89 Best Sights in Maui, Hawaii

This picturesque garden has assimilated itself naturally into its precipitous 8-acre habitat. More than 2,500 plants and trees fill the enchanted garden, including native koa (prized by woodworkers) and kukui (the state tree, a symbol of enlightenment). A flowing stream feeds into a koi pond, where nene and ducks meander, and a paved, stroller- and wheelchair-friendly pathway winds through the grounds. The carved tiki exhibit, aviary, and Jackson chameleon exhibit entertain the keiki (children).

This ½-mile trail takes you from the Kipahulu Visitor Center down to the pools of Oheo at Kuloa Point, where the freshwater pools and ocean meet. On the trail, you pass native trees and precontact Hawaiian sites. Easy. Tempting as it is, swimming in the ocean is strongly discouraged. While it may seem calm near sea level, unpredictable conditions at higher elevations cause flash flooding and other dangers.

Situated at around 8,800 feet, the Leleiwi Overlook provides your first breathtaking glimpse of Haleakala Crater. The small hills scattered across the basin are ancient Hawaiian cinder cones, or puu. If you visit in the late afternoon, you might witness a rare and magical sight: your shadow cast on the clouds, surrounded by a rainbow halo—a phenomenon known as the Brocken Specter. However, don’t linger too long in anticipation, as this mesmerizing occurrence is far from guaranteed and happens only under perfect conditions.

A little strip of condominiums within the isthmus that links Central and West Maui, Maalaea is often overlooked, but it shouldn't be. This company has more than 100 one- and two-bedroom units at $100–$300 per night. The wind is usually strong here, but there's a nice beach, a harbor, and some good shopping and decent restaurants.

With so many good reasons to head out onto the water, this active little harbor is quite busy. Many snorkeling and whale-watching excursions depart from here. After the fires in Lahaina destroyed the island's most popular harbor, many boating excursions have moved to Maalaea, including the Expeditions Maui ferry to Lanai.

There was a plan to expand the facility, but surfers argued that would have destroyed the world-renowned surf breaks. The elusive spot to the left of the harbor, called "freight train," rarely breaks, but when it does, it's said to be the fastest wave anywhere. Shops, restaurants, and the Maui Ocean Center aquarium front the harbor, and offerings continue to increase, making this a nice place to spend the afternoon.

A unique assortment of historic buildings, stylish boutiques, coffee shops, antique stores, and restaurants make Wailuku's Market Street a delightful place for a stroll. Brown-Kobayashi and the Bird of Paradise Unique Antiques are the best shops for interesting collectibles and furnishings. Brown Eyed Bella has stylish bikinis and island wear. Wailuku Coffee Company has works by local artists and occasionally offers live entertainment in the evening.

This Maui-based agency manages more than 200 condos. Most units are near the beach or golf courses, and are located in Kihei, Wailea, and West Maui. Studios to three-bedroom units run $100–$450 per night.

Hawaiian and Polynesian species are cultivated at this fascinating 7-acre garden, including Hawaiian bananas; local varieties of sweet potatoes and sugarcane; and native poppies, hibiscus, and anapanapa, a plant that makes a natural shampoo when rubbed between your hands. Reserve ahead for the weekly ethnobotany tours. Self-guided tour booklets and an audio tour wand are included with admission (docent tours must be arranged online in advance).

Pineapple exudes tropical happiness, and it just so happens Maui has the only tour of a working pineapple plantation in the United States. You'll join a worker on a stroll through the sunny fields and hear all about the especially sweet Maui Gold pineapples, sampling the fruit in various stages of maturity along the way. The best part? Everyone gets a free pineapple at the end! For an extra fee, you can also tour the nearby Haliimaile Distilling Company to learn about its operations and taste Pau Maui Vodka, the world's only pineapple vodka. Time things right, and you'll be able to enjoy lunch or dinner at the renowned Haliimaile General Store just across the street from the distillery.

Even locals get up early on a Saturday to go to the Maui Swap Meet for fresh produce and floral bouquets. Hundreds of stalls sell everything from quilts to hammocks and island-themed souvenirs each Saturday. Enter the parking lot from the traffic light at Kahului Beach Road.

When Maui's cash crops declined in importance, a group of visionaries opened an agricultural theme park on the site of this former sugarcane field. The 60-acre preserve offers zip-lining courses, a 40-minute tour, and a tram ride with informative narration covering the growing process and plant types. Children will enjoy activities like coconut husking. You'll also find an art gallery, a restaurant, and a store specializing in "Made in Maui" products. Don't leave without checking out the Kumu Cafe and Farm Bar, which offers coffee, tea, brewing supplies, seasonal organic produce, and some of the tastiest papayas.

