As the road approaches Hana Bay on the north-eastern tip of Maui, the coast line gets much more rugged. Here previous lava flows have spread directly down into the sea. Black mounds of rough rock line the coasts with the waves breaking violently against them. The native trees and plant life against the sky and violent coast line make for dramatic views.

Along this route, there are many small waterfalls. Unfortunately this trip didn't see many as it had not rained for a long time. But the few that I did find were beautiful. Between the water, the lava rock, and the variety of shades of green, it is impossible to truly describe the beauty of the area.

At Hana, the lava flows are pitch black. The small beaches between the black short cliffs are fine black sand with large polished black stones scattered across them. The trails lead across the old flows with brilliant green low plants with thick leaves that almost seemed to glow with their own light against their pitch black background.

After leaving Hana Bay, most people retrace the way they came. Fortunately I continued along the backside road. And in places it could barely be called a road. The bridges, while made of stone, looked like they would collapse at any moment. One place the road went along a stretch where the ocean was on one side within a foot or so of the road (with no road edge) and the cliff on the other side was being held in place by orange nets. Once past the more treacherous sections, the road rises above the ocean and follows around the edge of the island, rising and falling, rising and falling. It feels like it goes forever.

Once it gets clear of the southern edge, the road goes north again and then swings around to meet the main road. This tends to be a lot of extra driving, especially late at night. But it is more than worth it for rest of the, at times thrilling, trip along the Road to Hana.