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Location
Kihei is on the south western slope of Haleakala bordering
the ocean.
Information & History
Hawaiian
legend tells of two cloud warriors that did battle along the
flanks of Haleakala. One warrior came from the south and the
other the north. The two battled back and forth until a
truce was eventually called. When the two warriors parted,
the ensuing clear space of blue sky was known as Alanui o
Lani or the Highway to Heaven. This place is what we now
know as South Maui and Kihei.
Early inhabitants of the area were known primarily to be
fishermen. A number of areas along the Kihei coast had fish
ponds used for aquaculture. It was thought that many of
these ponds were dedicated to Ali’i or royalty. The
prehistoric inhabitants supplemented their diet through
locally grown sweet potato and poi traded from taro grown in
the windward areas of Maui.
South Maui and the Kihei area were home to one of the more
significant battles in Kamehameha’s conquest of Maui. When
Kamehameha landed with his forces in 1790, his warriors were
driven back to their canoes by fierce resistance. Kamehameha
was able to turn the tide when he burned the canoes of his
war fleet eliminating the option to retreat. His forces
emboldened, marched onto Wailuku where a final confrontation
in the Iao Valley defeated Maui’s warriors once and for all.
Hawaiians used to refer to the area of Kihei as "Kama'ole"
which means "barren." Situated on the coast, southwest of
Haleakala, the area was noted for its dry, dusty and hot
days - with less than 13 inches of rain annually. An effort
in the early 1900's to establish a sugar plantation in the
area met with failure. By 1930 only about 350 people made
Kihei their home. There was no paved roadway. Other than
non-native kiawe trees and good fishing spots, there was
little to attract people to Kihei.
In 1932 the government placed eleven beach lots up for sale. Only six were
sold. Even by 1950, plots capable of being farmed sold for a
mere $225 an acre. Residential property could be bought for
as little as five cents a square foot. It seemed that aside
from a few scattered businesses, no one wanted to live or
work in Kihei. All of that changed in the late 1960's when
water was piped in to the area from Central and West Maui
and developers saw an area ripe for sun-loving tourists.
Development of Kihei was done with no real plan in mind. Lots were gobbled
up and condominium units were built right on top of each
other. Shopping centers and strip malls popped up every
couple of blocks. Before long tourists looking for
inexpensive to moderate lodging began to flock to Kihei.
Today over 60 condominiums, rentals, timeshares and a few
small hotels make Kihei one of Hawaii's busiest beach towns.
Visitors seem willing for forego lush landscaping to save
some money.
Today Kihei retains much of that 1970's look. Aside from
more tourists, more traffic and a few more upscale merchants
little has changed. It remains, however, a top destination
for visitors who want to spend time on Maui without draining
their savings accounts. The town is bordered by beaches and
S. Kihei Road on one side and the newer Piilani Highway on
the other. The highway is used mostly by visitors staying in
the posh Wailea Resort area to avoid the traffic in Kihei.
Links:
Maui Map
South Maui Museums & Landmarks
South Maui Beaches
South Maui Hiking & Camping
South Maui Snorkeling & Scuba
Diving
South Maui Watersports
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