Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [290]
Honolua Bay is a surfer’s dream. Like O′ahu’s famed North Shore, it faces northwest and when it catches the winter swells it has some of the most gnarly surfing anywhere in the world. Honolua Bay is so hot it’s been cover material for surfing magazines.
Slaughterhouse Beach is a first-rate bodysurfing spot during the summer. Its attractive white-sand crescent invites sunbathing and exploring – look for glittering green olivine crystals in the rocks at the south end of the beach.
In summer snorkeling is excellent in both bays, thanks in part to prohibitions on fishing in the preserve. Honolua Bay is the favorite, with thriving reefs and abundant coral along its rocky edges. As an added treat, spinner dolphins sometimes hang out near the mouth of the bays, swimming just beyond snorkelers. When it’s calm, you can snorkel around Kalaepiha Point from one bay to the other. The bays also offer excellent kayaking opportunities.
Just north of the 32-mile marker, there’s public parking and a concrete stairway leading down the cliffs to Slaughterhouse Beach. A half-mile past the 32-mile marker there’s room for about half a dozen cars to park adjacent to the path down to Honolua Bay.
ONELOA BEACH
True to its name, Oneloa (‘Long Sand’) fringes a half-mile of Kapalua shoreline. Yet few tourists trip upon this beauty, backed as it is by gated resort condos and restricted golf greens.
Still, this white-sand jewel is too pretty to leave to the jet set. Cradled by sand dunes and beach morning glory, it’s a superb place to soak up a few rays. On calm days swimming is good close to shore, as is snorkeling in the protected area along the rocky point at the north side of the beach. When there’s any sizable surf, strong rip currents can be present.
The beach access requires a sharp eye; turn onto Ironwood Lane and immediately turn left into the parking lot opposite the Ironwoods gate. A footpath across the street leads down to the beach.
DRAGON’S TEETH
If you’re ready for a Harry Potter moment, the Dragon’s Teeth makes a fun diversion. Razor-sharp spikes crown rocky Makaluapuna Point, looking uncannily like the mouth of an imaginary dragon. What’s the magic behind the run of 3ft-high teeth? It’s the work of pounding winter waves that have ripped into the lava rock point, leaving only pointy spikes behind.
The walk out to this curious formation and back takes only 15 minutes return. En route you’ll pass the Honokahua burial site, a 13-acre native burial ground. You can skirt along the outside of this area but don’t enter sites marked ‘Please Kokua,’ which are easily visible islets of stones bordering the Ritz’s manicured golf greens.
Start your detour by driving north to the very end of Lower Honoapi′ilani Rd, where you’ll find parking and a plaque detailing the burial site. The path to the Dragon’s Teeth leads down from the plaque along the north edge of the golf course.
Activities
Kapalua Adventure Center ( 665-4386; Office Rd; zipline outings $130-299; 7am-7pm) is the jumpoff point for zipline tours that soar across the West Maui Mountains. The thrills include nine ziplines in all, two of them extending a breathtaking 2000ft in length. These tours differ from other Maui ziplines in that there’s a dual track allowing you to zip side by side with a friend.
The recently opened Maunalei Arboretum Trail ( 665-9110 for shuttle; Kapalua Adventure Center, Office Rd; admission free; 8am-3:30pm) cuts through an exotic arboretum planted a century ago by DT Fleming, the Scotsman who developed Maui’s pineapple industry. This previously inaccessible forest sits above an exclusive gated development and access is strictly via a free shuttle that departs from the Kapalua Adventure Center at 8am and then every 90 minutes until 3:30pm. The hikes include a 2.5-mile ridge trail offering spectacular views and a pair of leisurely loop trails (1 mile and half a mile) that meander through the arboretum.
For an easy stroll, take the Village Walking Trail ( 665-4386; Kapalua Adventure Center, Office Rd; admission