Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [281]
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
You’ll notice snorkelers taking to the water near the 14-mile marker. Don’t waste your time. The coral reef is shallow and silty and the ‘Sharks May Be Present’ signs lining the beach are the real thing – people have been chomped on here.
Looking to stretch? A 15-minute walk behind the general store leads to the Olowalu Petroglyphs. Park just beyond the water tower at the back of the store and look for the signposted gate. The quarter-mile route along an open road is easy to follow; just keep the cinder cone straight ahead of you as you go. As with most of Maui’s petroglyphs, these figures are carved into the vertical sides of cliffs rather than on horizontal lava like on the Big Island. Most of the Olowalu figures have been damaged, but you can still make some out.
SLEEPING & EATING
Camp Olowalu ( 661-4303; www.campolowalu.com; 800 Olowalu Village Rd; campsite per person $10) Oceanfront camping and a friendly caretaker make this the best camping option in west Maui. Facilities are basic: cold-water showers, outhouses, picnic tables and drinking water. But hey, if you want to splurge, Chez Paul is just a half-mile walk away.
Olowalu Juice Stand (Olowalu Village Rd; smoothies $5; 9am-5:30pm) Refreshing tropical fruit smoothies made with squeezed-on-the-spot sugarcane juice are whipped up at this food truck at the north side of the Olowalu General Store. Fresh fruit is for sale, too.
Chez Paul ( 661-3843; 820 Olowalu Village Rd; mains $30-44; 5-9pm) This French provincial restaurant in the middle of nowhere attracts diners from far and wide. Old-world artwork and white linen add ambience, but it’s the masterfully prepared classics like rack of lamb or caramelized salmon in Grand Marnier that pack those pretty tables. Reservations recommended.
Papalaua Beach Park & Around
Midway between the 11- and 12-mile markers is Papalaua Beach Park, a lackluster county park squeezed between the road and the ocean, though it does have firepits, toilets and tent camping (for permit information, Click here) under thorny kiawe trees. Campers take note: this place buzzes all night with traffic noise – better to skip it and head to Camp Olowalu (left).
Further north at the 12-mile marker is Ukumehame Beach Park. Shaded by ironwood trees, this sandy beach is OK for a quick dip, but because of the rocky conditions most locals stick with picnicking and fishing. Dive and snorkel boats anchor offshore at Coral Gardens. This reef also creates Thousand Peaks toward its west end, with breaks favored by long-boarders and beginning surfers.
The trailhead for the western end of the Lahaina Pali Trail (Click here) is just south of the 11-mile marker, on the inland side of the road. Keep an eye out, as it comes up quickly and can be hard to spot.
Papawai Point
You’re now in the area that gave rise to Maui’s popular bumper sticker ‘I brake for whales.’ During the winter, humpback whales occasionally breach as close as 100yd from the coast, and 40 tons of leviathan suddenly exploding straight up through the water can be a real showstopper!
Beach parks and pull-offs along the road offer great vantages for watching the action. The very best is Papawai Point, between the 8- and 9-mile markers, where a cliff-side perch juts into Ma′alaea Bay, a humpback nursing ground. During the winter, Pacific Whale Foundation posts volunteers at the parking lot to share their binoculars and point out the whales. Note that the road sign reads simply ‘scenic point,’ not Papawai Point, but there’s a turning lane, so slow down and you won’t miss it. It’s also a top spot to watch the sunset year-round.
LAHAINA TO KA′ANAPALI
The stretch between Lahaina and Ka′anapali offers a couple of roadside beach parks and west Maui’s best B&B options.
Wahikuli Wayside Park
Two miles north of Lahaina, this park occupies a narrow strip of beach flanked by the busy highway. With a gift for prophecy, the Hawaiians named it Wahikuli, meaning ‘noisy place.’ Although the beach is mostly backed by