A Day On The North Shore

When visiting the historic Paia Town, start off by grabbing a coffee and a light breakfast at the Paia Bay Coffee shop (tucked down the road to the right of the Chevron gas station). Next, head over to Mana Foods to grab some snacks for the day, and then over to Baldwin Beach for a morning adventure. Mid-morning weekdays are perhaps one of the best times to check out Baldwin Beach, because the beach can be found almost empty! Just you, the lifeguards, some runners and dog walkers, and plenty of sand, crystal blue waters for swimming, and one of the best views of the North Shore coastline. After Baldwin, head back to Paia Town for lunch and some shopping. Paia Town stores are all unique and eclectic in their own way ranging from art galleries to surf shops, boutiques, home furnishings, jewelry stores and more. In the early afternoon, head East towards Haiku Town and make a quick pit stop at the Ku’au Store to check out some healthy local food, or to grab one of their yummy fresh juices.

En route towards Haiku, you’ll have a chance to sightsee a bit while driving by the world famous Ho’okipa Beach Park-but, don’t stop there yet! Continue on towards Haiku, and return back to Ho’okipa for sunset. As you reach the Haiku area, there will be one sign that points you up to the direction of the Haiku Town. Take that road up into Haiku’s jungle landscape, and keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of the historic Baldwin Estate located behind a white picked fence line on the left hand side of the road. Once you reach Haiku, you’ll see a marketplace full of little secret gems. Colleen’s and NUKA are two great restaurants you could check out later for dinner, but first you need to go to Maui Kombucha. Whether you are a kombucha lover or not, you’ve got to check out this fab scene for at least a sparkling coconut water, a Love Buzz cold pressed coffee, and any of their delicious raw, vegan snacks and desserts (the Kombucha is insane good). Behind the Haiku Marketplace (right behind Colleen’s), visitors can stop into Pacific Island Art’s warehouse to pick up some discounted Hawaii souvenirs, and the Haiku Store has a great selection of Maui baked goods and treats. If you take Haiku Road east from the marketplace, you can sightsee while driving through residential areas, and have an opportunity to visit the Pauwela Cannery (take a left onto West Kuiaha Road and drive towards the ocean). The Pauwela Cannery is home to a handful of Maui’s most famous surf board shapers, a Dakine outlet, Mickey Eskimo’s FLVR art gallery (where you can pick up some pretty cool Maui trucker hats), and Maui Baked, a great place to pick up a coffee and a snack before heading back to Ho’okipa Beach Park for sunset.

Ho’okipa Sunsets are one of the most beautiful experiences to be had on Maui. Watching the sun set behind the West Maui Mountains from a North Shore vantage point is truly remarkable; the sky seems to just burst in vibrant pink, red, orange and purple tones. Plus, you’ll be able to check out a handful of Maui’s best watermen and waterwomen doing their thing in the ocean. If you walk down onto the sand, go to the far right (East) side of the beach for a chance to see some sleeping Green Hawaiian Sea Turtles. Go ahead and take pictures, but PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE TURTLES.

After Sunset, head back to Haiku or Paia for a fabulous dinner or cocktails. The absolute best restaurants on the North Shore are Colleen’s and NUKA in Haiku, Mama’s Fish House in Ku’au, or Cafe Des Amis, Dazoo (winner of the best cocktails on Maui), Milagros, or Flatbread Company (great place to go with kids) in Paia.