Just past town the surf breaks on a beach of jet-black sand at Waiʻānapanapa State Park — sand made not of coral but of lava, ground fine by the sea. The coast here is volcanic and dramatic: a black-pebble cove, sea caves, lava arches, blowholes, and freshwater pools, with a trail running along the cliffs. It is one of the most striking shorelines in the islands, and so sought-after it now runs on timed reservations. Black sand, green cliffs, blue water: that is the Hāna coast in three colors.
That is the bargain Hāna offers. There are no big resorts, no traffic lights, barely a town center — just Hāna Bay beneath Kaʻuiki Head, a few churches and food trucks, the black-sand coast, and the waterfalls. People come the length of the highway for exactly this: a pocket of old Hawaiʻi the island never quite caught up to, where the reward for the long drive is the quiet at the end of it.
Why People Visit Hāna
People come the length of the highway for the quiet at the end of it: a pocket of old Hawaiʻi with black-sand beaches, waterfalls, and a slow, traditional pace. The drive is the point, and Hāna is the reward — so take it slowly, and travel with respect for a place that has kept old Hawaiʻi close.