Look for a little road and public parking lot near the Wailea Beach Resort if you are heading to Mokapu and Ulua beaches. Although there are no lifeguards, families love this place. Reef formations create tons of tide pools for kids to explore, and the beaches are protected from major swells. Snorkeling is excellent at Ulua, the beach to the left of the entrance. Mokapu, to the right, tends to be less crowded. Amenities: parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The island's northernmost beach is part of the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District. "Slaughterhouse" is the surfers' nickname for what is officially Mokuleia. Weather permitting, this is a great place for bodysurfing and sunbathing. Concrete steps and a railing help you get down the cliff to the sand, but it's generally a difficult area to access for younger children. The next bay over, Honolua, has no beach but offers one of the best surf breaks in Hawaii. Competitions are sometimes held there; telltale signs are cars pulled off the road and parked in the old pineapple field. Amenities: none. Best for: sunset; surfing; snorkeling.

Enjoy a lovely afternoon at this organic Upcountry farm and distillery, home to Ocean Vodka, Fy Gin, and Kula Rum. Start your visit with a vibrant lunch of salads and flatbreads (here they're called farmbreads) and cocktails, then move on to one of the guided tastings, which start every 30 minutes. Stick around until 5 pm for live music every night until 7. The bicoastal views are stunning (overlooking central Maui and the West Maui mountains), and the staff is warm and friendly. Don’t miss out on the farm store, which sells both cute souvenirs and bottles to bring home.

More an offshore snorkel and stand-up paddling spot than a beach, Olowalu is also a great place to watch for turtles and whales in season. The beach is literally a pullover from the road, which can make for some unwelcome noise if you're looking for quiet. The entrance can be rocky (reef shoes help), but if you've got your snorkel gear it's a 200-yard swim to an extensive and diverse reef. Shoreline visibility can vary depending on the swell and time of day; late morning is best. Except for during a south swell, the waters are usually calm. You can find this rocky surf break ½ mile north of mile marker 14. Snorkeling here is along pathways that wind among coral heads. Note: this is a local hangout and can be unfriendly at times. Amenities: none. Best for: snorkeling.

This popular (and often-crowded) park is also known as Thousand Peaks because there's barely a break between each wave. Beginner to intermediate surfers say it's a good spot to longboard or bodyboard. It's easy entry into the water, and you don't have to paddle out far. The beach itself leaves something to be desired, but there is some shade, mostly from thorny kiawe trees; footwear is a good idea. There's roadside parking, and portable toilets are available. Camping is allowed by county permit. Amenities: toilets. Best for: surfing.

This temple, the largest heiau (stone temple) in Polynesia, was built for a great 16th-century Maui king named Piilani and his heirs. Hawaiian families continue to maintain and protect this sacred site as they have for centuries, and they have not been eager to turn it into a tourist attraction. However, there is a brochure that helps you to tour the property yourself. The heiau is within the 122-acre Kahanu Garden, a research center focusing on the ethnobotany of the Pacific.

Small and secluded, this crescent fronts the Fairmont Kea Lani. Swimming and snorkeling are great here, and it's a good place for whale-watching. As at Wailea Beach, private umbrellas and chaise lounges occupy the choicest real estate, but there's plenty of room for you and your towel. There's a nice grass picnic area, although it's a considerable distance from the beach. An area pathway is a great spot to jog or to take in awesome views of nearby Molokini and Kahoolawe. Rare native plants grow along the ocean, or makai, side of the path—the honey-sweet-smelling one is naio, or false sandalwood. Amenities: parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

For exceptional accommodations and service, this company has it all. It books huge, luxurious condominium villas and private beach houses, and provides customized services with attention to the smallest details. Rates start at $750 per night for a villa up to $16,500 per night for a home.

For a leg-stretching break (and restrooms) stop at this small roadside park just past mile marker 22. Here you can enjoy the short hike to a small waterfall and pool across the highway from the bathrooms. The park is one of the few places on the highway with a decent amount of parking. It also has picnic tables and friendly cats to welcome you.

The highest point on Maui is this 10,023-foot summit, where a glass-enclosed lookout provides a 360-degree view. The building is open 24 hours daily, and many visitors gather to view the sunrise. Bring jackets, warm layers, hats, and blankets to stay warm on the cold and windy summit. On a clear day, you can see the islands of Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii; on a crystal clear day, you can even spot Oahu glimmering in the distance.

