Makawao means “eye of the dawn.” It also means “edge of the forest” which well describes its location on the hip of the Olinda Ridge where the clouds gather and disperse. In the early days, Makawao was the center of Upcountry ranch life and still retains the cowboy–and cowgirl– ambiance with wooden sidewalks and a few hitching posts. The charm of yesterday has been preserved as Makawao reinvented itself as a site for Upcountry dining and shopping, so you will find lots of clothing stores and many art galleries along with key community services. Surrounded by large ranches, Makawao has older homes with tranditional styles and a range of inventory including older homes on small lots along with a few newer subdivisions with half acres lots and newer homes. “Quaint” is what tourists say, but the locals think “convenient.” Just above the down is the Olinda area offering spectacular views and wooded lots tucked away in eucalyptus groves. Just down the hill is the plantation town of Haliimalie surrounded by old pineapple fields. Check out the pages below to see if there might be a home here for you.
Makawao is a quaint community in the beautiful upcountry area of Maui. The town is also known as Maui’s Paniolo or cowboy town. This traces back to the era when cattle ranching was prime industry on the slopes of Haleakala above town. The town’s cowboy legacy is still evident when the rodeo comes to town every year on 4th of July weekend and in the architecture. These days, you are more likely to find a nice restaurant, gallery or shop than a feed store when you walk the streets of Makawao. The charm of downtown Makawao has contributed to the desirability of the local real estate market.
Homes in the community range from modest starter homes, to old plantation style charmers to estate properties with spectacular views. The diversity of homes increases when you include the nearby communities of Olinda and Hali’imaile under the umbrella of Makawao. Olinda is beautiful area of meadows and forest located above Makawao. Tall eucalyptus trees and pines thrive in the cooler air of this part of the island. Hali’imaile is a community that was based on pineapple farming in the area. There are number of older historic homes that were the one time home to the pineapple workers who worked in the fields. Scroll through the page below to see the homes listed for sale in the Makawao area.