Olivine Pools, Maui, Hawaii
Olivine Pools
by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl
Last week I wrote about a hike we took while on the road to Hana, upon a recommendation by Maui Revealed. We also followed their recommendation and explored the fascinating, natural Olivine Pools on Maui’s upper West coast, the best natural swimming pool on Maui.
To get to the pools, you drive north on Honoapi’ilani Highway, out of Ka’anapali and Lahaina. towards Kapalua. After passing Kapalua, start watching the mile markers. The State Highway ends at Mile Marker 42, and the road becomes a county road. Before you reach Mile Marker 16, look for a dirt road to the left (ocean side). There will be a small parking area, and as you begin to walk down, you will notice large rock platforms.
You wind your way down the hill, and as you do, check out the cool stratification of the rocks – the orange/red stripe in the middle is beautiful. Climbing down the hill is fairly straightforward – my kids took to the task well, but I cannot imagine my Dad making the trek with us. The path is faint, and many times you feel as though you are making up the path as you go. And every once in a while, there is a little scramble over a lava rock formation.
Interesting colors in the lava
Once you get down to the pools, however, the missing path becomes a thing of the past – the pools are so beautiful and welcoming. My kids jumped in right away, exploring all sorts of little pools that felt as though they were designed just for kids. Going right to the edge and watching the waves was also exciting!
Pounding surf
Before you go:
- Check the tide charts before you leave your hotel, if the tide is high, the pounding waves can distract from the relaxing feel of the pools.
- You can bring towels and such down to the pools, but there is no beach, just some flat rocks to perch on.
- I recommend water shoes, it will make the climb into and out of the water easier, although we did see barefoot adventurers who seemed to do fine.
- And whatever you do, please remember to Leave No Trace of your visit – pack out all trash and belongings.
Related posts:
A Maui Moment
Treasure Hunting in Lahaina
Go Hawaii, Lots of Smiles
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4 Responses
I love natural swimming pools, their beauty is really marvelous. Can you suggest some more?
What a beautiful adventure! Were there any critters in the pools?
Very Interesting! What better way to spend a vacation than in a natural pool?
on Maui, the pools at Honolua are supposed to be beautiful, but we did not a get chance to visit those. And on Kaua’i, the Queen’s Bath is similar, but slightly smaller. And we did not find any critters in the pools, although I am sure there must have been some. At every beach we visited, we found crabs, little fish, anemones, etc.
And yes, it was a gorgeous way to vacation, felt very off-the-beaten-path!