Things to do in Maui
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Grandma's Coffee House
- Maui, USA
- Restaurants › Café
This downhome café has homemade pastries, sandwiches and fresh dark-roasted Maui coffee. Grandma's family has been growing coffee beans in Keokea since 1918. Take your goodies out on the patio and you can eat right under the coffee trees. Grandma's is also a good place to pick up picnic fare if you're headed around the Pi'ilani Hwy to Hana.
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Keawakapu Beach
There's a lot to like about Keawakapu Beach, which stretches from the southernmost part of Kihei to Wailea's Mokapu Beach. Not only is Keawakapu Beach less crowded than Kihei's roadside beaches but it offers a stellar view, and during winter humpback whales come quite close to shore.
With its cushiony soft sand, it's a favorite place for people doing sunrise yoga and wake-up strolls and it's also a good spot for a sunset swim. Mornings are the best time for snorkeling; head to the rocky outcrops that form the northern and southern ends of the beach.
There are three beach access points, all with outdoor showers. To get to the south end, go south on S Kihei Rd until it dead-…
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Kahakuloa Village
Remote and quintessentially Hawaiian, Kahakuloa Village sits at the base of a tidy valley embraced by sea cliffs standing like sentinels on either side of the bay. Although it contains only a few dozen homes, Kahakuloa (Tall Lord) has two churches.
The little tin-roof Catholic mission sits hillside at the southern end of town, just off the road, and the Protestant church, sporting a green wooden exterior and red-tile roof, hunkers down on the valley floor further north. The town doesn't have any shops, but villagers set up roadside stands selling shave ice, fruit and 'ono (delicious) banana bread.
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Aloha Mixed Plate
Hands down, the best place on Maui to enjoy a Hawaiian-style meal in a beachside setting. Go local with the Hawaiian plate lunch brimming with kalua (traditional method of cooking in an underground pit) pig, lomilomi salmon (minced, salted salmon, diced tomato and green onion) and other taste treats. And then there are the award-winning coconut prawns - order them as a pupu (snack or appetizer) or as part of a mixed plate, but do try them.
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Maui Swap Meet
Skip the mall and head to this quintessential island scene where you buy direct from craftspeople and local farmers (admission 50¢). You'll not only find fresh organic Hana fruits, Kula veggies and homemade banana bread, but it's a fun place to souvenir shop for everything from Hawaiian quilts to Maui designed T's. This place glows with aloha and the prices are unbeatable.
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'Ulalena
Along the lines of a Cirque du Soleil-style show, this extravaganza has its home at the 700-seat Maui Theatre. The theme is Hawaiian history and storytelling; the medium is modern dance, brilliant stage sets, acrobats and elaborate costumes. All in all, an entertaining, high-energy performance.
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Stella Blues
You'll find a good meal here any time of the day. The jalapeño-laden Mexican omelet will jump-start your morning, or go Hawaiian with banana macnut pancakes. Lunch is built around specialty salads and sandwiches, while dinner leans into a seafood and steak menu.
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Hula Grill & Barefoot Bar
Watch the swimsuit parade in Kaʻanapali as you dine under coconut-frond umbrellas on creative pupu and robust dinner mains, like kiawe wood-grilled steaks.
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Mama's Fish House
This is Maui's most celebrated seafood restaurant, which pairs beachside romance with impeccably prepared fish. Reservations are essential.
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Café O'Lei
- Maui, USA
- Restaurants › Sushi
For superb Hawaii Regional cuisine at honest prices, no other Kihei dining spot comes close. It has fierce martinis too.
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Whalers Village Museum
In Kaʻanapali, visit the evocative Whalers Village Museum in the Whalers Village mall.
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Pipiwai Trail
The Pipiwai Trail runs up the 'Ohe'o streambed, rewarding hikers with perfect views of the upper waterfalls. The trail starts on the mauka side of the visitor center and leads up to Makahiku Falls (0.5mi/800m) and Waimoku Falls (2mi/3.2km). Or take a little shortcut by picking up the trail from the pedestrian crossing at the highway. To see both falls takes about two hours return. The upper section is muddy, but boardwalks cover the worst bits.
