Just like any vacation, we explore. This trip is no different. The road to Hana was an adventure! If you’re ever on the island of Maui, I highly recommend making the drive!
Prior to our trip I had saved highlights of the trip from other bloggers to my notes. The night before we sat down with a map and circled all of the mile markers that we wanted to stop and see. Thankfully we did this prior, because you will have no cell service! I couldn’t pull up anything that I had saved on my phone, not realizing we would be out in the middle of an island, remote!
The drive, isn’t for the faint of heart or weak stomach. Lots of hairpin turns, one lane bridges, one lane roads, lots of elevation changes. If you get car sick, I recommend taking something prior to your drive. But it is BEAUTIFUL & worth it all! We found a shirt in a gift shop that said,
I survived the road to Hana
617 curves
56 bridges
52 miles
5 hours
It was a full day, we left our resort at 8am and returned around 6:30-7pm. The drive takes time, but the stops are worthwhile!
Our Stops on the Road to Hana:
Waikamoi Nature Trail
We stopped to check this trail out, not prepared for what we were talking into, as we were carrying a toddler, but it was so cool!! I highly recommend, and if you have a husband who will lug around a 25 lb. toddler through it all, BONUS!!
Huelo Lookout
The Huelo Lookout is located in between mile marker 4 and 5 on the Road to Hana. Quick spot to get out stretch legs, take in the views & grab a fresh fruit smoothie! We ordered the Virgin Pina Colada & the Four Twenty (Banana, pineapple & coconut)! Fresh & so delicious!
Keane Peninsula
This was our all time favorite of the trip! I had it stared and circled on the map, but we primarily took the exit because we needed the bathroom. You will find public restrooms are few and far to find. I believe there were 2 public restrooms on this entire trip! This peninsula has stunning views!! Climb out on the black lava rock with waves crashing hard up against the rocks, it was absolutely breathtaking! Along the rocking climbing we stumbled upon a black crab, some fish & a few ghost crabs.
Aunt Sandy’s Banana Bread is a must have at this stop!! It is fresh & warm when you order! It tastes even better! When checking out, I stumbled upon there Hana Tonic, which is supposed to help with motion sickness. As of sufferer of motion sickness I am always game to try new remedies!
Wailua Valley State Wayside
A stop for a quick stretch, take in the views from both mountain and ocean views! We stopped here as sun was starting to set! Great views!!
The Cocoa Plantation
One of the first stops once we arrived in Hana was the Cocoa Plantation, anything chocolate related we are going! The driveway/approach was lined with lava rock & we were a bit nervous about the steep incline, the last thing we wanted to do was get a flat tire…but onward we went! It was just a small building next to the owners home, the owner was so welcoming! He taught us so much about the Cocoa plant & all of the products they make from the fruit itself.
We bought several products, chocolate bars, jelly fruit that tastes much like a sour patch kid & chapstick. All of which are produced from the Cocoa plant itself! They grow, make, wrap, package everything on site! Quite the process & very cool to watch and learn!
Hana Beach
We stopped at the beach for a short bit, the girls needed to get out of the car & were wanting to play in the water. The beach wasn’t anything special, so we decided to move on to the next beach, Homoa Beach, which the owner of Hana Gold told us is the best beach!
Homoa Beach
From Hana it was about 2.5 miles/14 min drive. It is a must see beach, hands down the prettiest views! We had our first encounter of black sand, yep it’s true, it burns your feet! We had water shoes thankfully, but for the few seconds we walked on it without shoes we learned real fast. It was fun to see who was a local and who was a tourist! The locals walked barefoot with no discomfort, the Tourists, well we were running or had water-shoes on! If you drive to Hana, I highly recommend driving to Homoa Beach, breathtaking views!
Lava Tube
Before leaving Hana was decided to check out the Lava Tube. Not knowing what to expect, we were able to explore the lava cube/cave on our own, simply with a flashlight! Unlike caves we have toured in Glenwood springs that had a guide, this was a free for all, we got to explore on our own, we simply were handed flashlights and went on our way! Very cool experience!
The goal for the drive was to find waterfalls, we definitely passed a few, but nowhere to pull over to get out and walk down to the falls. Most of the waterfalls are positioned right by the narrow road/one lane bridge with constant traffic. On our way back we stopped at one of the 2 restrooms and to our surprise there were 2 waterfalls! Mission Complete! I had always imagined swimming at the base of the waterfall, but the one large waterfall we found you couldn’t swim in. The second waterfall had a large group swimming so we forewent that plan!
It was a full day & I highly recommend to anyone who is on the island of Maui, make the drive!
That’s all for now!
XO- KK
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