Top Places To Visit In Maui – The island of Maui is one of the most beautiful islands under the sun. If you are planning a trip to the island, some of the best places to visit in Maui should be at the top of your bucket list.
The famous Haleakala National Park is one of the best places to visit in Maui. If you really want to see what a volcano looks like, here’s your chance! The Haleakala Park sits on the slopes of the 10,023-foot Haleakala Volcano, which stretches from the summit to the ocean. Visitors have the opportunity to see a sleeping cave, and from the very top, you can see a beautiful view of various places on the island. You also get a chance to see the sunrise when you visit this place.
Top Places To Visit In Maui
Although the top of the mountain seems to be the main attraction, the climb is also full of beautiful sights. Some of the best places to see on the hike include Makahika and Waimoku Waterfalls, the Seven Sacred Lakes of Oheo Ravine, and Hosmer Grove.
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The island of Maui is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The Lahaina and Kaanapali beaches are one of the many reasons for that. The three-kilometer-long beach stretches west of Maui, and is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The beach also has some of Maui’s best hotels and resorts. This is one of the reasons why this beach thrives with tons of activities.
The best thing is that there is never a dull moment on this beach – you can do tons of things to enjoy yourself. You can sit back and watch the daily diving ceremony from Puu Kekaa, also known as Black Rock. Other attractions include traditional Hawaiian entertainment and a whaling museum.
You can enjoy delicious meals from various restaurants, participate in world-class golf, go shopping, and visit Whalers Village, known for its open-air shopping center with several shops and restaurants. You can add this beach to the list of things to do on a Maui family vacation.
If you want to see how Hawaiians take a trip to honor their gods, you should not miss the opportunity to visit Iao Valley. You can walk several ways from the parking lot to this beautiful valley on the west side of Wailuku. Although this is a popular tourist destination, some of its areas may be temporarily closed due to flooding and other weather-related issues.
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Once you are in this valley, it is easy to see Lao Tsono – a pointed rock that is 2,215 feet above sea level. Legend has it that this rock used to be an altar in prehistoric times. Without a doubt, Iao Valley State Monument is a popular place to visit in Maui.
The Maui Ocean Center is one of the best places to visit on the island. This beautiful place is home to many Hawaiian reef fish, stingrays, green turtles, and corals in a series of well-designed aquariums. One of the most attractive places in the Maui Ocean Center is the glass tunnel that passes through the shark and ray tank, which allows visitors to look at and admire the beautiful marine life around them.
Other highlights include the life cycle of humpback whales – known for migrating to Hawaii from December to March. Also, visitors have the opportunity to see how the Polynesian people, who once lived in Hawaii, used the sea a lot. If you like works of art, the Maui Ocean Center has several original works of art on display. Maui has long been a tourist favorite because it represents everything people think of when they imagine Hawaiʻi: A beautiful combination of beaches, volcanoes, palm trees, and tropical climates. farming. The second-largest island in the chain, much of Maui’s appeal comes from its natural environment and biodiversity, including its two volcanoes, whale watching and marine life, and remote, undeveloped areas of its island, such as Hana.
Maui combines elements of O’ahu and the Big Island to find a happy medium between cultural, culinary, hotel, and outdoor options. It lacks a night-time, big city like Honolulu — which is considered a luxury by many people — but offers a number of small, sprawling beach towns with a variety of food, drink, lodging, and entertainment options. It’s not as large or as diverse in area as the Big Island, but its 10,000-foot volcano, Haleakala, has more than you can explore in one visit.
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Good to know: We recommend that you spend 5 days on Maui, but other days are always better (see for example our 8-day Maui itinerary).
If you are planning to visit more than one island while in Hawaii, you should definitely look at Maui vs. O’ahu, Maui vs. Kauaʻi, and Maui vs. Big Island example, in which we give an overview of each island. and compare local activities, volcanoes, nightlife, beaches, and natural diversity. You can learn more about things to do on Maui in our lists of Maui water activities and Maui land activities.
Maui Nui was once one island 1.2 million years ago (top left), and now has four islands (bottom left). Credit: HVO (public domain)
Nui means “guru/guru” in the Hawaiian language, and Maui Nui (or Greater Maui), is the name given by geologists to the 7(!) shield volcanoes that were once used to form another BIG island. At its height 1.2 million years ago Maui Nui may have been about 11,000 square km (6,200 square miles) in size, some 4,000 square km (2,150 square miles) larger than the present-day island of Hawaii. !
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Much of Maui Nui has sunk beneath the water through millions of years of erosion and submergence, and now there are four islands: Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe.
Unlike O’ahu, where the majority of tourists are concentrated in one area (Waikiki), Maui spreads the love around the island to several towns and mini-destinations. Below is an overview of the main districts on Maui to help you get a better idea of the island.
If there is a “main hub” for Maui, it would be Kahului. It’s where you find the airport and therefore, where everyone starts their journey upon arrival. Filled with big box stores and strip malls, Kahului has anything you’re looking for in terms of practical needs — namely Walmart — but there’s not much to attract tourists to its streets in any other way.
Near Kahului is the thriving city of Wailuku, located at the mouth of the famous Iao Valley (see below). It’s a nice contrast to the commercial feel of Kahului. Along Market Street in Wailuku you will find small mom and pop type shops, coffee shops, and restaurants. A good time to explore is during the first Friday of the art and culture celebrations that take place each month.
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Kahului as seen from Iao Valley, two famous places in the middle of Maui. Photo credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Tor Johnson
Otherwise, most of Central Maui is taken up by farmland. Sugar once dominated these lands – it was Hawaiʻi’s main cash crop from the mid-19th century – but the last plantation closed at the end of 2016. Today, the future of these plantations is still up in the air. Should they grow local crops, or plant another cash crop?
The two main hubs on the south coast are Kihei and Wailea, and there is a big difference between their settings and vibes.
Located in the middle of the south coast, Kihei is one of the largest, most sophisticated resorts on Maui. Built for locals first, it has a strong community feel and community-style, no-frills beach parks, such as Mai Poina. Its location in the lower-middle of the island makes it an attractive basecamp, with access to the west, many activities, Haleakala, and central Maui.
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Wailea, on the other hand, is near the end of the road on the southern tip of the island. Developed primarily for high-end lodging, including resorts, hotels, and condos, it is home to popular hotels such as the Grand Wailea, Four Seasons Maui, and Wailea Beach Resort. Although the end-of-the-road location is not as convenient as the starting point, there are many beautiful beaches and natural places to see in this part of the island, including Makena Beach, Ulua Beach, Keawakapu Beach, and La Perouse Bay.
Makena Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches on Maui’s South Shore. Photo credit: Daniel Parks, source.
The south coast is also home to Malaea Harbour, where many tourist operators operate, and the Maui Ocean Center, an underwater discovery center that surrounds the island.
If you are looking for the “Waikiki” of Maui – that is, an area with many restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, activities, and beaches – then Lahaina is the place you want to stay. From famous sponsored restaurants like Fleetwood’s to small, locally run hangouts like
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