Hana Town - Birthplace of a Queen
A stop on Maui: The Road to Hana, a free self-guided tour.
After all those curves, Hana itself can feel surprisingly quiet. That is its charm. This small town on a sheltered bay is a place where people still know their neighbors, and visitors are guests.
Look to the south side of Hana Bay at the steep, green hill called Kauiki Head. It was once a fortress fought over by warriors from Maui and the island of Hawaii, and tradition holds that Queen Kaahumanu, favorite wife of Kamehameha I and later one of the most powerful rulers in Hawaiian history, was born in a cave there in 1768.
Modern Hana took shape in the 1940s, when businessman Paul Fagan bought the struggling sugar plantation, turned the cane fields into a cattle ranch and opened a small inn for visitors, the start of today's resort. After his death, a large cross was raised on the hill above town in his memory.
Don't miss Hasegawa General Store, run by the same family since 1910, which seems to stock a bit of everything.
Getting here: Return to the highway and drive about 2 more miles into Hana. Follow signs to Hana Bay Beach Park at the waterfront.
Did you know?: In 1961, bandleader Paul Weston released a song named after Hasegawa General Store.
Photo op: From Hana Bay Beach Park, frame the curve of the bay with the green slope of Kauiki Head on the right.
Nearby: Hana Bay Beach Park has restrooms. Hasegawa General Store, food trucks and a gas station are in town.
More on Wikipedia: Hana, Hawaii · Ka?ahumanu
Stops on this tour
- Paia - The Last Big Stop Before the Curves
- Hookipa Beach Park Lookout - Windsurfers and Sea Turtles
- Twin Falls - A Farm's Gift to the Road
- Garden of Eden Arboretum - Where Jurassic Park Took Off
- Kaumahina State Wayside - Restrooms With a View
- Keanae Peninsula - Taro, Lava and an 1850s Church
- Halfway to Hana - Banana Bread Checkpoint
- Upper Waikani Falls - The Three Bears
- Waianapanapa State Park - Black Sand and a Royal Legend
- Hana Town - Birthplace of a Queen
- Hamoa Beach - A South Seas Crescent
- Wailua Falls - A Waterfall You Can See From Your Seat
- Kipahulu and Oheo Gulch - The End of the Road