Paia is Maui's Historical Plantation Town. Paia was once a village of color and charm and remains a laid-back coastal town that attracts surfers and artisans with its array of fine specialty shops, boutiques, surf shops, antique stores, bakeries, and even an old fashioned tattoo parlor. Award wining restaurants offer casual and full service dining with local and international culinary delights. Because Hawaii is a mix of many cultures, there is a wide variety of ethnic crafts, art, clothing, jewelry and antiques that will add to any shopping adventure. Even the surf shops carry small fun gift items to take home.

Located on Maui's North Shore, right-smack-dab-in-the-middle of all the beautiful beaches, Paia is a gathering place for a rainbow of interesting folks, colorful shops, excellent restaurants and coffee houses, yoga and dance studios, a tattoo parlor, alternative medicine and religions, exquisite local arts and crafts, the best little health food store on the planet, and more!

The people are as colorful and interesting as the boutiques.

You'll find surfers and wind-surfers, locals, "kama'aina" (transplants), hippies (yep! they still exist.... in Paia), small business owners and shop-keepers, tourists, and even some "normal" folks in this bustling but laid-back (only in Paia) little haven of peaceful coexistence!

Knowing the towns history will give you a head start before you land. Being an oceanfront location, Paia has experienced tsunamis in historic times. In April 1946, Paia experienced the largest tsunami in Hawaii's recorded history, which was the result of an earthquake originating in Alaska.

Once upon a time, Paia was a busy place, with one of the biggest populations on the island, and the oldest sugar plantation on Maui. Before Kahului was built - this is where a lot of the sugar cane workers lived. The very first phone line in the Hawaiian Islands was installed in Paia, according to old timers. A lot of the old stuff has gone already, like movie theaters, most of the camp houses, and shops.

Paia has some affordable bed and breakfasts to accommodate you if staying here suits your style. At least take an afternoon to eat some great lunch and watch the windsurfers just of the edge of town at Ho'okipa Beach Park, one of the most famous windsurfing locations on the planet.

With it?s old school charm and casual vibe, Paia is an excellent vacation destination.