Maui: Hiking, Snorkeling, and Hana

Maui’s warming sun, fine beaches, extravagant skies, tropical forests, and towering volcanoes live up to their legendary status in every way. Finding the soul of the Valley Isle, however, requires some savvy. It’s not necessarily in resorts or big-ticket restaurants; for amenities and a quarter-mile of white sand, there are less expensive places to go. Other fruits of Maui—a profoundly laid-back vibe, great food, and world-class snorkeling and hiking—are worth the effort discovering.

Maui is a relatively small island. Aside from the narrow roads and one-lane bridges on the Road to Hana, most things are within an hour’s drive, making it easy to zip around from one locale to another. Roll down the windows, turn up the classic Hawaiian tunes, and admire the abounding beauty as you pass.

Fundamental to Maui and all of the Hawaiian Islands is that by law, all beaches are public, regardless of land ownership. This means anyone can enjoy the pristine swimming beaches of the five-star hotels the same as their patrons. Public access to the shoreline (getting down to the beach) is a more contentious issue, and has become increasingly compromised in recent years. In many places public access remains good, for now, and even in the heart of fancy Wailea there is beachfront parking, beach showers, bathrooms, and Barbeques.

Maui’s ease of movement means that, although the groupings of resorts in Wailea, Kihei, and Kapalua have the benefits of being full-service in prime locations, there are other great places to stay. The funky sugar plantation town of Paia (pronounced pie-EE-ah), located on the north shore just past the start of the Hana Highway, is likeable, quaint, and offers a taste of old Maui. Paia isn’t as dusty as it once was with a handful of newish yoga studios and galleries, but by Maui standards it is off the beaten path.

A major upside to Paia are some of Maui’s most endearing and reasonably priced restaurants. The local favorite is the Paia Fish Market, which serves Ono, Mahi Mahi, and Ahi, among others, in just about every form imaginable. Ono, which means “delicious” in Hawaiian, is a prize of the surrounding waters, esteemed for their white, delicate flesh. These fish can swim up to 50 mph and hit lures and bait with lightning fast strikes, making them a favorite among local fisherman.

Across the street from the Paia Fish Market and a couple doors down is Flatbread organic pizza, arguably the best pie on the Islands. Many of the ingredients come from local Maui farms, with mouth-watering pizza offerings like Kalua free-range pork shoulder with organic mango barbeque sauce and chevre from the Surfing Goat Dairy. For upscale dining, Mama’s Fish House has prime views and food so tasty that it’s tough to get a reservation any day of the week.

Being essentially a one street town, Paia is short on accommodations, but the boutique Paia Inn is hip, highly regarded, and a good value for Maui (starting at $189 per night). The most intriguing option in the area, however, is 13 miles east on the Hana Highway in a patch of old farms called Huelo, meaning rooster, just about the only company to be kept there. The directions say turn left at the old phone booth (there’s no sign), and an old dirt road continues until it emerges at The Cliff’s Edge, perched 300 feet above the booming Pacific without much room to spare. Not far away is “Jaws,” one of the biggest wave breaks in the world, which lays dormant (“Jaws is sleeping”) most of the year but rears Leviathan during the biggest winter swells.

The Cliff’s Edge feels (and is) isolated, except for the sun, breeze, and all-encompassing ocean spreads. The two cottages and two rooms are equipped with kitchens or kitchenettes, respectively, there is a salt water pool, and Hosts John and Susan make guests feel like they are staying with friends. Across the dirt road is one other rental property, the Huelo Point Lookout, which is slightly further back from the water but also extraordinarily well liked. The drive to and from Huelo isn’t optimal—it’s about 25 minutes to Paia—but few places in Hawaii rival the privacy, peacefulness, or views. From December through April, Huelo is prime for spotting humpback whales.

Regardless of location, the essence of Maui is in the pristine coastline, mountains, and greenery. Nothing is more fun or easier than snorkeling, which aside from renting or buying snorkel gear, is free. A classic snorkel spot is south of Wailea in the Ahihi Kinau Reserve, and the more challenging La Perouse Bay is just down the road. The Molokini crater has good snorkeling and top-notch diving, and the boat ride also provides a nice opportunity to see the islands from a different perspective. Trips that stop at Turtle Arches on the way back often see Hawaiian green sea turtles, and in clear conditions the snorkeling there can top that at the crater.

The Road to Hana, a slender 48-mile stretch along the island’s luxuriant northeastern coast, can be a full day adventure in itself. The t-shirts and bumper stickers that shout, “I survived the road to Hana” exaggerate the danger, but some sections definitely are hair-raising. Slow is the only way to go. It’s well worth it: this journey winds it way through some of Hawaii’s most spellbinding scenery. 

Rising early for the Road to Hana and getting ahead of the traffic is essential. Almost everybody completes the drive in one day, arriving in Hana around lunchtime and leaving by the late afternoon. Staying in Hana is choice, however, and those fortunate few enjoy the extraordinary beauty in relative solitude. Accommodations are scarce on this corner of the island and there are only a handful of options. The high end Travaasa Hana has a virtual monopoly on Hana itself, but if you have the urge to live lavishly it’s not a bad choice for the occasion. The Hana Paradise Cottages are an attractive, low-key, cheaper option, and camping is free with park entrance at the Kipahulu campground by the Seven Sacred Pools.

It’s urban legend that the Road to Hana, or the backside (Highway 31 or the Pilani Highway), can’t be completed without four-wheel drive. Most people loop back either from Hana or the Seven Sacred Pools, but the Pilani Highway continues along Maui’s remote and stunning southern coast, eventually connecting back to Kahului. This section is more hazardous than its northern sibling with sections of steep, dirt road a smidgen over one lane wide, but navigating this, or any part of the Road to Hana, does not require off-road capability. Maui rental car agreements do specify that coverage is void on dirt roads, meaning the Road to Hana is covered but not the Pilani Highway.

There are myriad other ways to get out and explore Maui. The hiking trails vary from easy strolls off the Road to Hana to a 3-day jaunt up the face of the Haleakala volcano and through the National Park (Kaupo Trail to Halemau’u trailhead). Ho’okipa Beach Park, three miles east of Paia, is the premier windsurfing site in the world and a terrific public beach. Visiting Maui is in many ways about rejuvenation, but this need not equate to staying put.