Story: Walking in a barren lava wasteland

Past Kihei, past Wailea, past Makena, all the way to the very southern tip of the island of Maui is La Perouse Bay. The slopes of Haleakala transform from lush green pastures studded with pine trees higher up on the volcano, to a rocky barren lava field along the seacoast. The most recent eruptions occurred in the 1600’s, which sent molten lava cascading down to meet the sea and creating the vast lava deposits that now make up the Ahihi Kina’u Natural Area Reserve and La Perouse Bay. It was at this place that the first Westerners set foot on Maui. Explorer Jean Francois de Galaup made land here in 1786 and were greeted by native Hawaiians from the village of Keone’o’io.

La Perouse Bay is a place of natural raw beauty – the black lava rocks contrast sharply against pieces of bleached white coral and the jagged petrified magma creates an eerie moonlike environment. Along the rocky edge, waves crash against the craggy formations and the water boils in and out of water-worn caverns. A trail winds its way between tall pillars of solidified lava, following the coastline and granting stellar views of the blue Pacific and the never-ending horizon.

We followed the path passed blowholes that sent a spray of seawater into the air with a giant whoosh when a wave came crashing to shore. We entered a small stand of kiawe trees, their limbs twisted and tangled into an indiscernible mass. The trail continued on through the a’a lava flow and we stopped to snap pictures of secluded coves, the crystalline water protected by the turbulent seas by a high rocky shelf. We vowed to go swimming at one on the way back, but when we returned the tide had risen and the calm glassy pool was now a whirlpool of white water.

About two miles from the trailhead we came to an open coral graveyard. A stagnant green pool lay off to the left, filled, no doubt with blue-green algae. The pebble-strewn beach was rimmed with slabs of smooth lava rock, making swimming impossible, but we found enjoyment simply sitting on wind polished tree stumps or collected erratically shaped coral figures. Old Hawaiian stone walls and house formations can still be discovered and stone cairns are scattered all over the shoreline. The trail continues on for several more miles, but the lack of shade and water drove us back the way we had come. Instead of following the main trail, however, we meandered along on footpaths that brought us to the ultimate edge of the lava flow and rewarded us with birds-eye views of the transparent blue ocean below.

Like many special places on Maui, the King’s Highway is off the beaten path. If you’re looking for a respite from crowded beaches, tourist traps or merely need a break from sunbathing on the beach, take a few hours to explore the hidden coves and stark beauty of the Highway’s lava flows. It will ground you and bring you back in touch with nature.