Paʻiloa Beach

Top choice in The Road to Hana


The small beach here is a stunner – hands down the prettiest black-sand beach on Maui. Walk on down, sunbathe, enjoy. But if you jump in, be very cautious. It has a vicious shore dump and undertow, with a bottom that drops quickly and water conditions that are challenging even for strong swimmers. Powerful rips are the norm (Paʻiloa means ‘always splashing’). Drownings occur here.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Road to Hana attractions

1. Lava Caves

0.03 MILES

A 10-minute loop path north of the beach parking lot leads to a pair of freshwater lava-tube caves. Their garden-like exteriors are draped with ferns,…

2. Blowhole

0.1 MILES

When the sea is ferocious, on the early part of the Piʻilani Trail and just north of Pa'iloa Beach you'll find this dramatic blowhole (it's signposted)…

3. Waiʻanapanapa State Park

0.14 MILES

Wai'anapanapa means 'glistening waters', and the clear mineral waters in the cave pools here will leave you feeling squeaky clean. There's a natural lava…

4. Hana Lava Tube

1.57 MILES

Who's afraid of the dark? Test yourself at the end of this underground walk by switching off your flashlight. Eerie! One of the odder sights on the Road…

5. Piʻilanihale Heiau & Kahanu Garden

2.5 MILES

Probably the most significant stop on the entire Road to Hana, this site combines a 294-acre ethnobotanical garden with the magnificent Piʻilanihale Heiau…

6. Hana Cultural Center

2.51 MILES

This down-home museum displays some interesting local artifacts. The best is an entire three-bench courthouse (c 1871). Although it looks like a museum…

8. Hana Bay Beach Park

2.67 MILES

Croquet by the beach? Why not? Welcome to Hana's version of the town plaza, a bayside park where children splash in the surf, picnickers enjoy the view…

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