Founder of HawaiiGuide & certified travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
The journey along the Hana Highway begins at a small town on Maui's north shore named Pa'ia (Pah-ee-ah) town. To get to Pa'ia town from the Kahului Airport, turn onto Highway 36 and follow it to where you enter Pa'ia town beyond mile marker 6. A little over a hundred years ago Pa'ia was a sugar plantation town. Today it is famous primarily for Ho'okipa Beach Park located right beyond the town.
If you haven't already, we highly suggest you fuel up your vehicle here. It's the last gas stop until Hana Town. It may also be a good place to grab a bite to eat for a picnic lunch later on the drive. Pa'ia has some decent shopping considering its fairly small size, so you might even want to browse through the local shops. Some would argue that Pa'ia shops are superior to Lahaina stores on the west coast of Maui. Pa'ia is directly on Highway 36 in the middle part of Maui; right before where the Hana Highway begins (where it also turns into Hwy 360).
