Description
La Perouse Bay is a beautiful bay located at the southern tip of Maui, Hawaii.
This bay is also known by its Hawaiian name, Keone?o?io, and is situated at the end of Makena Alanui Road (State Highway 31) at 20°35'54?N 156°25'12?W.
La Perouse Bay is named after the French explorer Captain Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, who surveyed and mapped the prominent embayment near the southern cape of Maui in 1786. The rounded peninsula that dominates the northern half of the bay was created by an eruption of basaltic lava around 900,000 years ago, originating from the southernmost landward expression of the Haleakala Southwest Rift Zone. Furthermore, the area boasts of small string of cinder cones extending inland to the northeast and marks the axis of the rift zone.
La Perouse Bay is the site of Maui's most recent volcanic activity, which was about 500 years ago. Situated directly south of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, the bay is home to numerous marine creatures, such as green sea turtles, and many fish species, including endemic ones. Fishing is not permitted inside the reserve, giving people a chance to see marine life in their natural habitat. The area also contains many cultural and archaeological sites, such as fishing shrines, salt pans, and heiaus (religious platforms).
The road which leads to La Perouse Bay ends at the parking lot/entrance to the shore, where the King's Highway trail begins. The King's Highway is a trail that circumnavigated the Maui
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