Honolua Bay

Honolua Bay, in Maui Komohana (West Maui), is one of Hawaiʻi’s most cherished landscapes; a wahi pana (storied and sacred place) shaped by generations of stewardship, cultural practice, and ecological abundance. Situated within Hono-a-Piʻilani, one of the island’s six sacred bays, Honolua has long sustained thriving communities. With heiau (temples) and iwi kūpuna (ancestral burials), Honolua Bay holds ongoing spiritual importance. Its cultural significance endures today, from its deep surfing lineage to its role in the Hawaiian cultural renaissance as the 1976 launch site of Hōkūleʻa. Its waters remain a refuge for vibrant coral reefs, diverse fish populations, and protected marine species.

After decades of advocacy, the north bank of Honolua Stream has been protected as a future State Park. Now, Trust for Public Land (TPL) is partnering with the Save Honolua Coalition (SHC) to protect the privately held lands along the south bank. An effort that will complete conservation across the bay and advance a community-centered vision for stewardship. This effort aims to restore balance to Honolua by placing these culturally significant lands into the care of the community that has led advocacy for nearly two decades.

The need for action is urgent. As one of Maui’s most iconic and heavily visited coastal sites, Honolua Bay faces intense pressure from unmanaged tourism, with up to 1,600 visitors on peak days arriving by land and sea. This overuse has damaged sensitive cultural sites and contributed to declining reef health. Without coordinated visitor management, the impacts fall disproportionately on the bay’s natural and cultural resources, and on local families for whom Honolua remains central to identity, practice, and belonging.

Once acquired, the south bank lands will be transferred to SHC for community-based stewardship, creating space for cultural reconnection, and mālama ʻāina (land stewardship) practices. Through Puʻuhonua o Honolua, SHC is advancing a culturally grounded stewardship and visitor management framework that prioritizes community use on the south bank while working with State Parks to manage access, capacity, and place-based education on the north bank. Together, these efforts will protect the full bay, restore ecological resilience, and uphold the cultural integrity of Honolua Bay—ensuring it remains a living, thriving place for future generations.

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