A trip to Honolua Bay combines driving along Maui’s beautiful Honoapiilani Highway that follows the coastline with a trek through Hawaiian forest, followed by snorkeling in a protected bay teeming with fish. The short walk under the canopy of Hawaiian trees gives you a true sense of the wild side of Maui foliage, with Banyan trees, taro, and many other plants lining the way. The small bay is sheltered by the cliffs that surround it, providing typically calm waters and fun underwater viewings of fish, sea turtles, octopus, etc. And located only 10 miles from Lahaina, it’s a good place to spend an afternoon before heading into town for dinner.
Know before you go:
• There are only two small parking lots for visitors to the bay, located between mile markers 32 and 33. Low-clearance vehicles sometimes have a hard time clearing the drop between the highway and the gravel parking lot.
• There are outhouses positioned at the trailhead, but no facilities once you are at the bay.
• The beach itself has very little sand, instead being covered with smooth rocks that can make it difficult to walk along the bay or to find a comfortable spot to spend time out of the water.
If snorkeling is your goal, we highly recommend visiting this bay! If you prefer laying out while enjoying the view of the water, this probably isn’t the experience for you.