Along the path, you'll pass large mango trees and patches of guava before coming to an overlook after about 10 minutes. Makahiku Falls, a long bridal-veil waterfall that drops into a deep gorge, is just off to the right. Thick gree…
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Haleki'i-Pihana Heiau
One of Maui's most important historical sites, Haleki'i-Pihana Heiau holds the remains of two adjoining temples atop a knoll with a commanding view of central Maui.
The site was the royal court of Kahekili, Maui's last ruling chief, and the birthplace of Keopuolani, wife of Kamehameha the Great. After his victory at the battle of 'Iao in 1790, Kamehameha came to this site to worship his war god Ku, offering the last human sacrifice on Maui.
Haleki'i (House of Images), the first heiau, has stepped stone walls that tower above 'Iao Stream. The pyramidlike mound of Pihana Heiau (Gathering Place of Supernatural Beings) is a five-minute walk beyond, but a thick overgrowth of ki…
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Waikamoi Nature Trail
A half-mile past the 9-mile marker, a wide dirt pull-off provides space for a few cars to park below the Waikamoi Nature Trail. This peaceful 30-minute trail loops through tall trees with wonderful fresh scents and lots of birdsong. The grand reddish trees covered with climbing philodendron vines are Eucalyptus robusta. The ridge at the top of the trail provides a fine view of the winding Hana Hwy.
The next few sights come up quickly, so keep a keen eye out. Waikamoi Falls is at the bridge just before the 10-mile marker. The lower waterfall has a pool and it's possible to walk a short way up to a higher waterfall, but the rocks can be slippery, and the bottom waterfall is…
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Ko'olau Forest Reserve
Hold on to your hat - now the real fun begins! As the highway snakes along the edge of the Ko'olau Forest Reserve, the jungle takes over with a one-lane bridge and waterfall offering drama at every other bend. Ko'olau, which means 'windward,' catches the rain clouds and squeezes out about 80in of rain annually on the coast and a mighty 200in to 300in up the slopes. No surprise - that makes for awesome waterfalls as the rainwater rushes down the reserve's abundant gulches and streams.
Paralleling the highway is the Ko'olau Ditch, a century-old system that carries up to 450 million gallons of water a day through 75 miles of ditches and tunnels from the rain forest to the dr…
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Lindbergh's Grave
Charles Lindbergh, who relished his privacy during the final years of his life, moved to remote Kipahulu in 1968. Following his death from cancer in 1974, Lindbergh was buried in the graveyard of Palapala Ho'omau Congregational Church. The inscription he selected for his simple grave ('If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uppermost parts of the sea…') is taken from Psalm 139.
The church with its 26in-thick walls and simple wooden pews dates from 1864. Take a look at its window painting of a Polynesian Christ draped in the red and yellow feather capes that were worn only by Hawaii's highest chiefs.
Lindbergh's spirit (and his desire to be out of the public …
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Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
A bird-watcher's oasis, the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge harbors native waterbirds year-round and hosts migratory ducks and shorebirds from October to April. In the rainy winter months Kealia Pond swells to more than 400 acres, making it one of the largest natural ponds in Hawaii. In summer it shrinks to half the size, giving it a skirt of crystalline salt (Kealia means 'salt-encrusted place').
You can view the pond from the boardwalk on N Kihei Rd, as well as from the refuge's visitor center off Mokulele Hwy at the 6-mile marker. In both places, you're almost certain to spot wading Hawaiian black-necked stilts, Hawaiian coots and black-crowned night herons - all …
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Wo Hing Temple
The two-story Wo Hing Temple opened in 1912 as a meeting hall for the Chinese benevolent society Chee Kung Tong. It provided Chinese immigrants a place to preserve their cultural identity, celebrate festivities and socialize in their native tongue.
After WWII Lahaina's ethnic Chinese population spread far and wide and the temple fell into decline. It was restored and turned into a museum in 1984. Inside you'll find period photos, a ceremonial dancing-lion costume and a Taoist shrine.
Whatever you do, don't miss the tin-roof cookhouse out back, which holds a little theater showing fascinating films of Hawaii shot by Thomas Edison in 1898 and 1906, soon after he invented th…
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Big Beach
The Hawaiian name for Big Beach is Oneloa, literally 'Long Sand'. And indeed the golden sands stretch for the better part of a mile and are as broad as they come. The waters are a beautiful turquoise. When they're calm you'll find kids bodyboarding here, but at other times the breaks belong to experienced bodysurfers, who get tossed wildly in the transparent waves.
