(NEARLY) 7 FREE THINGS TO DO ON MAUI HAWAI’I

Beautiful black sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, luscious bamboo forests, and more waterfalls than you can imagine. Maui has it all, and so much more. And what’s even better? Nearly all of it is FREE! So, grab your swim suit, a towel and a fruity drink, because we’re about to take you on a journey showing you the top (nearly) 7 free things to do on Maui Hawai’i!

NAKALELE BLOWHOLE

Disclaimer: If you get motion sickness when driving, or you are afraid of windy roads along cliffs, then this may not be for you. But if you can tolerate it, it’s worth it.

On the northeastern side of the island, about an hours drive north from Kahului Airport (OGG), through VERY windy roads is the Nakalele blowhole. The road leading up to and away from the blowhole is INCREDIBLY windy, and often goes down to one lane with small bridges where vehicles must take turns to pass, so be prepared to drive slow.

Acid War Zone - Nakalele Point, Maui Hawai'i — Acid War Zone – Nakalele Point, Maui Hawai’i

The hike down to the blowhole from the main road is a bit of a hike. And there isn’t really any signage notifying you of where the blowhole is. So it can be quite easy to pass up and never know it’s there. You will see a small pullout from the road around mile marker 38 with some open gravel area where you can park, and you may even see others parked there which is a good indicator that you’re in the right place. It is then about a 0.75mi/1.2km hike down some steep rocky hills before you will find yourself at the blowhole.

View of coast from Nakalele Point - Maui Hawai'i — View of coast from Nakalele Point – Maui Hawai’i

To get the best experience, you’ll want to go during high-tide. This will give you the best shot of seeing the blowhole in full action. You can see current tide conditions here. BEWARE though, people have been swept away and have died as a result of getting too close to the blowhole. So PLEASE exercise caution and view from a distance.

Heart-shaped Rock - Nakalele Point, Maui Hawai'i — Heart-shaped Rock – Nakalele Point, Maui Hawai’i

There used to be a heart-shaped rock near the bottom of the blowhole. Unfortunately, it has since collapsed and is no longer visible only further giving reason to not going down to the bottom (we took this photo at low tide when the water was not rushing up).

Difficulty – Moderate to strenuous
Amenities – None
Time needed – 1-1.5 hours

Cost – FREE

HIKE ‘IAO VALLEY

'Iao Needle - 'Iao Valley, Maui Hawai'i — ‘Iao Needle – ‘Iao Valley, Maui Hawai’i

Much closer, and a much easier drive from the airport, roughly 20 minutes, is ‘Iao Valley State Monument and Park. This park is both historical and sacred, being most known for the battleground where King Kamehameha I battled with Maui’s army to unite the islands in 1790. The iconic ‘Iao Needle served as a lookout point for the armies. Much of the park and it’s cliffs were used as burial grounds for royalty.

'Iao Valley - Maui Hawai'i — ‘Iao Valley – Maui Hawai’i

Today, you can hike a short looped trail which is just under a mile long, taking you through the park and giving you incredible views of the needle, the Maui coast and beautiful flora. The only cost associated with visiting this park, is a small entrance fee and parking, which is free to locals. But $15 for most other vehicles.

Difficulty – Easy
Amenities – Restrooms
Time needed – 1 hour

Cost – $5 Entry fee per person & a $10 vehicle fee

SEA TURTLES IN PA’IA

Sea Turtles - Pa'ia, Maui Hawai'i — Sea Turtles – Pa’ia, Maui Hawai’i

Who doesn’t have dreams and wishes of seeing sea turtlers up close and in person?! If you have no wish in seeing them, then feel free to move along. All others, keep reading!

In Pa’ia, a short 15 minute drive from the airport, is Ho’okipa Beach. A quick Google search of places to find sea turtles on Maui, and you will find that Pa’ia is NOT generally listed. But, we can assure you, they’re there. There is a large group of turtles that in the evenings, come up to shore to rest on the beach.

There is a parking lot nearby, but this area also happens to be a big surf spot for the locals, so parking can fill up quickly. So you may want to get there a bit before sunset to make sure you get good parking if you wish to see the turtles.

Note: We don’t feel we NEED to say this, but just in case, if you happen to see the turtles, please DO NOT go up to them and touch them, touching them is actual illegal. And please don’t feed them.

