Road to Hana: Maui's Scenic Coastal Drive Guide

Since we returned from Hawaii, our daily routine has slowly settled back into its usual rhythm. Between home projects and camp commitments, the vividness of our trip has begun to soften. Still, when life gets busy, I find myself wondering: did we really go? Did we really drive to that mountaintop, get slammed by a wave, swim with turtles, walk Waikiki Beach, and breathe that sweet tropical air?

It turns out we did. Today I want to capture the memory of our last full day on Maui — the day we tackled one of the island’s most famous drives: the Road to Hana.

The Road to Hana is one of Maui’s most talked-about drives — an unforgettable, twisty coastal road that’s worth experiencing if you visit Hawaii.

People’s reactions to the Road to Hana vary wildly. We heard everything from excited recommendations to dire warnings. A few of the actual responses we collected:

“You’re going to throw up.”

“It takes 18 hours!”

“I don’t know what people are talking about — it’s not that bad.”

“They call it ‘Divorce Road’.”

“You should do it. It’s beautiful!”

All of those comments made us even more curious. I hadn’t truly understood what the Road to Hana was until we were actually driving it.

What is the Road to Hana?

In short, it’s a narrow, winding highway that follows the mountainside with the ocean far below. “Winding” hardly covers it — I’d never driven anything quite like it. The road tests patience and nerve, and many locals and visitors emphasize that it’s “not the destination but the journey.” Stopping along the way to admire views and waterfalls is the usual advice. For us, though, part of the appeal was simply seeing if we could make the entire drive.

We began that day like the rest of our trip: lingering over coffee on the beach, reluctant to rush the morning because it was our last full day. Once we were organized and on the road, we made a first stop at a tropical plantation, enjoyed Maui coffee, and continued toward our chosen first Hana stop: Twin Falls.

The Road to Hana has many beautiful waterfalls and natural pools.

Twin Falls was one of those small Hawaiian moments I’d pictured: swimming beneath a waterfall in a natural pool. The trails lead to a waterfall-fed pool and then continue to another higher pool. The water felt perfectly refreshing — cool in the shade and pleasantly warm where the sunlight reached it. The path was scenic and not too strenuous; flip-flops were adequate, which was lucky since they were all I had with me.

Along the route there are plenty of roadside stands selling fresh fruit, smoothies, and snacks. One local tip we heard and followed: don’t miss a pineapple-banana smoothie. We agreed it was worth the stop.

By mid-afternoon we pushed on toward Hana itself. At first I thought people were overreacting about the narrowness and curves — until we rounded a blind corner and met an oncoming car nose-to-nose. The road is full of signs that read “Yield to oncoming traffic,” and, in many places, you simply can’t see the next vehicle until you’re almost there. I admit I developed a new, somewhat involuntary squeal during the drive, and I used it often.

The Road to Hana is the twistiest road I’ve ever driven.

Although many people recommend stopping at lookouts to take in dramatic coast and waterfall views, we found ourselves pausing less often than planned because we wanted to complete the full drive. I took most of my photos through the car window as we worked our way down the coastline, navigating one tight stretch after another.

Eventually we reached Hana, known for its black sand beach. The first beach we found wasn’t what we expected, and we laughed at how ordinary some aspects seemed — even the recycling bins made a cameo in our photos. The sand truly was black, but we later learned the more iconic black sand spot was a few miles farther along. Still, it was a fun discovery, and it felt good to have made it that far.

Evening — a local hula show and a final Hawaiian sunset

We headed back late in the afternoon when traffic thinned and made our way home to prepare for a special evening. Instead of a large luau, we chose a more intimate local option: the free nightly hula show at the Kannapali Beach Hotel. It was a shorter, less flashy performance than many paid luaus, but it felt authentic and was performed by locals — a perfect fit for our last night on the island.

As the sun set that night we stopped to watch and photograph our final Hawaiian sunset — a beautiful end to a trip full of sea, mountains, and unexpected moments. The next morning, the air cleared and the vog that had been lingering through our visit was gone.