Western Maui Offers Seclusion and Rare Beauty

All along western Maui the interior area is dominated by the West Maui Mountains. Along the coast are pristine, white-sand beaches, and there are also upscale resorts and great golf courses.

The three-mile stretch of Kaanapali is a beach lovers mecca. Kaanapali is also the site of Maui’s first planned resort community which includes many shops and restaurants as well as six highrise hotels fronting the 2-mile-long Kaanapali Beach. There are also swimming pools and tennis courts and two 18-hole championship golf courses.

More resort complexes are now found to the north in such areas as Honokowai, Kahana, and Napili.

Stay nearby, check out these great Maui condos.

Once you get past Kapalua, where five ocean bays are formed by lava peninsulas, you will see a more untamed, wild Maui including a remote, scenic coastline and deep, lush valleys untramelled by major development.

Here are the highlights of this West Maui region:

This small village is home to local taro farmers who have cultivated the terraced slopes for centuries using a system of irrigation channels to bring water to the fields from the mountain streams. There is a quaint little church here, but no stores or restaurants.

To the east is the monolith of Kahakuloa Head rising more than 636 feet up from the edge of the ocean on the southern side of Kahukuloa Bay. As spectacular as the views are straight ahead, don’t forget to look up because this area also provides great habitat for a variety of native Hawaiian seabirds.

Kahakuloa is reached by following the windy road north of Kapalua and Honolua Bay to the point of the island at the lava-covered Nakalele Point, then following the road south until you reach Kahakuloa.

Not far past Kapalua is a large “bellstone” located alongside the road just before Mile Marker 16. This stone has special properties, and will resonate like a bell if it is hit just right with a stick or with another rock. Nearby on the outskirts of Kahakuloa Village is the Kaukini Gallery, a lovely little store that features a diversity of works by local artists.

As you head north from Honolua Bay the road follows the scenic coast past verdant Honokohau Valley. Soon you will reach Maui’s northernmost point, which is also the site of a moderately sized U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouse that was the first lighthouse in the Hawaiian Islands.

A short hike down from the road leads to the magnificent Nakalele Point Blowhole which can send geysers over 100 feet high when the waves hit it just right. Use extreme caution in this area and stay far away from the blowhole. The red cliffs and coastal scenery is spectacular here and can be seen from trails that traverse the ocean bluffs. This is a great area for a picnic lunch on the grassy areas above the sea.

Established in 1926 by pineapple plantation manager D.T. Fleming, the Maunalei Arboretum features many native plants and birds as well as plants and trees from around the world.

Constructed in 1929, the historic Honolulua Store was built by pineapple plantation workers and still retains its original character. The store now sells Kapalua Resort clothing and other products, and also serves some tasty food including local style meals.

Located at Kaanapali, this interesting museum is dedicated to Maui’s bustling whaling days from the 1820s to the 1860s. A highlight is the huge sperm whale skeleton that greets you at the front door.

The Whaler’s Village Museum also features a replica of a whaling boat as well as lots of great artifacts (e.g., harpoons, scrimshaw) and exhibits about the whaling industry. The museum is located on the mezzanine level of the Whaler’s Village Shopping Center which has lots of nice shops and restaurants.

A short drive away is Lahaina. Check out these Lahaina vacation rental.

This rock bluff fronting Kaanapali Beach is known as Kekaa in Hawaiian, and is considered an important Hawaiian cultural site where spirits leaped into their ancestral homelands. Today beachgoers make the leap into the water from atop the huge rock.

The southern side of Black Rock is a great snorkeling location. You can also see an abundance of tropical fish in the horseshoe-shaped cove located just off the tip of the rock.