I’ve just come from an epic trip to the island of Maui in Hawaii. Maui is the second largest island that Hawaii has to offer, but don’t let that fool you. Maui is more than just luxury open-air restaurants and sandy beaches. It is also home to some truly exhilarating cliff-jumping spots.
Whether you are snorkeling at Molokini Crater or watching the sunset at Haleakala National Park, Maui has got it all. Follow me as I show you my top 10 places to visit in this tropical paradise.
1. The Legendary Road to Hana
The Road to Hana on Maui, a 64‑mile driving loop that travels the northeastern edge of the island, is the quintessential ‘drive for the sake of driving.’ The reward comes in the drive itself, and if you know how to do it, it’s the perfect day trip. Depending on how often you stop, it will take five or 10 hours round trip.
You should stop at Twin Falls first, which is an easy walk to a beautiful waterfall and a great place for a swim when conditions are right. Then, keep driving while keeping an eye out for a strip of bamboo forest off the main highway that a friend discovered years ago. Follow the path into the black forest and pull yourself up a slippery bank, keen to see the swell of waterfalls upstream.
Further up the coast, you’ll pass Honomanu Beach, the only stretch where the road touches the coast, and one of the best views you’ll see all day, maybe even all year – if there’s good weather, maybe even all your life. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a waterfall pouring itself into the sea.
Check out Waianapanapa State Park for its black sand lava beach! When you get there, there’s also a $10 entrance fee to explore the beautiful lava tube on the beach and take a little walk along one of the three walking paths there. There’s a section of the beach where you can cliff jump, too… but only if you want to.
At the tail end of the road, there’s a 3.4-mile loop that takes you through a lush bamboo forest ending in the magnificent 400ft Waimoku Falls along the Pipiwai Trail.
For many, this is the end of the road to Hana, but only after you make a pit stop can you visit the Venus Pools. The natural ocean-adjacent pools of sparkling waterfalls and cliff jumping offer a final stop-and-dip before returning to the mainland.
2. Haleakala National Park: Maui’s Crown Jewel
The national park is the dormant Haleakala volcano, Maui’s highest point (10,023ft/3,055m), and as barren and other-worldly as anything on the planet. It’s a series of craters and volcanic domes filling a vast depression.
Visiting at sunrise will require a reservation in advance; visiting at sunset requires only the price of entrance to the park. Either will be a dazzling show as the sun dyes the sky in a multitude of colors. It will be cold at the top – 39°F (4°C) in the dead of summer – so come in warm clothes regardless of the time of day.
A ‘mulatti’, but Portuguese was his language. The real treat is to linger past sunset when the mountain region has one of the best night skies on Earth: the Milky Way swims across the sky; stars are close, big, and bold, and there’s hardly any light pollution at all.
3. Molokini Crater: An Underwater Paradise
Being part of the Haleakalā National Park, Molokini is a partially submerged extinct volcano that lies just off of Maui’s south shore. It’s famous for its incredible snorkeling conditions, though unfortunately, you’re going to need to join a boat tour to get to the action. Figure on spending anywhere from $50 to $100.
The tradeoff is a no-brainer. The water is transparent, often to depths of 100ft or more, and shows off a tropical riot of sea-animal hues: fish sporting peacock, mustard-yellow, and neon-orange scales, sea turtles that glide past like living porcelain, and, on a good day, a manta ray winging through the sunlit shallows.
Going first thing in the morning is best when the tides are neap, and the waters are calmest. However, visibility varies and isn’t guaranteed; there is nothing that will compare with an underwater experience flying over and around soft corals, anemones, and colorful sponges, and home to a multitude of creatures of all shapes and sizes.
4. Makena Beach: Sun, Sand, and Serenity
Perhaps unparalleled as a Hawaiian beach idyll is Makena Beach, which is usually called ‘Big Beach’. Its long sweep of fine sand, set a kilometer back from the shore by tall, lean trees and wrapped by a protective coral fence, extends for 3,000 feet across Maui’s southern coastline. Big Beach is a perfect place to relax or be active.
The wide shoreline is good for long walks, and the ocean is clear enough for swimming and bodyboarding and good for snorkeling, though mostly lacking live coral once you’re under the surface. On a clear day, you can see the top of Molokini Crater and Kahoolawe Island clearly from shore.
Makena Beach is also loaded with amenities. Lifeguards are on duty. There are restrooms, picnic tables, and parking lots. Food trucks selling island goodies often congregate across the street. ‘Little Beach’ also caters to those who prefer clothing-optional. Walk a half-mile.
5. West Maui’s North Shore: The Road Less Traveled
Occasionally called the ‘second Road to Hana,’ West Maui’s north shore is less touristy than, but as dramatic as, the route up east Maui’s space-age coastline. You’ll get equal stares and better gawks as you road-trip your way through some of Maui’s most dramatic landscapes.
