Maui's North Shore: Boho Surf Town Pa'ia, 50+ Sea Turtles at Ho'okipa Beach & 'Jaws'

Just 10 minutes east of Kahului Airport (OGG) along the Hana Highway (Route 36), making it the easiest first or last stop of your trip and the starting point of the Road to Hana, lies Maui's bohemian North Shore, anchored by the colourful 19th-century sugar-mill town of Pa'ia and the windsurfing and sea-turtle hub at Ho'okipa Beach Park.

1. Pa'ia Town & White-Sand 'Baldwin Beach Park' (Baby Beach)

Turn into the free municipal car park on Hana Highway just west of the Baldwin Avenue traffic light and spend an hour exploring Pa'ia:

• Where to Eat & Shop in Pa'ia: join the fast-moving queue at the original Paia Fish Market (100 Hana Hwy) for charbroiled Cajun Mahi-Mahi, Ono or Opah with coleslaw and Cajun rice; order wood-fired flatbreads at Flatbread Company; pick up organic smoothies and trail snacks at Mana Foods (49 Baldwin Ave); and get coconut ice cream at Paia Gelato or Ululani's Shave Ice.
• Baldwin Beach Park & 'Baby Beach' (1 Mile West of Pa'ia): at the western end of golden Baldwin Beach sits Baby Beach, where an exposed sandstone reef ledge blocks the ocean waves, creating a calm lagoon for toddlers and families.

2. Reliable Sea-Turtle Viewing: 'Ho'okipa Beach Park' (Mile Marker 9, Free)

To see 30 to 60 wild Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (Honu, weighing up to 135 kg each) resting on the sand with no boat ticket required, drive three minutes east of Pa'ia to Ho'okipa Beach Park (free parking at the upper lookout and lower beach pavilions):

• Where to Look (Late Afternoon Before Sunset): walk to the far eastern corner of the sandy beach below the cliff wall. Protected by a low rock barrier and volunteer docents, dozens of large green sea turtles swim in every afternoon to haul out on the warm sand. You can also drive east to Kuau Cove in front of Mama's Fish House, where another 20 turtles rest on the beach, and when giant winter swells hit, big-wave surfers tow into Pe'ahi ('Jaws') a few miles east.