The Hana Highway on the Hawaiian Island of Maui is a 52-mile front row seat to a spectacular view, one million years in the making. Largely undeveloped, the highway is divided by 56 one lane bridges and 617 curves and turns, each one giving you a new perspective to breathtaking scenery. This is one case when the journey is as much, if not more, fun than the destination.

Carved by thousands of years of volcanic activity, the rugged and lush landscape of the Maui coastline is best viewed by the two-lane Hana Highway. The wide blue expanse of the Pacific Ocean greets you on one side, and the Maui landscape that varies from dramatic waterfalls to open fields and dense tropical forests on the other. There are many spots along the way that are worth a closer look.

Begin your trip with a stop at the Garden of Eden Arboretum and Botanical Garden, a 26-acre park featuring some of Maui's finest nature trails and natural foliage. A few miles further is Honomanu Bay a stunning black sand beach hidden behind the palms trees and Mangroves. Stop at Keanae Arboretumand soak in the view of the rugged coastline before heading into the village of Keanae where you will find taro fields, a missionary church and a swimming area with a small waterfall. At the Wailua Valley Lookout, stop for beautiful vistas up the valley, or drive on a few hundred yards to the Wailua Peninsula Lookout to view the taro ponds and lush jungle. Stop for lunch at the Hana Gardenland Café, which roughly marks the midway point, before driving onto the black sand beaches and famous caves of Wainapanapa State ParkKaihalulu, which features a dramatic red cinder sand beach in a secluded cove. The raw beauty of Maui is showcased dramatically along this winding coastal highway, and well worth the trip.