what to do in hawaii

Exploring the Road to Hana was at the top of my list for my Hawaii vacation! Let me tell you… It did not disappoint! Although, we didn’t quite get to conquer all of the stopping points on our list. Guess that just means I’ll have to plan another trip!

If you’ve never hear of the Road to Hana it’s a 65-mile drive along the coast of Maui, Hawaii and through the small town of Hana. It’s an absolutely beautiful drive, but full of twists and turns which makes it quite an adventure. Seriously, there are some parts that are a one way road so you have to stop and take turns to drive. There are several stops along the drive where you can see waterfalls, explore hidden beaches, and stop at tons of cute fruit stands. It’s a MUST that you get banana bread along the way!

We only had one day to conquer the Road to Hana… Let me just tell you it’s impossible to hit all the stops in one day. We did some research and met a couple at the pool at Andaz Maui who lived in Hawaii. They gave us TONS of advice along with a few spots we had not heard of like Venus Pools. They best advice we got was to do the 65-mile drive backwards!

Check out my behind the scenes video! There wasn’t any service so I couldn’t share when we were on the road!

what to do in hawaii

hawaii outfit

ROAD TO HANA REVERSE STOPS

(these are in order and how we did it)

Maui Wines

Normally this would be a great way to end the traditional Road to Hana route, but we were so happy we stumbled upon it at the very beginning of our trip. We grabbed a few bottles of wine for all of our stops. The pineapple wine was so delicious on the Black Sand Beach!!

“Random Fruit Stand”

Okay so I have no idea where this was because it doesn’t have a name to “google it”. Anyway… It’s just before you get to the Seven Sacred Pools. You can’t miss it!! I ate fruit I’ve never heard of, but it was the best fruit I’ve ever had in my life. Also, their avocados in Hawaii are delicious and HUGE.

TIP: Passion fruit is a huge thing and I LOVE IT. But, it’s actually called Lilikoi!

Seven Sacred Pools

This is the big stop everyone kept talking about, but we weren’t that impressed… You have to park and hike a little ways to get to the pools under the waterfall. Honestly, there were so many people it just wasn’t for us. However, if we had been prepared there is a longer hike up to a gorgeous waterfall and through the Bamboo Forest. It would take about 1-2 hours to do the hike.

*Don’t waste time here and go to Venus Pools!

Bamboo Forest

Venus Pools

If you want to do some swimming and jump into the ocean go here! We thought this was way cooler than Seven Sacred Pools and it’s extremely hidden so most people won’t find it meaning it’s not very crowded.

*TIP: Look for a small road side fruit stand sign with machete. There is NO sign to the entrance. There is a path entrance behind the guardrail over a bridge.

Black Sand Beach (Waianapanapa)

One of my favorite stops on the Road to Hana! It was so gorgeous, but a bit crowded for sure. It’s also more rocky than sand… But still so worth it to stop. Be sure to hike up over to the side for amazing views!

Town of Hana

We were starving when we arrived in the actual town of Hana. Look for the food truck park! I had the BEST fish sandwich and tacos ever…

Hana Farms

This is literally right after the town of Hana. You won’t miss the big yellow tent looking structure. Such a great stop to get banana bread and coffee. Also, get the coconut ice cream…yum.

TIP: After this stop it’s a long drive the rest of the way, and we couldn’t make any more stops because we didn’t want to be driving in the dark. We also wanted to get to our dinner destination.

Paia

If you are ending your Road to Hana trip the reverse way then you’ll love ending here. One of the best restaurants in Maui is Mama’s Fish House which is the perfect end to a long day. It was just the treat we deserved after an incredible day!

TIP: Make a reservation just to be safe. BUT… we got a seat at the bar no problem.

OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY

Red Sand Beach

Frog Falls

Hookeapa – turtles

Ke Anae Peninsula

Twin Falls

Garden of Eden

ROAD TO HANA REVERSE STOPS

Hawaii outfit

Road To Hana by One Small Blonde

(Venus Pools)

Road To Hana by One Small Blonde

Road To Hana by One Small Blonde

I can’t say I was dressed for the day of hiking and exploring on the Road to Hana… But obviously I looked cute. Since we were walking a ton and through some pretty forested areas these studded flats were not a good idea, haha. However, I was still totally fine walking in them! I’m a tough cookie so if I had to take them off for a little bit then it wasn’t a big deal.

I’m really happy I did buy these sandals for the Hawaii trip because they went with every outfit I packed. Since they are flats they are easy to pair with shorts and a top like I did for our day trip. However, once we finished the Road to Hana and went to dinner at Mama’s Fish House I threw on a cute floral dress with them for another easy summer outfit.

P.S. They come in 7 colors so I want another pair because they are the perfect summer sandal!

The nice thing was I got them from Nordstrom so if I messed them up I can always take them back! I swear this is why it’s so hard to not shop at Nordstrom…

THINGS WE LEARNED… SO TAKE MY ADVICE.

  1. Bring lots of water
  2. Bring snacks
  3. Pack a change of clothes + flip flops + sneakers
  4. Don’t forget towels
  5. Rent a jeep 100%!!!!
  6. Drive it in reverse

The Road to Hana is now on my list of top adventures and I cannot wait to go back and explore more on another journey!


*Sponsored post with Nordstrom.

3 Responses

  1. Hey girl! What time did y’all start the reverse drive to Hana, we are thinking of doing it backwards too! We are curious when you started and when the winery opened to start the trip there! What time of year did you go?

  2. We would like to do Road to Hana backwards. We are trying to make reservations for Black Sand beach. About what time do you recommend we would be at the black sand beach? We plan to start around 7 am

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