After negotiating 600 curves and 54 bridges on the narrow, winding 52 miles of Hana Highway, a lot of visitors to Maui just spend a couple of hours in Hana town, make the obligatory stop at Hasegawa General Store, then turn around and head back to the resorts on the south side of the island. That’s a shame, because some the best parts of the Hana Coast, and some of the most scenic locations on the island of Maui, are just down the road a piece.
Spending the night in Hana will let you easily get to a sunrise view of Alau Island – just beyond mile marker 51, turn left on Haneo’o Road and you’ll shortly arrive at a beach park. Check out nearby Koki Beach while you’re there. Continue on Haneo’o Road to get to Hamoa Beach – a beautiful beach and the biggest stretch of sand on the Hana Coast.
Continuing on the Hana Highway as it curves around the east end of Maui, Wailua Falls will certainly grab your eye. It’s a good idea to get there either fairly early in the morning or else late in the afternoon, as there is limited parking and it’s a popular and busy stop. Wailua Falls is one of the most scenic waterfalls on Maui, if not in the whole state of Hawaii.
Next stop is at the Oheo Gulch area, part of Haleakala National Park. A short hike from the visitor center leads to several pools and waterfalls, popularly known in the past as the Seven Sacred Pools. The area is culturally significant as well as incredibly scenic, so plan on spending some time here. The 4-mile roundtrip hike on Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls, some of it through a dense bamboo forest, is fantastic. Good photo ops and a swim in a waterfall pool to top it off. Be sure to pack the bug juice – mosquitoes like this area, too.
Not far beyond Oheo Gulch, the area known as Kipahulu is one of the most beautiful and interesting parts of Maui. The lush tropical rainforest meeting rugged lava coast has attracted fans from famed aviator Charles Lindbergh (buried on the grounds of picturesque Palapala Ho’omau Church) to the one and only Oprah, as well as back-to-the-earth organic farming hippies. Stop at the Laulima Farm produce stand for fresh fruit and blend your own smoothie with the bicycle-powered grinder.
Rental car companies discourage it, but the really adventurous can continue to follow the road along the coast, past remote Kaupo and around the south side of the island as the road ascends the lower slopes of Haleakala, passing through Ulupalakua Ranch and the Tedeschi Winery before heading back down to the popular visitor destinations.
Photo tips: A graduated neutral density filter will help immensely for the sunrise shoot at Alau Island. Even better, add a heavy solid ND so that exposure times get down to 5-10 seconds and the water swirling around the rocks smooths out for a nice, silky look. Hamoa Beach is another great spot for sunrise photography. Wailua Falls and the surrounding foliage photographs best in the winter and spring when there has been plentiful rainfall; during dry spells the waterfall is but a wisp and the vegetation is not at its prime. Typical weather along the Hana coast is more or less sunny mornings, with clouds building in the afternoon, which is ideal for coast sunrises and rainforest waterfalls.
There are few options for overnight stays in Hana, but they do run the gauntlet from ritzy to rustic. At the high end is the very upscale Travaasa Hana (the new owners made a big mistake, IMO, when they changed the name from Hotel Hana Maui – a legendary Hawaii resort – but it’s still one of THE best most awesome places on Maui to hang out, and with spa facilities that can’t be beat). Mid-range but very nice and oceanfront on the bay is Hana Kai Resort. Those who are looking for hostel and backpacker type budget lodging can check out Joe’s Rentals. Another option is tent camping or trying to snag one of the cabins at Wainapanapa Beach State Park. The cabins have always been booked prior to my visits, and I haven’t yet had the opportunity to personally try Hana Kai Resort, but I have stayed at both Hotel Hana Maui and Joe’s place and I’ve camped at Wainapanapa, each a wonderful experience.
Click on the link if you’d like to see more of my photos of the Hana Coast of Maui.
On my next trip to Hana, I’d like to explore some new places. What have you found?
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Great photos and post Greg!
Gotta agree with everything you wrote including the recommendation for the Hana Kai Resort – stayed there just a week or so ago.
Thanks, Ron. Credit where credit is due: your recent posts from Hawaii got me thinking about this topic. And your shot of the Oheo pools and falls is one of the very best I’ve ever seen from that location.