/swimmer beach. But the crashing waves and spray make this place a lot of fun.

After leaving the park, we continued past Hana via the Piilani Highway. Calling this a highway is a joke. It's narrow, curvy, has one-lane bridges, and is a cool trip to make. There are blind one-lane turns around cliffs. Thankfully there were very few cars going in the opposite direction and they appeared in places where it wasn't all that difficult to squeeze by. Between two of these one-lane, blind turns on cliffs, we stopped at an amazing beach. I couldn't find a name for this beach, but the coordinates are 20.651102, -156.079773, on national park land.

Beach on the Hana Highway

After more miles of teeth-jarring bumps, cattle guards, cows, and narrow roads we emerged on the leeward side of the island, and we drove for miles through a desert, with brown grass and ocean views as we climbed. We passed the Auwahi wind turbine farm.

Wind Turbines on Maui

Little by little the road improved, and eventually we finished the loop in Kula. It was a long drive, with some curves on the road that were a little too interesting, but well worth the trip to see a part of Maui that very few tourists ever visit.