Flavor of Maui

Even before Hawaii became an island kingdom, stone pathways encircled each island, connecting the scattered villages. Some of these pathways, like the Lahaina Pali Trail, are still in existence. The trail, which was opened to the public in 1997, is five miles long and zigzags up and over the dry West Maui Mountains, connecting Ma’alaea to Lahaina.
Built for horses and foot traffic more than 200 years ago, the trail follows an even older trail that was part of the alaloa, the “long road” that once circled Maui. Hawaii’s ali’i, or royalty, traveled the alaloa each year when they went from village to village during the Makahiki, a four-month period when war ceased and sporting and religious events took over.