In the late 1960s this was the site of an alternative-lifestyle encampment that took on the nickname 'Hippie Beach.' The tent city lasted until 1972, when police finally evicted everyone. More than a few of Maui's now-graying residents can trace their roots on the island to those days. The turnoff to the main p…
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'Iao Needle
'Iao Needle, the rock pinnacle that rises straight up 2250ft, takes its name from 'Iao, the beautiful daughter of Maui. 'Iao Needle is said to be 'Iao's clandestine lover, captured by Maui and turned to stone. A monument to love, this is truly the big kahuna, the ultimate phallic symbol.
Whether you believe in legends or not, this place looks like something torn from the pages of a fairy tale. Clouds rising up the valley form an ethereal shroud around the top of 'Iao Needle. With a stream meandering beneath and the steep cliffs of the West Maui Mountains in the backdrop, it's a picture-postcard scene. Just a few minutes' walk from the parking lot, you'll reach a bridge wh…
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Makaluapuna Point
Makaluapuna Point, the northwest point of Oneloa Bay, is topped by a curious formation known as the Dragon's Teeth. The lava rock here has been cut by whipping surf into 3ft-high spikes that bear an uncanny resemblance to pointed teeth. It's a fun site to walk to and only takes about 15 minutes return.
En route you'll pass the Honokahua burial site, a 13.6-acre native burial ground; you can skirt along the outside of this area but don't enter any sites marked 'Please Kokua,' which are easily visible islets of overgrown native vegetation bordering manicured golf greens.
To get to the Makaluapuna Point end of the beach, drive north to the end of Lower Honoapi'ilani Rd, past …
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Ho'okipa Beach Park
Ho'okipa Beach Park reigns supreme as the world's premier windsurfing beach, with strong currents, dangerous shorebreaks and razor-sharp coral offering the ultimate challenge. Ho'okipa is to topnotch windsurfers what Everest is to mountain climbers.
The beach is also one of Maui's prime surfing spots. Winter sees the biggest waves for board surfers, and summer has the most consistent winds for windsurfers. To prevent intersport beefs, surfers typically hit the waves in the morning and the windsurfers take over during the afternoon.
The action in the water is suitable for experts only. But a hilltop perch overlooking the beach offers spectators a bird's-eye view of the worl…
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Old Courthouse
Seaside of the banyan tree stands Lahaina's Old Courthouse, built in 1859. The location overlooking the bustling harbor was no coincidence. Smuggling was so rampant during the whaling era that officials deemed this theideal spot to house the customs operations, the courthouse and the jail - all neatly wrapped into a single building. It also held the governor's office, and in 1898 the US annexation of Hawaii was formally concluded here.
The old jail in the basement has been turned into the Banyan Tree Gallery and the cells that once held drunken sailors now display fine artwork. It's a fun place to walk through. One of the cells displays fascinating period photos showing t…
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Bailey House Museum
The 1833 home of missionary Edward Bailey has been converted into the Bailey House Museum highlighting local history. The second storey remains much the same as it was in missionary days, decorated with antiques and some of the works that Bailey, an accomplished engraver, created.
But it's the Hawaiian section on the ground floor that's the real prize. The museum boasts a superb collection of handcrafted bowls made from native woods and other ancient artifacts, including stone adzes, feather lei and tapa cloth. There's also a display of spears, shark-tooth daggers and other weapons similar to those used in the bloody battles at nearby 'Iao Valley. Don't miss the 10ft redw…
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La Perouse Bay
In addition to the raw natural beauty of this place, La Perouse Bay has a rich history. It was at La Perouse that the first Westerners set foot on Maui. When the French explorer Jean François de Galaup La Perouse landed here in 1786, scores of Hawaiians from the village of Keone'o'io came out to greet him.
The remains of the ancient village - mainly house and heiau platforms - can be seen scattered among the lava patches. A monument to La Perouse, for whom the bay is named, is at the end of the road.
This is also a great place to see spinner dolphins, which commonly come into the bay during the early part of the day. The waters are rough and challenging, but expert kayake…
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