Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Maui is an island of extremes. You can stand above the clouds at the summit of a ten thousand foot volcano at dawn, drive a coastal road through rainforest and waterfalls by midday, and snorkel inside a submerged crater the next morning.
Sliding Sands Trail
Iao Valley State Monument
Hana Highway and Keanae
Waianapanapa State Park
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It is also an island still healing. In August 2023, wildfire destroyed most of historic Lahaina and took the lives of more than one hundred people, and the community is in the middle of a long rebuilding effort. Visitors are welcome across Maui, including West Maui, and tourism supports many local jobs.
Maui was formed by two volcanoes joined by a low isthmus, which is why the island looks like a figure of a head and body on the map. The older West Maui Mountains are deeply carved into green valleys such as Iao, while the massive shield of Haleakala rises to 10,023 feet in the east.
That geography creates a remarkable range of experiences. Upcountry slopes grow vegetables and flowers in cool air, the windward coast near Hana receives heavy rain that feeds hundreds of waterfalls, and the leeward coasts stay sunny for snorkeling and swimming.
Haleakala National Park protects the summit of the volcano whose name means house of the sun. The summit area looks down into a vast eroded crater filled with red, brown and black cinder cones, and on clear mornings the sunrise above the cloud layer draws large crowds.
If sunrise slots are gone, consider staying for the daytime landscape instead. The Keoneheehee Trail, also called Sliding Sands, drops from near the summit into the crater, passing cinder cones and native silversword plants. Even a short walk down gives you a sense of scale.
The Keoneheehee or Sliding Sands Trail descends from the summit area into the volcanic crater. Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 us
On the way to or from the summit, the upcountry towns are worth a slow drive. Makawao is a historic paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, town with wooden storefronts, galleries and a well known bakery tradition, while Kula's farm country offers views across the isthmus to the West Maui Mountains. Spend two to three hours.
Above Wailuku, Iao Valley is a lush, steep valley in the West Maui Mountains, crowned by Kukaemoku, a green rock pinnacle known as the Iao Needle. The valley was the site of the battle of Kepaniwai in 1790, during Kamehameha I's campaign to unite the islands, and it remains a deeply significant place.
Kukaemoku, known as the Iao Needle, rises from the floor of Iao Valley in the West Maui Mountains. Photo: Aaron Zhu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Hana Highway winds along Maui's northeast coast from Paia to Hana through rainforest, past waterfalls and over dozens of narrow one lane bridges. The drive is the destination, with stops such as the Twin Falls area, the Garden of Eden arboretum and the Keanae Peninsula, where taro patches and black lava rock meet crashing surf. Allow a full day.
The Keanae Peninsula on the Hana Highway is known for its lava rock coast and traditional taro farming. Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Just before Hana town, Waianapanapa State Park has a striking black sand beach, sea arches, blowholes, freshwater caves and a coastal trail across lava rock lined with native hala trees. Allow one to two hours.
Waianapanapa State Park near Hana is known for its black sand beach, sea arches and lava tubes. Photo: dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
About ten miles beyond Hana, the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park sits on the coast, far from the summit and not connected to it by road. Here the Pipiwai Trail climbs about two miles each way through guava forest and a dense, creaking bamboo forest to Waimoku Falls, which drops roughly four hundred feet down a sheer cliff.
Waimoku Falls plunges roughly four hundred feet at the end of the Pipiwai Trail in the Kipahulu District. Photo: Angela Sevin from SF Bay Area, US, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Off the south coast, Molokini is a crescent shaped volcanic crater whose rim breaks the surface while the rest lies under water. The protected inner basin is a marine life conservation district with clear water, coral and reef fish.
Molokini is a partly submerged, crescent shaped volcanic crater protected as a marine life conservation district. Photo: Farid Askerov whereisfarid, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
At the end of the resort road beyond Wailea, Makena State Park holds Oneloa, known as Big Beach, a wide sweep of golden sand backed by kiawe trees and the red cinder cone of Puu Olai. It is a beautiful spot for sunbathing and sunset, but the shorebreak is powerful.
Oneloa, or Big Beach, in Makena State Park is one of the longest beaches on Maui's south shore. Photo: dronepicr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Further north, Honolua Bay is another marine life conservation district, reached by a short path through a shaded forest. In summer the bay is calm and full of fish, while in winter it is one of Hawaii's celebrated surf breaks.
Lahaina was the royal capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom and a major whaling port, and its loss in 2023 was devastating. Rebuilding continues, and parts of the burn zone may remain restricted.
On the north shore, the old plantation town of Paia has surf shops, cafes and colorful storefronts, and nearby Hookipa Beach Park is renowned for windsurfing and big winter waves. Late in the afternoon, green sea turtles often haul out on the sand to rest.
Hookipa Beach Park near Paia is famous for windsurfing and for green sea turtles resting on the shore. Photo: Theskuj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Maui's food reflects its farms and fishing. Upcountry Kula is known for sweet Maui onions, vegetables and flowers, and roadside stands along the Hana Highway sell banana bread, coconuts, lilikoi and fresh fruit.
Shave ice is the classic afternoon treat, and malasadas and butter mochi turn up at bakeries across the island.
Popular dishes to try in Maui
Kihei on the south shore has condos and a laid back beach town feel, with sunny weather and easy access to Molokini boats. It suits families and travelers who want value and a kitchen.
Kaanapali and Kapalua in West Maui offer classic beachfront resorts and calm water, and staying here supports a region rebuilding its economy. Expect a longer drive to Haleakala and Hana. Paia, Haiku and upcountry suit independent travelers who prefer small towns, cooler air and an easier start for the Road to Hana.
Where to stay in Maui
Maui is warm year round, with the leeward south and west shores the driest and sunniest.
Humpback whales are present roughly from December to April, with the peak in January through March, and whale watching tours run from Maalaea and the west side.
Kahului Airport in central Maui is the main gateway, with nonstop flights from several mainland cities and frequent interisland flights from Honolulu.
Plan reservations before you arrive. Haleakala sunrise, Waianapanapa State Park and Iao Valley all require advance bookings for out of state visitors, and several beach parks charge non-resident parking fees.
Settle into Kihei or Wailea, walk the coastal path and spend the afternoon at Makena State Park, staying for sunset over Kahoolawe and Molokini.
Take a morning boat to Molokini, then visit Iao Valley in the afternoon at your reserved time and explore the older streets of Wailuku.
Drive the Road to Hana with an early start, stopping at Keanae, Waianapanapa for your booked slot and the Pipiwai Trail.
Catch sunrise at Haleakala with a reservation, or arrive later to hike part of the Sliding Sands Trail.
Spend a relaxed day in West Maui at Kaanapali and Honolua Bay, choosing locally owned shops and restaurants for meals.
Kahului is where most Maui trips begin.
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