We will be in Maui in two weeks (can you say FINALLY??) and splitting our stay between the Kapalua Bay Resort and Westin Maui.

We like to eat dinner a little later (8:30-ish), but would love to watch the sunset while enjoying a cocktail at a great beachfront location.

Any recommendations for places that are particularly fabulous sunset-watching spots? Also, if you have a restaurant or bar in mind - can you recommend any cocktails that may be unique to that restaurant or bar?

Thanks so much...we can't wait to get there.

The top of Haleakala is an awesome place to see the sunset!

The sunsets on Maui are beautiful almost anywhere. I wanted to mainly tell you that you will LOVE the Kapalua Bay Hotel. We stayed there in May, and it was great. You will be given a list of daily activities, if you can, don't miss the hula lesson.
The lounge area is very nice as well.
I think the grounds of this hotel would be a great place to watch the sunset.

While you're at the Westin, amble down to Leilani's or the Hula Grill for drinks at sunset. I just love to head for the beach of my resort and watch from there - that way I'm not frantically trying to GET somewhere to watch it. Then go to dinner afterward... I've gotten over that whole sunset reservations for dinner thing. You end up having to go to dinner pretty early and then try to look at the menu and enjoy the sunset at the same time, usually with the waiter glued to your water glass the whole time (Nick's and Sarento's LOL). So I think the later dinner thing is a good idea. I notice the local families will stop whatever they're doing at sunset time and reverantly turn toward the setting sun. I guess it never gets old...

Thank you so much for your replies....we are so excited to go..the weather has been positively disgusting in the Northeast this week, so we can't wait to see the sun...as well as the sunset!! (Almost forget what it looks like!)

Also, tcapp, thanks for the info on Kapalua Bay....the resort and entire area seems so beautiful and peaceful!

Did you happen to eat at the Pineapple Grill, Vino, or Plantation House while you were there? Any advice on any of those restaurants?

crazy4hawaii - I couldn't agree more about the sunset dinner thing..it's WAY too early for us to eat dinner. After a day at the beach or exploring, we like to wind down at sunset with a perfect mai tai and then relax a bit before dressing for dinner. Thanks for the recommendations...I think we will go to Hula Grill our first night there!

Wish me luck with the hula lesson at Kapalua Bay..I was born with two left feet!! Maybe if I drink enough mai tais first.....hmmmmmmmmmmm........

Your are going to see a beach sunset almost every evening--so why not go up Haleakala and be astounded? You will not not regret it; no one there going up, no one going back down, and if you stay for after the sunset (whether clouds or no clouds, it's spectacular)the stars will be breathtaking.

Aloha Elizabeth,

You will catch the best sunsets right from the Kapalua... ohhh head out to the edge of the golf course with a glass of wine and watch the whales while the sun sets into the sea. Stunning... and never the same. Enjoy.