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Paia at a Glance
Paia is a small coastal community on the northern shore of Maui. Since Paia is the last
town along the Hana highway, it often serves as a pit stop on the
way to Hana. An old sugar plantation village, Paia offers a mellow,
laid-back environment quite different from the urban rushPaia has retained a
lot of its character from the the old sugar plantation days.
Many of its
wooden-style plantation buildings are still intact and have been
converted into brightly colored surf shops, boutiques, specialty
shops, bakeries and antique stores. of
neighboring Maui towns like Kahului and Kihei.
Visitors will also find a
choice of creperies, coffee shops, fresh food carts and 14
restaurants serving continental, Mexican, Indian, Mediterranean and
Hawaiian cuisines.
The once flourishing sugar industry in the 1880s started to
decline in the 1940s. Around 1950, many of Paia’s residents started
to move to Kahului (once dubbed as “The Dream City”) causing a huge
drop in the town’s population. The coming of hippies to Paia in the
1950s helped revive the town’s declining economy. The hippies built
specialty and art shops and eateries.
Then in 1978, Hookipa Beach
Park was discovered to have perfect windsurfing conditions. Paia was
quickly dubbed as the “World Capital of Windsurfing.” In the 1980s and
90s, more and more people flocked to Paia to experience the windsurfing
mecca.
According to 2000 census data, Paia has 2,499 residents, a
population made up largely of Caucasians (33.45%), Asians (27.13%),
Latinos (10.92%) and Native Hawaiians (8.80%).
Paia’s zip code is 96779.
Paia in Bullet Points
- Small coastal community on the northern shore of Maui
- Also called "World Capital of Windsurfing" because of nearby Hookipa Beach, where the windsurfing conditions are excellent
Paia Location
Northern shore of Maui
Paia Map (top)
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Paia Weather (top)
Now
74°F
Windchill:
74°F
Fair
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Location: Paia, HI, US
Wind: 21 mph NE
Humidity: 71%
Visibility: 0.1 mi
Pressure: 30.04 in falling
Sunrise: 6:39 am
Sunset: 5:43 pm
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Fri
Hi: 82°F
Low: 70°F
Partly Cloudy
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Sat
Hi: 83°F
Low: 69°F
Partly Cloudy
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Paia Photos (click to enlarge) (top)
Paia Reviews and Comments (top)
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