The road to Hana: An insider’s guide to must-see stops

Hawai‘i’s most beautiful drive is also its most challenging. The reason is especially obvious from the air: Fly over the road to Hāna and you’ll see a long, narrow ribbon of asphalt with hundreds of hairpin turns and dozens of bridges, most wide enough to fit just one car. And yet, the drive east from Kahului, Maui’s commercial hub, to the peaceful hamlet of Hāna is still worth every one of its 52 miles, revealing magnificent views of the azure sea, silvery waterfalls, and cliffs and forests brushed with a thousand shades of green.

This road trip can be done round-trip in about four hours, without stops, but why rush things? Better to make a full day of it with a cooler packed with snacks and beverages. But first, you should know Hāna Highway’s mile markers are a bit confusing. Starting at 0 in Kahului, you’ll be on Route 36 of the highway, going east. It goes to Mile Marker 16, about 9 miles past Pā‘ia town. There, at the junction with Kaupakalua Road, Route 36 turns into Route 360, and the markers reset to 0, which is the basis point for sites listed in this story. And with COVID-19 safety in mind, be sure to review the “Hana Maui/Road to Hana Drive With Aloha” information.

Ready to go? Here are five must-stops along the way (and scroll through to the end for seven great tips).

The fruit stand, located at the entrance, is open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. From there, it takes 10 minutes to reach the lower falls (open 7 a.m.–6 p.m.), and 25 minutes, including crossing two streams, to get to the upper falls (open 8 a.m.–5 p.m.).

Info: 6300 Hāna Highway, Ha‘ikū. (808) 463-1275.

If you’ve ever wondered what the biblical Garden of Eden was like, surely its breathtaking Maui namesake comes close. You don’t have to be a plant aficionado to appreciate nature’s beauty and bounty here; the array of colors, forms, and fragrances is amazing, mesmerizing.

More than 700 species of tropical and subtropical plants, some donated by the late George Harrison, flourish on the garden’s 30 lush acres. The 2 1/2 miles of gravel trails lead to five scenic lookouts. Two of them showcase Keopuka Rock and Puohokamoa Valley, seen in the 1993 blockbuster movie Jurassic Park (otherwise, they’re visible only from the air or the ocean).

Other highlights: a 100-year-old mango tree; the orchard, where jackfruit, avocado, cashews, Surinam cherries, and much more are ripening this time of year; and a natural freshwater pond where you can feed friendly ducks and peacocks.

The garden is also home to Rappel Maui, whose tours feature rappelling down two waterfalls; the Garden Gallery, chock-full of Maui-made arts, crafts, and beauty products; and the Garden Grove Café (one of this food cart’s specialties is Hawaiian Chili with beans, mango, and fire-roasted veggies). Picnics are welcomed, but there are no trash receptacles, so please carry out whatever you bring in.

Info: 10600 Hāna Highway, Ha‘ikū. (808) 572-9899. The Garden of Eden Arboretum is open daily 8 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 for guests 16 and older, $5 for children 5–15, and free for kids under 5. Ask about discounts for local residents, military, college students, and AAA members.

Maui’s largest known lava tube is just off the highway. Measuring 60 feet high (six stories) in one spot, it’s a great introduction to the thrill of spelunking.

Some 980 years ago, molten lava burst from a hill on the eastern side of erupting Haleakalā Volcano. As the lava river flowed downward, its top cooled and hardened. The river eventually drained beneath this “ceiling,” leaving a 2-mile subterranean lava tube named Ka‘elekū (meaning “the basaltic rock”). Today, most people simply call it the Hāna Lava Tube.

You can walk a quarter-mile into the tunnel, marveling at geological formations such as stalactites; stalagmites; ‘a‘ā and pāhoehoe lava; “cauliflower ‘a‘ā,” which is jagged like ‘a‘ā but fused like pāhoehoe; and a 10-foot-wide chockstone, a boulder tightly wedged in a crack. Interestingly, the “gold” that sparkles on the lava tube’s ceiling and walls is not metallic. Rather, it’s a “rock-eating” bacteria called chemolithotroph that’s been around for 4 billion years.

Flashlights are provided. If time permits, bring a picnic lunch (there are covered tables) and try navigating the maze made of 4,000 red ti plants.

Info: 205 ‘Ula‘ino Road, Hāna. (808) 248-7308. Hana Lava Tube is open for self-guided tours daily year-round, including major holidays, 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission is $12.50 per person aged 6 and older; kids 5 and younger are free. Wear closed-toe shoes with good tread. The temperature ranges between 67 and 73 degrees.