Cost – FREE

ROAD TO HANA

DISCLAIMERS

Disclaimer #1: If you get motion sickness when driving, or you are afraid of windy roads along cliffs, then this may not be for you. But if you can tolerate it, it’s worth it.

Disclaimer #2: If you plan to do the Road to Hana, Pa’ia is the last place you’ll find most gas and convenience stores, so make your stops here before proceeding.

Disclaimer #3: If you plan to drive the ENTIRE Road to Hana (we’ll touch on this more below), the road get’s to be a bit more treacherous after passing Haleakalā National Park, and most rental car companies prohibit you from driving on the southwest side of the island due to the road conditions. If you decide to do it, make sure you have an SUV or 4×4 vehicle, and proceed at your own risk.

Disclaimer #4: Depending on where you are staying, and if you plan to drive the entire road around the island, you will want to allot 8-10 hours for this drive, and we’d recommend hitting the road no later than 6am. This will give you enough time and the best chances to make all the stops and enjoy all the views. It will also give you a better opportunity of having many of the waterfalls and spots to yourself.

THE DRIVE

Narrow one-lane bridge - Road to Hana, Maui Hawai'i — Narrow one-lane bridge – Road to Hana, Maui Hawai’i

Much like the Nakalele Blowhole, the Road to Hana is incredibly windy, and often full of narrow one lane bridges. And as we mentioned above, some people tend to drive twice the speed limit, even around curves. So PLEASE exercise caution when driving. And drive only within your comfort zone. Even if people are honking behind you.

WATERFALLS

If you can tolerate the windy narrow drive, this can be one of the most amazing, and rewarding free things to do on Maui you’ll EVER experience. There are between 10-15 different waterfalls (that we know of) and endless incredible coastal views. Because there are so many pullouts and spots to see, we will simply list a few below with some quick tidbits of information. If we touched on every single one, you’d never make the end of this blog post.

TWIN FALLS

There is a bit of a short hike off the main road to get to this waterfall. You won’t find any official parking areas, just a short shoulder on the side of the road. Also, make sure to bring shoes. This is not a flip-flopping type of hike.

Difficulty – Moderate
Amenities – None
Time needed – 1 hour

UPPER WAIKANA FALLS (AKA THREE BEARS)

Upper Waikana Falls (Three Bears) - Road to Hana, Maui Hawai'i — Upper Waikana Falls (Three Bears) – Road to Hana, Maui Hawai’i

This waterfall is visible right from the main road, and you’ll find a small pullout on the left side of the road. There is a short and somewhat steep hike down to the base of the waterfall where you can swim should you choose to.

Difficulty – Easy
Amenities – None
Time needed – 1 hour

PUA’A KA’A FALLS

Pua’a Ka’a is park of a State Wayside and has a pullout with parking and bathrooms, we’d recommend taking the opportunity to use them.

Difficulty – Easy
Amenities – None
Time needed – 1 hour

PAIHI AND WAILUA FALLS

Wailua Falls - Road to Hana, Maui Hawai'i — Wailua Falls – Road to Hana, Maui Hawai’i

Both of these waterfalls are rather close to one another, and easily accessible from the road. We’d recommend Wailua Falls, but you can very easily visit both.

Difficulty – Easy
Amenities – None
Time needed – 30 minutes

BLACK SAND BEACH

Honokalani Beach - Keawaiki Bay, Maui Hawai'i — Honokalani Beach – Keawaiki Bay, Maui Hawai’i

In between Pua’a Ka’a Falls, and Wailua Falls near the Hana Airport, is Honokalani Black Sand Beach. Here you’ll find a full parking lot pullout and Waianapanapa State Park and Campground with a short hike around the Keawaiki Bay. This is easily one of the best free things to do on Maui. Trust us, spend some quality time here, it’s beautiful!

Difficulty – Easy
Amenities – Restrooms and picnic areas
Time needed – As much or as little as your heart desires!

Ae's Thai Kitchen - Hana, Maui Hawai'i — Ae’s Thai Kitchen – Hana, Maui Hawai’i

By this point, probably around lunch-time and you’re almost to Hana! We’d recommend making a stop in Hana at the Ae’s Thai Kitchen. There are a few food trucks here with a number of different types of food, but trust us when we say get the Thai. You can thank us later.

