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Keʻanae Peninsula
MM 16.8
Recommended
A short turnoff just past the Keʻanae Arboretum leads down to a flat finger of black lava rock where a Hawaiian village still farms taro much as it has for centuries. The bright-green fields, the old stone church, and the surf breaking on the rocks make this one of the most scenic stops on the road.
⏱ 15 – 45 min at stop
🚗 71 min from Pāʻia
✓ Free to access
At a glance
What you'll see: Taro fields, lava coast, old church — A roughly one-square-mile peninsula of jet-black lava with patchwork taro patches, the 1860 stone church, and waves crashing on the rocky shore.
Access & parking: Free; turn off at MM 16.8 — Turn down Keʻanae Road just past the arboretum. A dirt parking area sits near the church and ball field, about three-quarters of a mile down, and includes toilets
The shoreline: For looking, not swimming — There's no beach. Waves break hard and unpredictably against the lava, and people have been swept off rocks here. Keep well back from the edge.
Time needed: 15 – 45 min — Enough for the views and the church, longer if you stop for banana bread. Aunty Sandy's stand is a local fixture and often sells out by early afternoon (before 2pm).
About Keʻanae Peninsula
The turnoff for Keʻanae comes just after the arboretum, around Mile 16.8, and drops you down to sea level onto a flat shelf of lava that pushes out into the Pacific. With deep blue water on three sides and Haleakalā rising behind you, it feels like a small island tethered to the coast.
The land tells a long story. The peninsula began as bare, barren lava that grew nothing. Over generations, Hawaiians carried soil down from the valley above in baskets, building up the patches by hand until the rock could hold the loʻi - the flooded terraces where taro, Hawaiʻi's staple crop, still grows today. The vivid green of those fields against the black rock and blue sea is the image most people remember.
Near the parking area stands the old stone and coral church, built around 1860 and still in use. On April 1, 1946, a tsunami with waves estimated around thirty-plus feet swept across the peninsula and destroyed nearly everything, taking the lives of many residents, including a group of schoolchildren and their teachers. The church was left standing, and the community rebuilt around it.
Good to know
The road into the peninsula is very narrow. Take your time and go slow to avoid scraping against another car.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Keʻanae Peninsula worth stopping at?
- Yes! It's one of the more meaningful stops on the road with a working Hawaiian village with taro fields, a historic stone church, and dramatic lava coastline, and even a banana bread vendor (who unfortunately closes early).
- Can you swim at Keʻanae?
- No. There's no beach, and the surf breaks hard and unpredictably against the lava rock. People have been swept off these rocks, so stay well back from the water's edge and treat it as a place to look, not to enter.
- What is there to see at Keʻanae?
- The taro patches, the 1860 lava-rock church, beautiful views of black coastline and crashing surf, and the village itself. It's a short detour off the highway and easy to combine with the nearby Keʻanae Arboretum.
- Is Aunty Sandy's banana bread still there?
- Yes, it's a long running local stand on the peninsula and a popular stop, even featured on a Gordon Ramsay show, but it often sells out around early afternoon, so come earlier in the day if you want some. There are other banana bread vendors on the highway as well.