Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [316]
Pa′ia Laundromat (129 Baldwin Ave; 5am-8pm)
Post office ( 579-8866; 120 Baldwin Ave; 8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 10:30am-12:30pm Sat)
Sights
HO′OKIPA BEACH PARK
Ho′okipa is to daredevil windsurfers what Everest is to climbers. It reigns supreme as the world’s premier windsurfing beach, with strong currents, dangerous shorebreaks and razor-sharp coral offering the ultimate challenge.
The beach is also one of Maui’s prime surfing spots. Winter sees the biggest waves for board surfers, and summer has the most consistent winds for windsurfers. To prevent intersport beefs, surfers hit the waves in the morning and the windsurfers take over during the afternoon.
The action in the water is suitable for pros only. But a hilltop perch overlooking the beach offers spectators a bird’s-eye view of top windsurfers doing their death-defying stuff. Ho′okipa is just before the 9-mile marker; to reach the lookout above the beach take the driveway at the east side of the park.
HA BALDWIN BEACH PARK
Bodyboarders and bodysurfers take to the waves at this palm-lined county park about a mile west of Pa′ia, at the 6-mile marker. The wide sandy beach drops off quickly, and when the shorebreak is big, unsuspecting swimmers can get slammed soundly. If you see lots of bodysurfers in the water, it’s probably big! Showers, rest rooms, picnic tables, and a well-used baseball and soccer field round out the facilities. The park has a reputation for drunken nastiness after the sun sets but it’s fine in the daytime when there’s a lifeguard on duty.
SPRECKELSVILLE BEACH
Extending west from HA Baldwin Beach, this two-mile stretch of sand punctuated by lava outcrops is a good walking beach but its near-shore lava shelf makes it less than ideal for swimming. The rocks do, however, provide protection for young kids. If you walk to the center of the beach, you’ll come to a section dubbed ‘baby beach,’ where local families take the little ones to splash. There are no facilities. To get there, turn toward the ocean on Nonohe Pl, then turn left on Kealakai Pl just before the Maui Country Club.
TAVARES BEACH
The local favorite for a swim in the Pa′ia area, this sandy beach attracts lots of families on weekends but is seldom crowded during the week. A submerged rocky lava shelf runs parallel to the beach about 25ft from the shore and is shallow enough for swimmers to scrape on. Once you know it’s there, however, the rocks are easy to avoid, so take a look before jumping in. The beach parking lot is at the first shoreline access sign on the Hana side of the 7-mile marker. There are no facilities.
Activities
At Hana Hwy Surf ( 579-8999; 149 Hana Hwy; surfboards/boogie boards per day $20/10; 9:30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun), Pa′ia’s surfing headquarters, the staff keep their finger on the pulse of the surf scene and provide a daily recorded surf report.
Simmer ( 579-8484; www.simmerhawaii.com; 137 Hana Hwy; sailboards per day/week $50/315; 9am-7pm) is all about windsurfing and handles everything from repairs to top-of-the-line gear rentals.
Maui Dharma Center ( 579-8076; www.mauidharmacenter.org; 81 Baldwin Ave; 6:30am-6:30pm), the Tibetan Buddhist temple and stupa in the town center, shares good karma, inviting visitors to join in morning meditation, yoga sessions and other spiritual activities.
Festivals & Events
High-Tech/Lopez Split Surfbash (www.mauisurfohana.org) Maui’s largest surf contest takes place at Ho′okipa Beach on the last weekend in November or the first weekend in December, with competing short-boarders, long-boarders and bodyboarders.
Sleeping
Rainbow Surf Hostel ( 579-9057; www.mauigateway.com/~riki; 221 Baldwin Ave; dm/r $25/70; ) Within walking distance of Pa′ia center, this small hostel in a tightly packed residential neighborhood offers simple clean rooms, a guest kitchen and a TV room. It’s predominantly a surfer crowd and well-suited for early risers – quiet-time rules are strictly enforced after 10pm.
Blue Tile Beach House ( 579-6446, 888-579-6446; www.beachvacationmaui.com; 459