Maui, HI

Nearby areas in Maui, HI

West Maui

Most people visiting Maui come here, to the smaller and older half of the island. The volcano that created West Maui is now carved into gorgeous valleys and pinnacles that create a "rain shadow," extracting most of the moisture from the trade winds and leaving little for the other side. Because of this, the west coast regions of Ka`anapali and Lahaina are dry and sunny, attracting snow-weary travelers.

Ka`anapali

This planned development is dotted with numerous resorts and hotels, anchored by Lahaina, an old whaling port and now a whale-watching haven.

Lahaina

This place straddles tourist kitsch and Hawaiian authenticity, allowing visitors to experience both or one exclusively. Its modest population of 10,000 residents has been mostly successful in preserving the town's older buildings. Lahaina was designated as a National Historic District in 1962.

Central Maui and the `Iao Valley

Long ago, central Maui was nothing but a channel of water between the mature West Maui volcano and the adolescent Haleakala. After the oceans retreated, the lava from Haleakala filled in the gap and formed this land bridge between the two volcanoes. Central Maui is a passageway for travelers heading from the west coast resorts up to Haleakala or continuing on to the eastern coast of Hana.

Upcountry

This is a relatively small region of the island - containing only about 30 miles of road - but it is an immensely popular place to live. The scent of eucalyptus floats through these highlands and mists linger on the higher slopes. Visitors to this area are always delighted by its unexpected treats of wine, stunning flowers, eclectic coffee houses, and mist-shrouded forests. You're never far from the beaches, which are always in view and easily reached.

Haleakala National Park

The island of Manhattan, complete with all of its skyscrapers, could easily fit into the Haleakala volcano. Not only would the length and width of the island easily be accommodated, but the skyscrapers would be humbled beneath the rim! The summit of the volcano is deceptive to behold, though, as there are no familiar visual references for scale or depth. This peculiarity famously prompted Captain Cook to sail uninterested right past Maui and on to the Big Island, noting this enormous pinnacle only as "an elevated hill." Mark Twain, by contrast, ascended Haleakala and commented on a summit sunrise, "It was the sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed, and I think the memory of it will remain with me always.".

Hana Coast

This quiet and remote area of "old Hawaii" possibly is discussed more for the road that gets you there than for the region itself. The long drive to Hana is a stunning one, along a narrow and "wild" road with many worthwhile sights along the way. Travelers have counted 600 curves and over 50 bridges along the Hana Highway, but no one has yet come forward with a count of the abundant waterfalls. Once in Hana, you will find cattle ranches on former sugar plantations, a wild and rugged shoreline, wind-swept cliffs, a few small stores, a post office, and a humble community museum housed in a former 19th-century courthouse and jail. Most visitors arrive by mid-morning and depart by late afternoon, so if you stay the night you'll have the roads and ocean virtually all to yourself from 5:00pm until mid-morning the next day!.

For more information about Maui, HI

Maui Visitors Bureau

1727 Wili Pa Lp., PO Box 580, Wailuku, HI 96793; Phone 808-244-3530; Fax 808-244-1337; Email jstark@maui.net.