Continuing west on ‘Ula‘ino Road about a mile past Hāna Lava Tube, 293-acre Kahanu (60 acres of which are open to the public) is an oasis of botanical, historical, and cultural significance. It spotlights plants valued in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia for food, clothing, tools, shelter, weapons, medicine, and more. The Breadfruit Institute is cultivating 150 varieties of the nutritious tropical staple—the world’s largest collection. Its mission is to study and encourage the use of breadfruit for food, reforestation, economic development, and environmental benefits (for example, breadfruit forests harbor birds, honeybees, and other important plant pollinators and seed dispersers).

Also of note is Pi‘ilanihale Heiau, a National Historic Landmark measuring 341 feet wide and 415 feet long. The largest man-made structure extant in Polynesia, the ancient temple was built in stages, beginning in the latter part of the 13th century. Although its name translates as “House of Pi‘ilani,” it may or may not be related to the chief of that name who united Maui under one rule by the late 1500s.

Info: 650 ‘Ula‘ino Road, Hāna. (808) 240-1301. Per a sign just past Mile Marker 31, turn left onto ‘Ula‘ino Road. Kahanu Garden is open for self-guided walking tours Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission is $12 for adults 18 and older ($7 for Hawai‘i residents), $5 for teens 13–17, and free for children 12 and younger. The tour route is a mix of grass and other surfaces, and it’s not completely flat. Shoes are recommended but not required. If there is a threat of flooding, operations will shut down, and visitors will be asked to leave.

There are many great places to swim, hike, camp, and go shoreline fishing on Maui. At 125-acre Wai‘ānapanapa State Park, outdoors lovers can do all of those activities in one setting. Among the seaside park’s other draws are Pa‘iloa, one of the best black-sand beaches on Maui; numerous archeological sites, including a heiau and house platforms; and the Ke Ala Loa O Maui/Pi‘ilani Trail (3 miles round-trip), which reveals spectacular views of Haleakalā and the Hāna coast.

Wai‘ānapanapa means “glistening water,” referring to the freshwater pool in a cave (now closed to the public) linked to a tragic Hawaiian legend. As the story goes, a Hawaiian princess fled from her husband, a cruel chief. She hid in the cave with her faithful handmaid, who fanned the princess with a feather kāhili, a symbol of royalty. The chief discovered the hiding place when he saw the kāhili’s reflection in the pool.

He killed the women, and on certain spring days, tiny shrimp fill the pool, turning its normally aqua water red—perhaps in remembrance of the blood that was shed there long ago.

Info: End of Honokalani Road, Hāna. (808) 248-4843. To enter the park, out-of-state visitors must make reservations by going to the website. As of April 15, admission is $5 per person; $10 for parking for noncommercial vehicles. For Hawai‘i residents, reservations are not required, and admission and parking are free. At press time, tent camping was closed, but you can book the 12 cabins. Cost is $70 per night, per cabin for Hawai‘i residents ($100 for nonresidents). More information is at the Hawaii Department of Land and natural Resources Online Reservation System website.

Want to know more before you go? Here are seven tips to help you plan your memorable road to Hāna adventure.

1. Fill up your gas tank; there are no gas stations between Pā‘ia and Hāna.
2. Take a jacket and an umbrella (frequent rainfall is what keeps East Maui perpetually cool and green).
3. Take your swimsuit, towels, insect repellent, and sturdy walking shoes. Wear reef-safe sunscreen and comfortable clothing that you won’t mind getting dirty because you might want to swim or hike. A change of clothes is a good idea.
4. Carry a small amount of cash, your driver’s license, a credit card, and your cell phone (which doubles as a camera) in a fanny pack or small backpack. Leave the rest of your valuables at home or at your staycation hotel.
5. Take breaks at Aunty Sandy’s banana bread stand in Ke‘anae (between Mile Markers 16 and 17), Coconut Glen’s for organic coconut ice cream (between Mile Markers 27½ and 28), and Hāna Farms (just past Mile Marker 31), where the Bamboo Hale restaurant entices foodies with smoked meat plates and wood-fired pizzas. There’s also an open-air market that sells the farm’s fresh produce along with Hāna-made souvenirs and spices and made-on-site sauces, spreads, and baked goods, including four kinds of banana bread.
6. To ensure you have enough rest before making the long drive back, plan on staying in Hāna at least overnight. The Hana-Maui Resort (hyatt.com; prices start at $499), and the Hana Kai Maui (hanakaimaui.com; prices start at $360) are two places to recharge in style.
7. Read the Hana Highway code of conduct produced by the nonprofit Hāna Highway Regulation Authority.

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi has traveled on the Hāna Highway several times—luckily as a passenger, so she could enjoy the spectacular views.