Sites like Hookipa Beach draw the world’s best windsurfers and kiteboarders to play in the surf and steady trade winds. Several farmers offer tours and workshops, and some even provide on-property accommodations for those seeking to indulge their green thumbs. The farm-to-table food movement is growing-literally-and fresh-sourced ingredients are finding their way into kitchens across the island. Maui’s sun-washed western slopes are fertile territory for organic farming, and the island’s bounty doesn’t escape the notice of local chefs. You’ll need the extra time for numerous scenic stops and to ease passengers through the hairpin turns in comfort.
Though the map shows a one-way drive of just 45 miles from Paia to Hana, plan on spending a full day for a there-and-back excursion. The highway to Hana winds along Maui’s verdant eastern shore, with ocean views, waterfalls and enough photo ops to overload your camera’s memory card. Whale-watching season runs from early January through the end of March, with tour boats leaving Lahaina’s harbor daily for a 15-minute cruise to the prime observation areas.
The world’s largest mammals come from all parts of the Pacific Ocean to breed in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands, and one of the best places to see breaching humpbacks is in the Auau Channel, near Maui’s northwest corner. If island hopping is part of the vacation plan, there are daily flights to Oahu, Kauai and the island of Hawaii, as well as ferry service to the islands of Lanai and Molokai. gateways, so there’s no time lost transferring through Oahu. Maui’s Kahului Airport provides non-stop flights to nine U.S. Tiny Paako Beach, aka Secret Cove, is a favorite site for oceanfront weddings. Sands come in colors from black to gold to white and even red. The island has more than 30 miles of sandy strands, ranging from expansive crescents to small swaths tucked into protective coves. Ranging from wild and sporting to serene and scenic, Maui has a beach for everyone. Greeting the sunrise from atop the crater summit is a popular ritual, but one that will have you getting out of bed before four o’clock to make the drive, and bundling up against 40-degree temperatures up top.
Maui’s towering Haleakala volcano not only creates sunny rain shadows for the resorts and beaches on the island’s west coast, it also provides an elevated playground where you can hang glide, horseback ride, coast down a volcano on a bicycle or hike to lava caves, rainforests and waterfalls. Haleakala National Park alone encompasses nearly 8 percent of the entire island. Save for the towns of Kahului and Lahaina, and the resort areas along the western shores, it is an island of pasture, farmlands and wild spaces. It’s larger than Oahu, but has one-eighth as many people.
Maui blends world-class resort amenities with open spaces. Golf courses sit beneath volcanic highlands that play host to a wide range of adventure sports and provide scenic drives for the more sedate. For the more relaxed, there are breaching whales to watch, miles of scenic beaches and seaside resorts ready to wine, dine and pamper. Whether it’s kayaking calm coves, exploring coral reefs or riding wind and surf, Maui is ground zero for active water sports. This is where land and sea come together to create a tropical playground with something for everyone.