Road to Hana, Maui

The Road to Hana, also known as Hana Highway, is 52 miles long and leads from Kahului to Hana along Maui's northern coastline. This narrow, winding road is an engineering marvel that has about 620 curves and 59 bridges and was carved out of Maui’s coastline using hand tools! Hana Highway takes approximately three hours to drive from one end to the other and offers stunning views all along the way.

 

From the road, one can enjoy views of the lush tropical vegetation, plunging waterfalls and pristine black-sand beaches, all while munching on delicious pieces of cut mango and banana bread, or sipping on Hawaiian coffee—all of which are sold at roadside stands along the highway. And scenic look-out points along the Road to Hana invite travelers to make a leisurely, day-long trip out of this legendary drive.

 

Driving on the Hana Highway

 

Joy-riders and thrill-seekers can easily drive Hana Highway themselves, in a rented car, or alternately, one can book a tour with one of the local tour companies. Those who choose to drive the road themselves should beware that 46 of the 59 bridges are one-lane bridges and can, therefore, be challenging to navigate. Because of the surprising twists and turns on this snake-like highway, the Road to Hana is sometimes jokingly called the “Divorce Highway,” for the toll it can take on both the driver and the passenger who helps with navigation.

 

The Road to Hana is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Hana itself is a sweet, sleepy little town that is worth checking out. Visitors can stay a few nights at the luxurious Hotel Hana-Maui, which has a few small shops, as well as an art gallery on its premises. After a stay in Hana, travelers can head south on Piilani Highway (or Highway 31), a dirt road that leads to another popular Maui attraction, the Seven Sacred Pools (also known as Oheo Gulch).