Search
Brazil
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
French Guiana
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Croatia
Denmark
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Finland
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Hungary
Ireland
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
Norway
Poland
Portugal
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Canadathe United States
Mexico
the Dominican RepublicTurkey
South Africa
Australia
Fiji
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Hawaii · the United States
The second-largest Hawaiian island: sunrise in the Haleakalā crater, the Road to Hana through waterfalls and forests, the beaches of Wailea and Kaanapali, and humpback whales in winter.
In the photo: The volcanic landscape of Haleakalā, on Maui
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
Maui is the second-largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, formed by two volcanoes joined by a flat isthmus, which earned it the nickname Valley Isle. To the east rises Haleakalā, over 3,000 meters high; to the west are the older, more eroded mountains of Mauna Kahalawai, cut by valleys such as ʻĪao. On the isthmus are Kahului, with the main airport and the port, and Wailuku, the county seat.
Haleakalā National Park rises from sea level to the summit. At the top, the large summit depression, with reddish ash cones, receives visitors before dawn to watch the sun rise above the clouds. On the other side, the Road to Hana runs along the northeast coast across dozens of narrow bridges and curves, passing waterfalls, forests and black-sand beaches, until the village of Hana and the Kīpahulu district, also part of the park.
On the south coast, Wailea and the Mākena area have light-sand beaches facing the islet of Molokini and the islands of Kahoʻolawe and Lānaʻi. On the west coast, Kaanapali and Kapalua offer beaches with reefs for snorkeling. Lahaina, the former capital of the kingdom, lies between them.
In winter, the channels between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi receive humpback whales that come from Alaska to breed. Whale-watching boats depart from harbors on the west and south coasts.
This destination brings together 4 cities: Kahului, Wailea, Kāʻanapali, Hana.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau / geoBoundaries (public domain). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Kahului Airport (OGG) · 3 km to Kahului
Kahului Airport (OGG) receives flights from the continental United States and short flights from Honolulu and the other islands. The small airports at Kapalua on the west coast and at Hana in the east have few connections. Cruise ships call at the port of Kahului. There is no regular ferry from Oahu to Maui.
Suggested arrival point: Kahului
Largest town on Maui, on the island’s central isthmus, where the main airport and the harbor are located. Adjacent to Wailuku, the county seat, it’s the starting point for Haleakalā National Park, the ʻĪao Valley and the Maui Ocean Center in Māʻalaea. Has shopping centers, markets and the Kanahā lagoon, a refuge for waterbirds.
An area of beaches and planned resorts developed from the 1970s on Maui’s drier south coast. A string of light-sand bays is connected by a seaside promenade, with snorkel reefs at the lava headlands. To the south lies Mākena State Park, home to Big Beach, and further on are the lava fields of ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu.
Resort town planned on Maui’s west coast, built from the 1960s on former sugarcane fields. It has a long light-sand beach with Black Rock at the end, a seaside promenade, shopping centers and catamarans that launch from the sand. To the north are Nāpili and Kapalua Bay, and across the channel you can see the islands of Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi.
A remote village at the far east of Maui, at the end of the Road to Hana, with a sheltered bay, pastures and rain-fed forests. It was the birthplace of Queen Kaʻahumanu. To the north is Waiʻānapanapa State Park, with the black-sand beach; to the south is Kīpahulu, a sector of Haleakalā National Park, and beaches such as Hamoa.
The local experience
Park on the coastal lava near Hana, with Pāʻina black-sand beach, freshwater lava caves, stone arches and a stretch of the old coastal trail of the chiefs. Visitors enter only with a reserved time.
The park of the volcano that forms eastern Maui, with a summit at 3,055 meters. At the top a large depression of red cones, sunrise above the clouds, trails across volcanic sand and the ʻāhinahina plant, which exists only there.
The long light-sand beach on Maui’s west coast, with the Puʻu Kekaʻa (Black Rock) at the northern tip, a snorkel spot for fish and turtles, and views toward Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi across the channel.
A crescent beach of light sand on Maui’s south coast, with sea usually calm in the morning, reefs for snorkeling at the headlands, and views of the islands Kahoʻolawe, Molokini and Lānaʻi. A seaside promenade links the neighboring beaches.
Small crescent bay on northwest Maui, protected by two lava points, with light sand, generally calm water and reefs for snorkeling. It’s the start of the Kapalua coastal trail.
The coastal district of Haleakalā National Park, south of Hana, with the terraced ʻOheʻo pools and the Pīpīwai Trail, which crosses a bamboo forest and leads to Waimoku Falls, about 120 meters high.
A park at the southern tip of the Wailea coast with Big Beach (Oneloa), one of Maui’s longest and widest beaches, with golden sand and no buildings, at the base of the volcanic cone Puʻu Ōlaʻi.
Green valley of cliffs in west Maui’s mountains, a few kilometers from Wailuku, with the ʻĪao Needle, a peak rising 366 meters above the valley floor, and the site of the 1790 Battle of Kepaniwai.
The Māʻalaea aquarium on the southwest coast of Maui, dedicated to Hawaiian marine life, with a living coral reef, green sea turtles, a glass tunnel through the open-ocean tank, and a 3D exhibit about humpback whales.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
On the coast, afternoons range from 27 °C to 31 °C in almost every month. From April to October it rains less on the south and west coasts; the Hana side receives rain year-round. The humpback season generally runs from December to April. At the summit of Haleakalā, temperatures can approach 0 °C before dawn.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Five days allow you to divide the island: one for Haleakalā, one for the Road to Hana, and the rest for the south and west beaches. With a week, you can fit boat trips to Molokini, winter whale-watching and the ʻĪao Valley.
On the south coast, Kīhei has more varied lodging and Wailea concentrates beachfront resorts. On the west coast, Kaanapali and Kapalua are close to reefs and whale-watching boats. Kahului and Wailuku are near the airport. Paia and Makawao, on the north slope, serve as bases for Haleakalā, and Hana has few vacation rentals for those who want to sleep at the end of the road.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Five days for Haleakalā, the Road to Hana and the south and west beaches. With a week, include Molokini, winter whale-watching and the ʻĪao Valley.
Yes. The island bus links the main towns but does not reach the Haleakalā summit or Hana. Drive on the right, and the Road to Hana has one-lane bridges.
Yes. Cars entering the summit sector in the hours before sunrise need a reservation made beforehand on recreation.gov, in addition to the park entrance pass. Check before you go.
From December to April, when humpback whales typically spend the winter in the channels between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi. February and March usually have more sightings.
Maui follows Hawaii time, UTC−10, with no daylight saving time.
