About Makena

There are a few places left in Hawaii where it is possible to walk along quiet stretches of sand, see the waves splash on ancient and storied shores, and feel what the Hawaiians call the mana, or spirit of the land. One such area is Makena, home of the Makena Beach & Golf Resort. On one side looms the 10,000 foot dormant volcano Mount Haleakala, and the other side, the blue Pacific with the Islands of Molokini and Lana'I in the distance.

Once, Makena was home to many fishing communities who snared the abundant akule fish that came to the area to spawn. Reminders of the ancient ways can be found in the red earth of the area - heiau or templates to Ku'ula Kai, patron of fisherman, a healing sanctuary beside the Christian chapel and ruins of old fishponds at La Perouse Bay.

The legends still live in these places. Old timers speak in whispers about the marching spirits of the night. They spin tales of Pele, the volcano goddess, whose wrath caused the point of a star to break and become a flower on the land.

Later, Makena became a thriving port, second only to bustling Lahaina. From Makena landing now a small rocky cove, cattle form the upland Rose Ranch swam to waiting steamers while tied to a longboat. Potatoes and other produce were also loaded on ships bound for the gold mines of California.

Today, cattle still roam with axis deer and wild boar on the slopes of what is now Ulapalakua Ranch. On the still wild coast, gulls fly overhead and the ocean plays host to the humpback whales who come in the winter months to calve and frolic in the tropic sun.