A little further on the road, about 20 minutes from Kapalua, there’s the Nakalele Blowhole, which spouts water 50ft into the air roughly every 30 seconds. It’s a magnificent sight but stay away from that surf as it can be dangerous.
Next to that is the Olivine Pools, a series of tidal rock pools bordered by the ocean. They’re lovely, but due to the unpredictability of rogue waves, a ‘hazard is advised’.
Just past Kahakuloa Head, a huge 646-foot cliff protruding into the ocean and easily seen from miles away, is one of the last stops on the famed Road to Hana. Myth has it that a Maui king of ages gone by used to wake up each day by jumping from 200 feet up.
It’s quite something – the drive itself is delightful, the hilly landscape full of pubs that reminded me of New Zealand, and there are long stretches by the ocean along a clifftop road with barely another car present, stretching out for up to 45 minutes. It’s perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, going for drives and pulling over to admire the view every few minutes.
6. Waihee Ridge Trail: Maui’s Most Rewarding Hike
Among the island’s most scenic, just a 25-minute drive from Kahului, the 4-mile round trip Waihee Ridge Trail begins with an intense cement staircase leading you through UFO-shaped silver leaf fig trees to a rainforest full of 1,000-year-old koas, Captains cooks and milo before opening out onto some of Maui’s most dramatic vistas.
On a clear day, you will be rewarded with wide views of the valley and, depending on where you are, waterfalls in the distance. Running water attracts birds, so keep an ear out and your binoculars at the ready.
There are only two reliable supplies of water, one midway at Nasser and one at the top at Birket. You might be tempted to fill up with fresh rainwater along the way, but if you haven’t treated it with a sleeping bag liner placed over the mesh of a cloth shopping bag (a tent liner works well, too), you’re playing Russian roulette with your gut.
The weather can change swiftly here, and it is usually cloudy, which can produce dramatic effects on a climb.
Wear sturdy footwear with good tread, pack lots of water and snacks, and shoot for mid-morning if you want to avoid the midday heat, which gives you better chances of being able to see clearly.
Give yourself 2-3 hours total on the hike, but don’t leave your camera behind: you will be enraptured by the views.
7. Iao Valley State Park: A Geological Wonder
Only 15 minutes by car from Kahului is Iao Valley State Park, where you can view Maui’s signature volcanic scenery. The park’s foremost draw, the 1,200-foot Iao Needle, is a lava outcrop veiled in shrubs and trees that splays from the valley bottom.
A half-mile paved walkway leads directly to the major view of the Needle, but side trails wind through the forest for those who want to take in more vistas. Hawaiian cultural and historical sites pervade the park, which adds another flavor of interest to the natural ones.
The small entrance fee of $10—to park your car, not to see the thing—is an easy price to pay so that you can stand next to it. Now, it is just a five-minute walk from any point along one of the roads down from Cape Reinga.
8. Jaws (Pe’ahi): Big Wave Surf Spot
A haven for wave- and nature junkies alike, Jaws boasts one of the largest surf breaks on the planet. It’s a spectacular place to surf during the winter when waves can reach 60 feet.
The best and safest place to witness the drama is on the cliff top right beside the beach, where a clear view of the action is guaranteed (just take binoculars during the big wave months, November to March). If you’ve chosen not to undertake one of the hikes along the headland, beware of the rutted surface on the access road, which may leave you grateful for having walked.
9. Black Rock Beach: Something for Everyone
Just a 10-minute drive out of Lahaina is Black Rock Beach (otherwise known as Ka’anapali Beach) – home to some of the best snorkeling. You’ll find plenty of golden sand to lie back on and admire the scenery or the opportunity to dive in for some snorkeling with tropical fish and sweeping views of mountainous valleys and the setting sun.
The action is intense at the beach named for the black rock that sits some 15 feet above the water, the island’s chief cliff jumping spot. Sunset brings a nightly torch lighting and cliff diving celebration.
Nearby resorts provide spacious restaurants and facilities for visitors. The beach also provides equipment on rent for all kinds of water sports, and trained lifeguards are on duty to ensure the safety of people.
10. West Maui’s Scenic Drive
Destination=noneOf the world’s most beautiful drives – and there are many. Choose West Maui’s scenic road, which isn’t a supported concept like the Pacific Coast Highway but ‘just’ a gorgeous necklace of uninterrupted ocean-cliff + rainforest beauty, like the drive route through New Zealand’s South Island South.
This leisurely drive, which takes a few hours or a whole day, depending on one’s propensity to stop at one of the many pullouts to take in the views, is well worth the effort. If you’re looking for a slice of Maui far away from the beaches and resorts, this is it.
Flattering visitors of all types, adventurous and furbished alike, Maui is an amazingly rich, multi-faceted natural paradise island, a cornucopia of one-stop Coast-to-Coast appeal. Also, let us remember to be culturally and environmentally responsible and, above all, stay safe – particularly when active in watersports or hiking.