Not one, but two underwater vessels — a submarine and a sailing ship — make this adventure special. The submarine’s underwater destination is the Carthaginian, a replica of a 19th-century sailing ship. The company sunk the vessel, once an attraction at the Lahaina waterfront, to create an artificial reef. Fish love it. This adventure starts with a launch ride to...

The hardest thing about Baby Beach may be finding it. Everyone talks about it, but directions are always vague. It stretches around Pu‘unoa Point to the north side of Lahaina and may be reached from Ala Moana Street, where you may park along the road. Look for Jodo Mission with its big Buddha. The beach is also reached from the...

The surf pounds in fairly regularly calling to the Boogie boarders and body surfers who gravitate to this beach. Winter waves can intimidate swimmers, but even little kids brave them much of the year. It’s one of West Maui’s larger and more popular beaches with more comforts than most — restrooms, picnic tables, lifeguards, showers, plenty of parking and even...

James Michener called this spot the “most beautiful beach in the Pacific.” Its gray sand sifts through fingers like the finest sugar. Palms fringe the perfectly curved shore like mother nature’s eyelashes. Winter and spring surf is often high, ripe for body surfing and  Boogie boarding, though use caution. Summer finds even the smallest youngsters dashing in and out of...

Almost every weekend, you’ll sniff the delicious aroma of barbecued chicken or guava-glazed ribs from family lu‘aus at this popular spot at the edge of Hana town. If you didn’t bring your lunch, Barefoot Cafe (formerly Tutu’s)  provides a decent hamburger. Water laps gently at the dark sand, making for safe swimming. Kayaking and other water activities are available. Walk...

When the Polynesians sailed thousands of miles on open seas to find Hawaii, they did so in outrigger sailing canoes with claw-shaped sails. You’ll do the same and learn about these skilled navigators and sailors when you book a trip with Hawaiian Sailing Canoe Adventures. You might even get a turn paddling the canoe Hawaiian style. This is an adventure,...

A strip of sandy beach edges the shore at Ho‘okipa Beach Park, but no one comes to loll in the sun, or for a gentle swim. This is world-class adventure. Ho‘okipa is the wind-surfing capital of the world, and air seekers come here from all parts of the planet. Their speed is astonishing. Blink and the tiny sail looking like...

Honolua Bay has a split personality. During the summer, the crystal clear turquoise water and spectacular coral formations make it one of Maui’s prime snorkeling spots. You can snorkel from the shore, but boats also visit o the bay for snorkeling. In winter, the ocean surge picks up and the edges of the bay become awesome surfing territory with waves...

You get to choose with Island Star Excursions, bot the itinerary and the activity. The company runs the beautiful Island Star, a 57-foot sailing yacht that can accommodate 20 on deck. You may climb aboard for half- and full-day trips. Or you may charter the yacht and plan a custom itinerary. People propose or get married on this vessel on...

Ka‘anapali Beach, Maui’s most accessible, stretches about three miles from the Hyatt Regency on the south almost to Honokowai at the north. Black Rock or Pu‘u Kea‘a, bisects the golden sand strip in front of the Sheraton Maui.  The paved beach walk stops here, but follow the signs to North Ka‘anapali or Kahekili Beach Park. Condos crowd North Ka‘anapali now,...

Lava rock fingers jut into the sea, separating Kama‘ole Beach Parks, or Kam I, II and III, as these Kihei beaches are known. Large grassy areas stretch out behind the sandy beaches at each of these parks.  Maui families gather here, especially on weekends, and erect jump houses, heat up the barbecue for family lu‘aus, or even hold church services....

Kanaha Beach Park sits between the runways of Kahului Airport where jets scream in at a regular pace, and the ocean. But it’s a surprisingly tranquil oasis of green with trees shading grassy picnic areas, and a long beach curving on shallow bays. Kite boarders gravitate to this spot, known informally as kite park. Winds are steady but not as...

Kayaking on Maui seems like an understated activity compared to the more poplar stand-up paddle boarding and surfing. Hawaiians who take to small watercraft often choose outrigger canoes. Most often you’ll see a solitary kayaker, moving parallel to the beach with the steady rhythm of paddles, dip, dip, dip. Many of the beach kiosks in West Maui, including Kapalua Bay...

Lovely Keawakapu Beach has no restrooms, picnic tables or lifeguards, but it’s a beauty with incredibly fine sand and palms to frame the sunset. Photographers love it. At sunset, you’ll often find couples, especially honeymooners, cooing and posing for photos. Stretching for ½ mile, it’s well protected on either end. The water is often glassy in the morning — great...

Lana‘i is back to its luxurious self with the re-opening of Four Seasons Resort Manele Bay after a multi-million dollar renovation.  But you don’t need to spend the night a pricey room. Lana‘i is an easy day trip from Maui for a round of golf, snorkeling at beautiful Hulopo‘e Beach, hiking the Munro Trail or exploring— petroglyphs,  a shipwreck, unusual...

The cinder cone marking the end of South Maui creates a series of coves that shelter some great swimming and snorkeling at Makena Beaches. Most of them slope gently, which calms the shore surge. Locals have a tendency to call all of these beaches “Makena,” but they have one or two additional names. Starting from the north, Black Sand has...

Maluaka Beach, one of Maui’s gems, fronts the now closed Makena Beach and Golf Resort so it’s hidden from the road. But don’t worry. You can access it from the public parking area at the south end of the beach. And what a reward you’ll get. The reddish gold sand stretches for some distance along the shore. In spite of...

Maui Classic Charters offers lots of choices. A sailing catamaran or power boat, snorkeling or staying dry and viewing dolphins and whales are your options.  The company operates the Four Winds II sailing catamaran, used for Molokini or Coral Gardens trips. Water slide, sport fishing, snuba and “see” boards, which allow snorkeling on the water’s surface with support, are other...

Maui Dive Shop is the go-to place (or maybe places for there are several locations) for anything you need for underwater activity. When you go into any of them to sign up for a trip, it’s easy to get distracted at the colorful racks of aloha shirts, boogie boards or rash guards. You find this array in Kihei., Wailea (Shops...

Molokini, a curved sliver of an island 2.5 miles off South Maui, is a partially submerged volcano crater . It’s become  a welcoming habitat for reef fish and marine and bird life. Boats moor at fixed buoys within the crater in this conservation district. This limits the number of boats, though some people still think it’s too many. The best time...