Pāia: the surf town that kept its soul

The character of the place

Just east of town, Hoʻokipa Beach Park is the North Shore's theater: windsurfers and kiteboarders when the trades are up, surfers when the winter swells roll in, and — most afternoons — Hawaiian green sea turtles hauled out on the sand at the east end, doing absolutely nothing, watched by everyone. Baldwin Beach Park stretches west of town for the long-walk crowd. Pāia is also where the Road to Hāna properly begins, which means the town absorbs the world's visitors every morning — and stays itself anyway. The pace is barefoot, the parking is a contact sport, and nobody who lives here would trade it.

What residents do here

• Hoʻokipa sessions — watching the wind and waves from the lookout is a standing North Shore ritual, participant or not.
• Beach days at Baldwin — the long sand west of town, built for walks, swims, and weekend shade.
• Town errands with character — the grocery run, the surf shop, the galleries and boutiques along the highway and Baldwin Avenue.
• The Hāna gateway — stocking up and starting early when the east side calls, or waving the visitors through and keeping the morning.

Pāia in the Guide