The Hana Highway is a very popular destination for tourists, as it is said to be one of the most scenic drives you can take. And rightly so! There are beautiful lookouts, lush tropical forests, and a multitude of waterfalls right along the road.
Construction of Hana Highway began in the 1870s, and it was only in the 1960s that the road was completely finished. In 2000, the road was designated the Hana Millennium Legacy Trail, and in the following year, was put on the National Register of Historic Places.
This highway is just over 64 miles long, and possesses an astounding 620 curves and 59 bridges! And I must warn you - 46 of those bridges are only 1 lane! I have never been so nervous before driving down a road! You never knew if just around the curve there was a 1 lane road with a car coming at you!
Caution is definitely needed to drive here, as well as courtesy and patience. You may need to wait for a lot of cars to pass before you can continue on your way. But at least you have the gorgeous scenery around you!
Along the side of the road near mile marker 17 is the Ke'anae Lookout, which provides an amazing view of the Ke'anae Peninsula. From here, you can see the traditional Hawaiian village with taro patches, as well as the beautiful blue ocean.
This peninsula is the remnant of a lava flow that occurred long ago. Hundreds of years ago, in order to make the area habitable, the Native Hawaiians hand carried soil from above! The immense labor that went into that is awe-inspiring!
This is a definite must-see when traveling Hana Highway.
Some of the most prevalent sites along the Hana Highway are the easily accessible waterfalls. I would say these are probably one of the main attractions of this drive, as is evident from how crowded many of these stops can be.
Halfway along the drive, I came upon Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park which was was packed with cars. Turns out,most people stop here just to use the restroom; however, after a short walk, you will find a waterfall with a swimming hole (above)! The best part? No one was here!
The most famous of the waterfalls is the 80 ft. Wailua Falls (above), which is located right next to the road. You can't miss it! It is a gorgeous waterfall that is worth stopping for, just remember, you will not have this place all to yourself.
Driving along the highway, you also have access to many beautiful beaches. Koki beach (above) is a very interesting beach, as it has a mixture of red, white, and black sand! Swimming is not recommended here, as the water is rough and the current strong; however, it is a great spot to bring a picnic and relax.
This is a view from above Wai'anapanapa State Park, and as you can see, there is a black-sand beach! This was the first time I have seen such a thing, and I was completely awe-struck! It was so beautiful!
The park is also known for their sea caves, lave tubes, and blowholes, just to name a few! But, as you can see from the picture above, a lot of the sand is actually rocks!
The last beach I visited, but certainly not the least, is Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach (above). As the name describes, the sand at this beach is red! There is a short hike to get down there, and it can be a little slippery, but it is worth it!
I did hear that because it takes a little effort to reach the beach, the privacy seems to be popular with nudists; however, when I went, I was the only one on the beach! Again, like the previous beach, some of the sand is rocky!
Past the town of Hana is the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park, where the Seven Sacred Pools of 'O'heo...but that is another story for another day!
Thank you for taking the time to join me in my adventure! Like always, if you enjoyed this post, please feel free to comment, upvote, resteem, and/or follow me. All are greatly appreciated! I look forward to seeing you in the next one!
I've been on the Hana Highway about 35 years ago and it is still as beautiful as your pictures. I remember there were many bridges to cross and many curves to go around, but it was worth it, to see the beauty of this Hawaiian Island. Your pictures and narrative actually gave me a more detail experience of all the water falls and scenic beaches then I experienced on my trip. You once again did an exceptional job of sharing your wonderful vacation. Again, thank-you for putting so much effort to bring Hawaii into our homes!
It was definitely worth it to go at least once! It was so scary though! Some people drive around the curves so fast!
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by akemirayko from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, and someguy123. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you like what we're doing please upvote this comment so we can continue to build the community account that's supporting all members.
When you said it took so long to build this road. I was like wow that's a long time but having read the whole story and looking at the terrain it is not surprising it took so long. All that human effort to move all the soil must have been very tough.
The waterfalls and beaches are breath taking and I liked it that you went off the beaten track and found a little piece of paradise with a waterfall and swimming hole. Pure bliss. A great piece of writing.
Thank you for another wonderful comment!
Oh yes, this road did take quite some time! After driving on it, it was just remarkable that they even finished! Parts of the road are on the cliffside, so I can only imagine how hard it must have been!
It definitely pays to go past the tourist places and just explore! You never know what you may find!
In my experience you always find the best places sometimes just by going a little bit further. I've met the most amazing people and seen incredible places on my travels.
I can totally see you are an intrepid traveler.
Very true! It creates the best memories! I would love to here more about your travels!
I'll try to get them organised and uploaded when I figure out how this place really works lol
Lol. I completely understand! Well, I look forward to them!
Thanks @akemirayko for your patient inspiration. ;)