Road to Hana - Mile Marker Zero

The north shore is sparsely populated with Paia town only a few miles out of Kahului being the last town on this route before Hana and no other town for the remainder of this journey. Paia is described as a small “eccentric, hippy, surfer town” and the nearby Paia Bay is a great location for accomplished bodyboarders and bodysurfers due to the near-shore surf break. The remnants of a pillbox (concrete guard post) stands on the edge of the shore as a constant reminder of Hawaii’s role during WWII.

Just 2mi (3.2km) further is the Ho’okipa Beach where windsurfers share the ocean with Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles. Indigenous to Hawaii, the sea turtles referred to as Honu are sacred creatures that “embody good luck, protection, endurance and long life”. Over harvested by westerners during the 19th and 20th centuries, the Honu became a protected species in 1978 and has since begun to repopulate. Still listed as an endangered species, the honu - should it survive predation, environmental hazards and/or marine debris – can live up to 100 years with the female reaching reproduction maturity around 25 years and laying up to 100 eggs every 2-3 years ashore.

Moving inland on Hana Hwy, Route 36 turns into Route 360 where the Road to Hana Mile Marker Zero, denotes the beginning of the narrow and winding mountain highway. This serpentine road has a staggering 620 curves, crossing 59 bridges (46 are one-lane wide) through a tropical rainforest. The majority of the bridges, built between 1908 and 1947, have historic designations and continue to be used today. Only one bridge was replaced in recent years due to erosion.

The construction of the Road to Hana hails back to the 14th century when Maui was divided into three regions, each with its own ruler. King Pi’ilani was the ruler of west Maui and through marriage became the ruler of Hana in the east. To provide access between the two regions he built a road that was the precursor to Hana Hwy. Legend says that “travellers swung over East Maui’s rushing streams with ropes made of vine” which were the precursors to the 59 bridges. Modern road construction began in the 1870s, carried on through the early 1900s and was finally completely paved by the 1960s.

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