4 Best Places to Visit on Maui

A trip to Maui, Hawaii is famous for two things: the sunrise at Haleakala and the beaches. Soft, warm sand and 72° (23°C) water temperatures combined with gentle ocean surf is what makes Maui’s beaches the best.

There are so many things to do on Maui, it’s a good idea to plan ahead, so you don’t miss a thing, and you can even book your activities in advance! Get yourself a guidebook with a map to help you plan the things you want to do. If you are going to rent a car, they will give you a driving guide with a map. Keep it handy!

Kaanapali

If you want great beaches on this side of the island, called West Maui, you need to be in Ka’anapali, Honokawai, or Napili. My favorite stretch of beaches in West Maui is Napili.

Ka’anapali has the Westin, Marriott and Sheraton mega resorts and condos as well as smaller resorts, a few hotels and you can find great cheap condos in this area. A little further up the road is Kahana, which also has some great beachfront resorts like the Sands of Kahana Resort, though for the most part it’s not as upscale as Ka’anapali.

Ka’anapali’s beaches are best during the summer months; during the winter months, part of the beach erodes. But it’s still a very popular beach area, with the large promenade connecting the mega-resorts winding its way along the beach. There are some really good snorkeling spots here, and if you’re not staying in the area, there are a couple of beach parks you can access and there are beach access areas that hotels have to reserve with some parking spaces. Keep an eye out for beach access signs to find them. They often look like part of the hotel.

Napili Beach in West Maui is a beautiful year-round beach area. You can often see turtles there and there are some nice trees along the back of the beach for shade. This is a very popular area and it can be hard to find a parking spot here, but it’s worth finding one. There is a small grocery store where you can get cold drinks or snacks and a restaurant at the west end of the beach.

kihei

The beaches in the Kihei area are blessed with wide areas of sand that slope gently into the ocean, creating gentle wave action that is perfect for just lazing around. If you are new to boogie boarding or if you are traveling with children, these beaches are perfect. Just south of Kihei there are 3 beaches called Kama’ole Beach I, II and III. Three crescent beaches that follow one after the other along the coast. At the northern end of Kam I is Charley Young Park. This is where you can find a webcam to greet people back home. Condo rentals dot the area liberally in all price ranges and good amenities can be found with plenty to choose from in the form of restaurants and grocery stores, shopping venues, and activities including surfboard lessons and rentals, and a rider. flow.

South of Kihei is the beautiful resort area of ​​Wailea. These luxury resorts invest a lot of money in maintaining the grounds. Kihei is the dry side of the island, however Wailea’s resorts are lush and green with lots of tropical foliage. Grand Wailea, Four Seasons Maui, and Fairmount Kea Lani can be found in this area and front beautiful beaches.

In this area is Ulua beach, where many dive instructors take students to certify them in open water diving because of the reef that juts out of the water here, which makes diving interesting when you can dive with turtles. . Shade can be found here and in the afternoon the waves sometimes get good for boogie boarding fun. You can find the parking hidden between the resorts and although there are no lifeguards there, toilets, showers and a grassy area are available and the parking is shaded. Truly a great beach.

If you’re looking for a nude beach on the islands, head a little further south to Little Beach Maui. It’s the only nude beach I know of in Hawaii. It is isolated and not easy to stumble upon, but it is well known. I’ve heard that the authorities occasionally harass people here, but I’ve never seen it happen, and this is one of my favorite beaches in the entire Hawaiian island chain. To get there you have to go through Playa Grande.

lahaina

Lahaina was a whaling town in the 19th century and is located just down the road from the Ka’anapali resorts. If you like shopping, don’t miss it! Lahaina’s main street is several blocks long and runs along the boardwalk and you will find store after store after store! It’s a great place to find gifts for people back home.

At the end of the city, near the port, there is a huge banyan tree that covers an entire city block. Yes, just a tree! It’s shady and cool, with benches to lounge on and arts and crafts fairs are often held here. They set up a stage and have live music too. One of the best things to do on Maui!

At the Lahaina Harbor you will find outlets for all things water related to Maui to do including parasailing, dolphin cruises, snorkeling cruises, whale watching and fishing. This is also the departure point for the Lana’i/Moloka’i ferry and where cruise ships disembark.

The rest of Lahaina’s Main Street is lined with shops, bars, and restaurants. You can find Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bubba Gumps, Maui Divers, art galleries, Na Hoku, time-share hawkers, and plenty of independent shops along this 1 1/2 mile stretch of town.

Lahaina is always crowded, but that’s part of its charm. There are a couple of hotels here, but no actual resorts. The beaches along Lahaina’s main street aren’t that great either, but you don’t go to Lahaina for the beaches, you go for one of the best things to do on Maui: shopping!

Lahaina is also a Halloween destination, but that’s another story!

hana

The road to Hana. People who have made the trip either love it or hate it. There’s even a t-shirt that says “I survived the Road to Hana” and people who have done it know exactly what that means! It is not only a beautiful journey, it is an adventure. If it has been raining recently, you will see some amazing waterfalls, but only if it has rained in the mountains.

Start early! The trail can get ugly and crowded later in the day, and I think that’s why so many people don’t enjoy it. There are 52 one-lane bridges on this winding and winding road and it can be quite annoying having to stop on each and every one of them to wait for traffic.

Stop often along the way. Take some of the rides, stop and walk along the beach, take advantage of the pictures. Visit the fruit stalls at the beginning of the trail and you will have something to eat along the way. It’s a long drive to Hana and there’s no other city before you get there, so pack drinks and snacks.

After reaching Hana, you have two options. You can turn around and go back the way you came, or you can continue around the island. There’s a point, not far from Hana, where a car rental agreement becomes null and void. If you get stuck you will have a hard time getting back. But the road goes all the way around. It is narrow and not always paved. I highly recommend you turn around if it’s been a great day to see waterfalls, because this trail can get ugly when it rains a lot.