Here's Everything You Need To Know About Maui's Heart Rock

This piece of natural art is one of Hawaii’s hidden gems, located on the northwestern coast of Maui. For couples, it’s a romantic setting for a proposal. For those with high activity on social media, Maui’s Heart Rock is any Instagram influencer’s dream. And for any traveler, the natural phenomena is a site well worth adding to any bucket list.

Main attraction

Visitors seek out this area of Hawaii for numerous reasons. A huge tourist attraction and also extremely dangerous, Nakalele’s Blowhole is the primary destination that draws people in. The blowhole is a natural seawater geyser, about the size of a car tire, and is located in a perfect sightseeing location—overlooking the ocean. Vivid rainbows are often seen forming in the mist around the blowhole. And from the months of December to May, visitors can get a glimpse of whales jumping in the distance.

The spouting water reaches immense heights, shooting upwards, sometimes to 100 feet. It’s important to check the surf report for tide heights before heading out to the area as the surroundings can get extremely slippery at higher tides.

Wearing reliable shoes and staying clear of the blowhole is wise. People tend to underestimate nature here, with some having lost their lives being washed out to sea or when standing directly over the blowhole. An easy strategy to stay safe is to step only on rocks that are dry. The rainbow forming in the mist may be tempting to get closer to, but we’d advise against it.

A hidden gem

Located just to the right of the Nakalele Blowhole is Maui’s Heart. Many interesting structures have formed in this area due to erosion on the volcanic rock shelf over the years. It’s almost hard to believe that the Heart Rock was so incredibly symmetrically formed by natural elements.

The heart itself is about a foot or so wide, situated about three feet from the sloping ground. It’s a fantastic photo opportunity for anyone who makes the hike down. The structure is fairly close to the ground and very accessible, so getting the perfect photo is never really an issue. Taking the shot at eye level with the heart will reward you with the best capture of the different landscapes that the island of Maui has to offer.

The landscape viewed through the heart is also almost too good to be true. It acts as a perfect frame for the mountains, ocean, and beach in the distance. Some have even reported seeing a vertical rainbow through the heart, but that’s something you’ll have to go there to see for yourself.

There are many ways to get to Nakalele and Maui‘s Heart. The best and safest route starts with a scenic drive north from Kapalua for eight miles and parking at the 38.5 marker. There are no distinctly marked trails, but head down towards the ocean and it will lead you straight to the site.