This place has been called the 7 scared pools for decades. The problem is, there aren't seven of them and they aren't sacred.
It seems that the owner of the Hotel Hana, way back when, needed a hook to get people to come all the way to Hana and stay in his hotel so he came up with the name to draw in the tourists. People here on the island now refer to them as the "7 pools" or Ohe'o Gulch, which is where they are located.
The pools are about 10 miles past the town of Hana and are part of the national park system here meaning the federal government is going to charge you $25 per car load of people to enjoy the pools.
This is THE busiest place on the east side of Maui because people come to swim in the pools. The adventurous (or foolish depending on your view) come to jump off the different cliffs into the pools. Some even jump off the bridge you see in this photo into the pool below. You're probably starting to lean towards the description of foolish right about now.
It is a great place to visit but you want to arrive early, very early! I got there about 7:00 a.m. and there were already several people there. By noon this place can be a mad house of people. There is limited parking, enough for about 50 cars, but there are restrooms and a visitors center.
Don't leave anything of value in your car because this place is notorious for break ins.
What a superb place to visit. Sad to hear about the break ins....seems to be the norm for places when you travel.
ReplyDeleteThe pools, park and trails in this area look like great places for photography!
ReplyDelete"7 sacred pools" does have a bit more of a draw to it than "Ohe'o Gulch" alright.
Have you driven past The 7 Sacred Pools allong the Piilani Highway and around the south end of Maui yet. I Google Earthed it and it looks like it would be a great adventure! Probably need to take a lunch, didn't look like a whole lot of 7-11 or ABC stores on this part of Maui.
DeleteI have taken the drive all the way around 3-4 times. I prefer to go all the way around instead of driving back the way I came. Going back the same way isn't as much fun.
DeleteYou definitely want to bring an ice chest with some lunch or snacks and cold drinks. There are several places to stop along the road and enjoy the view while you eat. There are usually several food stands on the way to Hana where you can eat as long as you don't mind paying their prices. There are also a few places in Hana that are pretty good but again, you're paying a premium for that food and drink just because your a long ways from anything else. Once you go past Hana there is absolutely nothing as far as food, drink or fuel until you get all the way back around to the other side where you started. You will also want to fill up with gas before you leave the Kahului area. There is only one gas station in Hana and his prices are about $1.00 per gallon more than anywhere else on the island.
I would highly recommend the drive all the way around. The scenery is constantly changing and you get to see a lot of things most people miss.
Last time I was here in Hana, I ate a $25 hamburger in one of those fancy resort, and that's only place I can get a meal without standing in line. Also, there's about 100 people swimming in these pools.
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