HALEAKALĀ NATIONAL PARK

Haleakalā National Park has two entrances, one on the south side of the park and island at the Kipahulu Visitor Center, and the other in the center of the island outside of Kula. At this end of the park, you’ll find the Seven Sacred Pools which are tiered pools running down the Palikea Stream, a bamboo forest and the Waimoku Falls.

Bamboo Forest - Haleakalā National Park - Hana, Maui

Difficulty – Moderate to strenuous
Amenities – Visitor center, restrooms and picnic area
Time needed – The hike could be done in 1-2 hours depending on how much you’d like to hike and explore. If you wish to get the most of your visit, we’d recommend 2-3 hours.

Cost – FREE except Haleakalā entry fees: $30 per vehicle, or $55 Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass or $80 America the Beautiful Annual National Park Pass

SUNRISE ON MT. HALEAKALĀ

Haleakala National Park - Kula, Maui Hawai'i — Haleakala National Park – Kula, Maui Hawai’i

If you could ONLY pick two things to do from our list, it would be the Road to Hana, and this. This has become a must-do activity for us every time we visit. And for very good reason.

Sunrise at Haleakalā National Park - Kula, Maui Hawai'i — Sunrise at Haleakalā National Park – Kula, Maui Hawai’i

The summit of Mt. Haleakalā is over 10,000ft/3,000m above sea level. So you are quite literally above the clouds as the sun is rising. And it is one of the most magnificent sights you’ll EVER see.

Parking lot at Haleakalā National Park Summit - Kula, Maui Hawa'ii — Parking lot at Haleakalā National Park Summit – Kula, Maui Hawa’ii

BE PREPARED

It’s roughly a 3hr drive from Lahaina, which means you’ll likely need to hit the road around 2-3am depending on what time the sun is rising when you’re there.
The drive to Kula is relatively flat and easy. We can’t say the same from that point forward. You will begin to make your trek from 3,000ft/900m up to the top. It will be dark, and it will be very windy, and you won’t be able to see the cliffs on either side of you, so drive with caution.
Parking is very limited at the summit, and it can be VERY chilly depending on the time of year you’re there. There is an enclosed observation center, where you can stay warm, but you won’t have a great view the sunset due to the crowd of people you’ll be with. So we’d recommend getting there early to get good parking and a good spot outside of the observation center. And bring LOTS of warm clothes and blankets to stay warm.
We’d also recommend bring a tripod to set up your camera or phone on for any video or time lapsing you’ll want to do of the sunrise. Trust us, you’ll want the video.
If you do not have the AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL NATIONAL PARK PASS, there is an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle which is good for 3 days. You’ll also need to make a reservation for your sunrise visit due to the limited space and availability. Tickets are available for reservation every three days, and can be reserved HERE. Also you can see more of our National Park articles HERE.

Difficulty – Easy (except for getting up ridiculously early!)
Amenities – Visitor center, restrooms and picnic area
Time needed – 8-10 hours if you include drive time

Cost – $30 per vehicle, or $55 Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass or $80 America the Beautiful Annual National Park Pass

BABY BEACH

A lot of what we’ve noted above, has involved a fair amount of planning, preparation, hiking and exploring. One thing we haven’t touched on, is relaxing and enjoying the incredible Hawaiian air, beaches and water. And what better way to relax, than a free thing to do on Maui! So let’s do that next shall we?!

And Baby Beach is a PERFECT place for this. The beach is just off of Front Street just north of the downtown Lahaina area. Here you’ll find a beautiful sandy beach and crystal clear water. Bring an umbrella, plenty of sunscreen and some delicious Cutwater Mai Tais (and water to stay hydrated) and you have yourself the perfect setting for a beautifully relaxing day!

Cost – FREE

WALKING FRONT STREET

Front Street - Lahaina, Maui via GoHawaii.com — Front Street – Lahaina, Maui via GoHawaii.com

Once you’re done relaxing at Baby Beach, and are ready for some dinner and nightlife, you’re only walking distance (or a VERY short drive) from downtown Lahaina where you’ll find a plethora of restaurants and shops. From Cheeseburger in Paradise, to Bubba Gump Shrimp, to Lahaina Pizza Company, there’s something for everyone here. And then cap off the day with some Shaved ice. That’s right, I said SHAVED. It’s apparently called SHAVE ice, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. It is in fact, shaved ice that you’ll be eating.

Cost – FREE except for any shopping