The Road to Hana is one of those road trips every traveler looks forward to taking when visiting Maui Hawaii. What exactly is the Road to Hana? It is a road that leads you on a journey where you will find the town of Hana…. but the road does not end in Hana! As you may have heard me say in my previous post (here – Road To Hana Tips), the Road to Hana is about the journey rather than the destination.
View from car on Road to Hana. See beautiful views of rainforest and the ocean along the way.
1. Nahiko Market – If you happen to see this cute mini market on the way to Hana, stop for some goodies like banana nut bread and locally made items such as art and jewelry.
Earrings purchased from Nahiko Marketplace.
I bought some really cute earring as a souvenir to remind me of Maui! All the items were made by locals so it supports the local economy.
2. Town of Hana – Of course you have to stop at Hana on the Road to Hana! Surprisingly, you will not be spending most of your time here in the town as there is not a whole lot to do. I stopped in Hana to see the beach and eat Thai Food for lunch. Then I continued the drive past Hana to Haleakala National Park.
Hana Bay Beach
Hana in Maui Hawaii
3. Haleakala National Park – The Road to Hana will eventually lead you to Haleakala National Park where you can find waterfalls, a bamboo forest, hikes through the rain forest and home of the volcano.
Seven Sacred Pools at Haleakala National Park
The most amazing thing to do at Haleakala is swim next to waterfalls at Ohe’o Gulch, also known as Seven Sacred Pools. So before going for a hike, bring your swimsuit! You can read more about seven sacred pools in my post here. (Maui Seven Sacred Pools – Swim Under A Waterfall!)
To get Seven Sacred Pools, it is just a short and easy 1/2 mile walk from the park entrance. You will see a sign at the entrance showing you which way to go. (The hike name is “Kuloa Point Trail” to the “Lower Falls Pools” See sign in below picture)
Taking the short walk to the pools and swimming still allowed me time to make it to other national parks and sights on the Road to Hana.
Sign to hiking trails at entrance of Haleakala National Park
There are many hikes to take in Halekala and one of the most popular is Pipiwai Trail. This trail will take you through the Bamboo Forest and to the upper waterfalls. If you plan to do this hike, plan ahead to allow extra time for the 4 mile round trip. I did not take this hike during my visit due to a flood warning- so check weather conditions beforehand at the park entrance.
Note: If you are planning on watching the sunset or sunrise at Haleakala, that should be done on a separate day.
View from the hiking trail at Haleakala. You can take an easy hike along the coastline next to Seven Sacred Pools after you take a dip next to the waterfall. There are some amazing views on this trail.
4. Waianapana National Park – Waianapanapa has Maui’s famous black sand beach. You can also take short hikes along the coast line, see blowholes, lava tubes and see sacred graves and freshwater pools.
I would recommend an hour here unless you want to spend the day at the beach swimming which is ok too!
Black Sand Beach in Waianapanapa State Park
You can read more about Waianapanapa National Park in my post here.
Black Sand Beach – Read More Here!
5. Hamoa and Koki Beach- These two beaches are right next to each other. I saw stunning photos of these beaches beforehand and I wanted to see them for myself! It felt like an untouched beauty. The large lava rocks on the beach were awesome to see spread out over the beach.
Koki Beach in Maui Hawaii
This list by no means captures all that Road to Hana has to offer, yet these are the things I personally enjoyed and thought worth sharing. I hope you enjoy your journey along the Road to Hana and make it yours because no one adventure is the same!
Have you taken the Road to Hana journey? What was special about it to you or your favorite memory?
Get a video tour of Hana by clicking below.
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