Maui - Honokalani Black Sand Beach (Wainapanapa State Park)

The first stop on our way to Hana was on the black lava beach of Wainapanapa State Park. We got there just after sunrise, which was great as we did not meet a single person during our two-hour long hike there. That's important to me, as it seems that my perception of the beauty of nature is strongly adversely affected by the presence of noisy crowds.

Honokalani Black Sand Beach is pretty spectacular as it is set among lava cliffs. The beach does not actually consists of sand, but of small, smooth, lava pebbles. From the beach there is an ancient Hawaiian footpath leading to the city of Hana, called King's Highway. We hiked for a bit along this impressive coastline path watching waves crash against the volcanic rock. It was definitely a beautiful hike and I would say it is an absolute must for anybody who goes to Maui.

Honokalani Black Sand Beach:






One of many volcanic caves that we saw during our hike:


Hiking on the King's Highway: