15 Best Things to do in Maui
Besides Maui Island there is Moloka’i Lana’i and unpopulated Kaho’olawe. Maui Island is called the “Valley Isle” for the largest isthmus separating its southwestern and northwestern volcanic masses. Wailuku is the seat of Maui County and it is the 3rd largest CDP as of 2010. There are many things to do in Maui such as stretching out on warm, golden sands, walking along ethereal bamboo forest, churning waterfalls in Haleakala National Park, and following Waimoku Falls Trail.
There are other things to do in maui as well such as snorkeling, windsurfing, driving the scenic road o Hana and visiting the Hawaiian village of Keanae where time stands still. Maui Island is a part of Hawaii, which is the second largest of Maui County’s four islands and is a great destination for nature lovers. The earlier name of Maui was ‘lhikapalaumaewa. It is 727.2 square miles (1,883 km) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. The Native Hawaiian tradition gives the island’s name in the legend of Hawai’iloa, the navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands.
15 Best Things to do in Maui
1. Road to Hana
The Hana Highway is a 64.4 mile long stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360. It connects Kahului to the town of Hana in east Maui. It is on the east coast of Maui and is considered one of the last non-tourist towns on the island.
Road to hana is one of the things to do in maui. Road to Hana is one of Hawaii’s most famous drive as Hana is a beautiful and unique town to visit. A drive in Hana highway is windy, full of narrow roads, tight turns, and passes over 59 bridges that give the driver and passengers’ scenic views throughout the drive.
2. Paia Fish Market
When you want to be a part of local lifestyle, hang out with locals, celebrities and surfers, then Paia fish market is the right place. It opened up in 1989. The fish market is located at 632 Front St, Lahaina, Maui, in the heart of historic Paia town.
They not only sell fresh seafood daily but sell fish items, chicken tacos, Maui cattle company’s beef burgers, fish and chips and much more delicious food. The restaurant is served as a meeting place for the local fishermen and factory workers across the island. In present, the Paia fish market restaurant has become one of the things to do in Maui where it continues to grow in popularity and become a tourist attraction.
3. Maui Whale Festival
The famous Maui Whale Festival has been going on since 1980, for 39 years n 2019 and is one of the best things to do in Maui. It is the Pacific Whale Foundation’s signature event and is a must needed things to do in Maui.
The festival is held in Kihei at Kalama Park in South Maui, Hawaii to celebrate, commemorate, and inform local and visitors of the incredible winter guests: Humpback Whales. The festival is held to protect the ocean through advocacy and science and inspiring environmental stewardship. The support the locals and visitors provide has helped to spark important conversations around ocean health, fund research, environmental stewardship and conservation program.
4. Ferry Maui to Lanai
One of the things to do in Maui is ride Maui-Lanai passenger ferry to get a spectacular view around even though Lanai has bed and breakfast, hotels, and five-star resorts.
Many visitors’ and even locals chooses to take the ferry from neighboring Maui as it is the most reliable, affordable transportation between the islands of Lanai and Maui. The people on a clear day will enjoy spectacular view of Maui County, including the islands of Lanai, Maui, Kaho’olawe, and Moloka. During the season from January-April people will get to see the record number of Humpback Whales during the voyage.
5. Maui Helicopter Tours
When you visit Maui, not only there is tour by land and water but also by air as well and helicopter tours have become one of the things to do in Maui. The helicopter tour in Maui is one of the most fabulous ways to view the enthralling landscapes and attractions across Hawaii all in one day because of helicopter tour.
The helicopter tour provides various types of tours like it can make their way across almost every island as well as allow visitors to island hop to check out the top attractions away from where one is staying. The ride time can start from 30 minutes to several hours offering vantage points for capturing beautiful photos of the island in the landscape.
6. Snorkeling Tours
Snorkeling means that swimming on or through a body of water whereas equipped with a diving mask, swim fins and a formed respiration tube referred to as a snorkel. One of the things to do in Maui is snorkeling, which is enjoyed by most Maui visitors all year around.
The island offers some of the best snorkeling in the two most famous locations which are Molokini and Lanai. With snorkeling one can view the marine life like Giant sea turtles, Spinner, Bottom nose dolphins, corals, tropical fish and many types of sea creatures. One can get to meet the yearly visitors, the Humpback Whales from December-April.
7. Haleakala National Park
In Haleakala National Park, it is where one can experience guided sunset and stargazing tours at the summit followed by a science-based, 60-minute guided telescope tour of the cosmos. Visitors can observe visible planets, most deep-sky objects of the Milky Way including nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, through the largest portable Dobsonian telescope.
The one of the things to do in Maui is stargazing which is famous as it is science-based, professional staffs leading tours, best views in a field setting, foods, and family-friendly observing sites. Besides this the place provides warmest winter gear for all ages and sizes, comfortable and safe ride in the new Sprinter van.
8. Old Lahina Luau
The Old Lahina Luau was established in 1986 and is owned and operated by Hoaloha Na Eha, Ltd. Michael Moore, Kevin Butler, Robert Augier and Tim Moore joint in partnership to run this place. The old shopping complex has been recently reopened after the bankruptcy on the southern edge of Lahaina town. The Old Lahina Luau is a great opportunity as it naturally took time to operate for Robert and Michael.
The place consists of Old Lahaina Café (1988), greeting visitors with fresh flower lei, Aloha mixed plate (1996) which serves local cuisines, and The feast at lele (1999). The Old Lahina Luau was recognized in the HVCB-2000 keep it Hawaii-Kahili Awards program as well as the 2015 Reader’s choice for Best Luau in Hawaii by Hawaii Magazine.
9. Waʻa Paddle Tour
The tour offers Surfing lessons, Stand up paddle boarding, Cultural tour and Surfing Canoe. From children to teens to adults can take part in Waʻa Paddle Tour. There are friendly, expert and courteous staff members who provide visitors with outstanding hospitality, care, service, and Aloha.
One can experience Maui from the water which offers completely new perspectives, as well as some of the most breathtaking photo clicking opportunities. The Waʻa Paddle Tour has become one of the things to do in Maui and is a big tourist attraction. One can learn about Maui and its shoreline from an authentic Hawaiian perspective.
10. Kaanapali Beach
Kaanapali was the the first Hawaiian resort in the world to be planned and a model for resorts worldwide. It is also located on the open-air area of Whalers Village, which is a world-class shopping centre with many impressive shops and restaurants, a popular whale museum and free entertainment from Hawaii.
The daily cliff diving ceremonies in the northernmost cliffs known as Puu Kekaha and black rock are one of Kaanapalí Beach’s most popular attractions. One of the things to do in Maui is to see Cliff divers light the torches along the cliff, walking from Black Rock, in an act of reenactment by King Kahekili, revered by Maui, at sunset each evening. It is one of the best things to do in Maui.
11. Maui Golf Courses
Golf on Maui is memorable and the players will definitely want to frame their scoreboard no matter what they shoot. They can choose to 14 different courses several of which are ranked at or near the top of the world’s best which is designed by noted course architects and golfing luminaries.
It is one of the best things to do in Maui. In Maui golf course, PGA TOUR’s Tournament is held each year, so visitors can even see a pro in the clubhouse. The courses is filled with dramatic setting like 18-hole masterpieces, tees surrounded by palm groves, fairways abutting ancient lava flows, and greens arched by rainbows formed in the beautiful ocean mist.
12. Maluaka Beach
This beach is known as Chang’s Turtle Town as well as Maui Prince Beach as visitors get to see turtles and fancy hotels when visiting Malauka beach. The beach is a wide and long beach with beautiful golden-whitish sand.
This beach is similar to its neighbor beach of Makena which is located right around the corner of Malauka beach. But this beach has the advantage of offering showers, ample parking, a nice restroom facility and some nice grassy areas to enjoy. Malauka beach is one of the last beaches on any given day to fill in with trade winds which is why visiting this place is the best things to do in Maui.
13. Iao Valley
The state park is built at the end of Iao Valley Road on 6.2 acres (2.5 hectares) of highway 32. Iao Needle, a symbol of the State Park, is standing volcanic lava that is 370 meters from the valley floor, about 2,250 inches from the surface of the shore. It has a plant-filled fragment of lava. The “needle” is a pointed edge that seems to be a spire when seen at the top of it.[2] The needle is a line of the West Maui Mountains, a collapsed volcano, and is surrounded by it.
There is a short walk (Iao Needle Lookout Walk) with a windy look. In addition to the natural beauty of its tropics, Iao Sacred is very significant traditionally. Here in 1790, King Kamehameha I challenged the military of Maui to conquer the island in the war of Cepaniwai. In a furious battle that eventually changed the course of Hawaiian history, Kamehameha defeated Maui’s troops, while Iao Needle was the point of observation.
14. Whale Watching
Visiting the seas around Maui is the best things to do in Maui as it is the venue for some of the world’s best whale watchers. Each winter, from the cooler waters to collect calf and breed your children, thousands of kohola fly to Hawaii.
The walnut is drawn to the shallow waters of the area and in particular the luau channel, which connects Maui to the Molokai to the Lanai region. But you needn’t go on a whale-watching trip where you can see dolphins. Sightseeing of whales is great also in the picturesque McGregor Point West of Malaea and the beaches of Kaanapali, Kihei and Wailea.
15. Dragon’s Teeth
Dragon’s Teeth are a good illustration of what can happen when natural forces collide. The wind and waves pushed Lava out of the western Maui Volcano into the ocean and cooled it into a shape that looks like big black teets. As it is also named, Makaluapuna Point was formed from one of Maui’s lava flows only. Yet Lava on Maou, which is much thinner, denser or fine grained, is somewhat different to the rest of the lava.
The water that rushed over the place caused the lava to harden upwards. The sharp points of this shape appear like the teeth of the dragon, so the name. The Hawaiians (Honu) sometimes swim near the bank, so please look over the edge to check.
