STEP INTO paradise
Hawaii's seaside paths and winding trails offer free delights
It was a warm, sunny afternoon on Kauai's Coconut Coast when my daughter and I set out on a leisurely bike ride on the Ke Ala Hele Makalae path from Kapa'a town to secluded Paliku Beach (aka Donkey Beach), eight miles to the north.
Our hotel, the splendid, centrally-located Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort in Kapa'a, provided our bikes free of charge and even packed a backpack — a cooler bag — with a picnic and cold drinks to bring along on our shoreline ride.
Mounting our clunky three-speed beach cruisers, we started our ride by winding through the backstreets of Kapa'a, cruising past small shops, pocket parks, food trucks and a kaleidoscope of small town scenery.
Soon we were on the outskirts of town, away from the busy main road on a wide ocean side path, enjoying the sheer beauty of the shimmering water, Pacific views and surf crashing against a rugged volcanic shoreline. Here and there, silky smooth patches of sand appeared, and wider beaches, like swimmable Kealia Beach, offered reason to pause, hydrate and take it all in. Seabirds cruised the shore and steady trade winds provided us with welcome cooling.
After a couple of hours of leisurely riding, Instaworthy photo stops and a picnic on the beach, a tropical sunset painted the sky of our return ride. As the Hawaiians say, this ride was “no ka oi” — simply the best.
There's no denying that a trip to the tropics costs a pretty penny, but Hawaii is filled with amazing coastal paths and trails, special spots where you can revel in the beauty of the ocean and the coast, where the mauka (land) meets the makai (sea), and it's nearly free.
So I've spent most of my recent visits to Kauai, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island scouting out some of the best paths to follow on foot or two wheels. Some are paved, some are dirt, some are a bit of both, but all are guaranteed to dole out a memorable dose of scenery and a dash of adventure.
In Poipu, on Kauai's south shore, my favorite coastal walk is the Maha'ulepu Coastal Heritage Trail, which starts at a trailhead at Shipwreck Beach fronting the Grand Hyatt Kauai on Keoneloa Bay.
The first mile or so meanders on top of 125,000 yearold lithified sand dunes known as the Makawehi cliffs, passing groves of kiawe trees, limestone formations and rocky inlets — havens for sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals.
Before descending to pristine and lightly visited Mahaulepu Beach, the unmarked trail meanders to the Makauwahi Sinkhole, site of Hawai'i's largest limestone cave and the richest fossil site in the islands. To tour the site, you crawl through a narrow opening in the rock into the sinkhole, where volunteer docents at the cave offer fascinating tours of this prehistoric site rich in natural and native Hawaiian history daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Find more details at cavereserve.org.)
On Kauai's North Shore, a very popular coastal hike is the first two miles of the famous Kalalau backpackers' trail along the rugged Na Pali coast. Start from Ke'e Beach in Haena State Park and follow the moderately challenging route along steep, densely vegetated cliffs to pristine Hanakapiai Beach. (Please don't go for a dip here. Swimming is extremely risky due to very strong and dangerous currents.
Access to this protected area is not free, but it's eminently reasonable (and less than a mai tai): Parking reservations are $10, entrance to the park is $5 — find details at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/kauai/haena-state-park — and shuttle service ($25-$35) from Hanalei town to Haena State Park has resumed, if you'd like to let someone else do the driving.
Coastal Maui trails
In Hawaii, the mountains and sea are worshipped as sacred gifts of nature. In ancient times, they formed the natural boundaries of royal land divisions. On Maui, it's the makai or seaside that captivates most travelers, many of whom come to walk or run the island's myriad coastal paths.