Keep an eye out for the Twin Falls Farm Stand just after mile marker 2 on the Hana Highway. Stop here and treat yourself to some fresh sugarcane juice. If you're feeling adventurous, follow the path (colorful arrows point the way) beyond the stand to the paradisiacal waterfalls known as Twin Falls. Several deep, emerald pools sparkle beneath the falls and offer excellent (and a little cold) swimming and photo opportunities.

This site is on private property, and the family that owns it has implemented a paid ($10 per vehicle), first-come-first-served parking system to help prevent overcrowding. Indeed, this natural attraction has become a tourist hot spot, and although the attention is well deserved, if you want to avoid crowds you might want to keep driving. Note that the Twin Falls site is closed to out-of-state visitors on the first Saturday of the month.

Hiking with a view doesn’t get much better than along the 2.5-mile (round-trip) Waihee Ridge Trail. The catch: You’ll have to work for it. This out-and-back trail is steep, climbing more than 1,500 feet before rewarding you with a panorama of the central valley and curtains of emerald vegetation. Smart hikers go early to take advantage of cooler temperatures. Don't forget to stop at the 1-mile mark and enjoy the best view of Makamakaole Falls. The trail is open 7 am to 7 pm daily.

Slightly after the town of Huelo, the Hana Highway enters the Koolau Forest Reserve. Vines wrap around street signs, and waterfalls are so abundant that you don't know which direction to look. A good start is between mile markers 9 and 10, where the Waikamoi Nature Trail sign beckons you to stretch your car-weary limbs. A short (if muddy) trail leads through tall eucalyptus trees to a coastal vantage point with a picnic table. Awapuhi, or Hawaiian shampoo ginger, sends up fragrant shoots along the trail. Signage with messages such as "Quiet, Trees at Work" and "Bamboo Picking Permit Required" keeps you, figuratively speaking, on the straight and narrow.

Hawaii’s first major tequila-production site is something to be seen—massive agave plants punctuate fields that formerly served as a BMX park. Production is very small, and bottles are only available at limited retail outlets on Maui and the distillery, making the tour and tasting a must-do activity. The staff is tiny and close-knit; it’s easy to spend a whole afternoon just chatting about the operation over tasting glasses of tequila.

A road near the Grand Wailea resort takes you to Wailea Beach, a wide, sandy stretch with snorkeling and swimming. If you're not a guest at the Grand Wailea or Four Seasons, the cluster of private umbrellas and chaise lounges can be a little annoying, but the calm unclouded waters and soft white sand more than make up for this. From the parking lot, walk to the right to get to the main beach; to the left is another, smaller section that fronts the Four Seasons. There are picnic tables and grills away from the beach. Amenities: parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Past mile marker 18, enjoy some time at the concrete arches of the beautiful Waikani Stream Bridge before heading to the parking lot of this overlook near mile marker 20. From this perch, you can see Wailua Canyon in one direction and, in the other, Wailua Village, where 94% of the residents have at least partial Hawaiian blood. As you look down, note the village's landmark 1860 church, which was allegedly constructed of coral that washed ashore during a storm. Wailua asks that you respect the privacy of its residents by not entering the village. Note, too, that although you'll want to take photos of the scenery from the overlook, doing so using a drone flown over the populated area is strongly discouraged.

Fronting the Maui Sunset Resort, Waipuilani Park is a spectacular place to sunbathe, relax, or picnic on golf course–grade grass. You can swim here, but the water can be murky. A small beach hides behind the dunes, although it's usually speckled with seaweed and shells. This park often hosts local activities, such as volleyball and croquet, and it attracts many dog lovers. There are tennis courts, too. Although the park can be crowded, it's still a perfect place to watch the sunset. Amenities: parking (no fee); toilets. Best for: partiers; sunset.

Coral stone ruins are all that remain at the site that served mostly as a prison; however, the ruins are actually not the real leftovers from the fort. They were constructed as a set for the 1961 movie The Devil at 4 O'Clock. The real fort was built from 1831 to 1832 after sailors, angered by a law forbidding local women from swimming out to ships, lobbed cannonballs into town the previous year. The fort was finally torn down in the 1850s and the stones were used to construct the new prison. Cannons raised from the wreck of a warship in Honolulu Harbor were brought to Lahaina and placed in front of the fort, where they still sit today at the Lahaina Harbor flagpole.