Hawaii’s Pacific pathways and winding trails offer plenty of free adventure

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, Insta-worthy 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 all 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.

Kauai pathways

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 year-old 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.

From the wave-kissed sandy shores of south and west Maui to the windy, surf-slammed shorelines of the northwest and north shores, Maui is a paradise for strollers. Dreamy vistas of neighboring islands, Lanai and Molokai, float on the horizon across wide channels of blue Pacific water. Year-round, seabirds soar overhead and sailboats, kayakers and SUPers float by on sparkling waters.

One of the major attractions of South Maui’s Wailea resort region is the coastal path that winds between the chic Andaz Wailea at Mokapu Beach and the all-suite Fairmont Kea Lani at Polo Beach. Nearly two miles long, the paved path leads to some of Maui’s most scenic beaches and luxurious hotels such as the Grand Wailea, Four Seasons and Wailea Beach resorts, and an abundance of swanky condos.

On the makai side of the path, interpretive signs detail some of the more than 60 species of native Hawaiian plants found here. These hardy plants are adapted to the harsh coastal climate of South Maui and the extremes of heat, salt and wind. These plants arrived in the Hawaiian islands by wind, ocean currents and bird migration and include beach naupaka, silvery hinahina, and succulent ‘akulikuli.

Some of these plants were used by early Hawaiians — the flowers of the Ilima for lei-making, for example, the wood of the a’ali’i for house building and the dried leaves of the ko’oko’olau for medicinal tea.

A gorgeous turquoise bay ringed by jagged lava fields from Haleakala’s last volcanic eruption in 1790, La Perouse is the end of the road, literally, in south Maui. This is a very scenic, lightly visited place for hikers seeking an exotic, rugged natural landscape. The trails here lead down the coast through sun-blasted lava fields (good shoes and lots of water are imperative) to several sandy beaches and little coves where spinner dolphins are usually spotted in the early morning hours — before 7 a.m.

Hike the shoreline trail or take a short detour around some ancient Hawaiian ruins to the Hoapili Trail or the King’s Highway, which is believed to be an old trail that the early Hawaiians would walk barefoot. At a signpost, the Hoapili Trail continues another two miles to the secluded Keawanaku Beach, another good snorkeling spot. The shoreline trail will take you to the western point of Cape Hanamanioa and the southernmost tip of La Pérouse Bay for a remarkable 3-mile-long round trip stroll.

La Pérouse is also one of Maui’s top snorkeling spots, rich in colorful fish like wrasse, tang, Moorish Idol, convict fish and lionfish, especially in the clearer water in coves further down the path.

At West Maui’s Ka’anapali resort, you’ll find another very popular, resort-lined beachside path. This 1.5-mile seaside path starts from Canoe Beach at the Hyatt and goes to the Sheraton at Pu’u Keka’a (aka Black Rock) before continuing another mile or so to the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and the Westin Nanea.

Flat and very scenic, this is a perfect route to walk or run in the early morning and evening hours, when fewer people are out and the views of Lanai and Molokai are lovely. Stroll the path around sunset to enjoy the hotels’ Hawaiian music and hula shows and a cliff-diving ceremony at Pu’u Keka’a.

During the day, the path bustles with crowds, but it’s easy to escape with a dip in the welcoming waters off this beautifully long, sandy beach. The waters off the wider Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa are best for gentle wave play, and there’s good snorkeling near the jagged volcanic rocks of Pu’u Keka’a.

Kapalua’s nature-soaked, 1.75-mile-long path is a combination of paved path, dirt trails, resort walkways and boardwalk. It stretches along a stunning stretch of coastline from Napili Bay to Kapaula Bay, then past Namalu Bay (cliff diving, the Montage Kapalua Bay resort), Hawea Point (home to a wedge-tailed shearwater colony and nesting site), expansive Oneloa Bay, the bizarre rock formations of Dragon’s Teeth at Makaluapuna Point and Honokahua Bay (D.T. Fleming Beach), a perfect spot for body boarding and wave play.

Also on Maui, but harder to reach, the Wai’anapanapa Coastal Trail offers a 6-mile roundtrip walk from Ka’inalimu Bay, just north of Hana Bay to Wai’anapanapa State Park. The route traverses coastal cliffs past rocky arches, black sand beaches, blowholes and ancient temples, following, in part, the ancient Hawaiian “King’s Highway.”

Hawaii Island pools and bays

On the Kohala Coast, Kiholo Bay to Mano Point hike brings you west to protected series of calm, turquoise tidepools inside a picturesque bay. Kiholo is one of the best places on the island to view sea turtles. The hike passes three black sand beaches and two brackish ponds following the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail.

Kona offers an easy-going 1.1-mile round trip coastal walk in one of the finest historical parks on the Hawaiian Islands, Puʻuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. Learn about the ancient Hawaiian culture and this “place of refuge” that allowed enemy combatants and Hawaiians who broke the kapu system of laws a reprieve from the death penalty, if they could reach the site in time. The grounds also once housed several ancient temples, a royal palace and fishponds.

Oahu’s coastal walkways

The 2.5-mile Ka’ena Point trail brings you to the westernmost point of Oahu, following an old railroad bed and former dirt road. The trail leads to Ka‘ena Point Natural Area Reserve, a remote and scenic protected area harboring some of the last vestiges of coastal sand dune habitat on the island and home to native plants and seabirds.