The second largest of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui is also known as the "Valley Isle." Hawaiian tradition attributes the name's origin to the legend of Hawai'iloa, the Polynesian navigator credited with discovery of the Hawaiian Islands, who named the island after a son, who in turned was named after a demi-god. Maui is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the word, where millions of visitors stay in the many hotels, resorts, vacation rental homes, and condos. Ma'alaea Bay on the southwest coast is part of the National Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary and is a favorite destination for whale watching.
Accommodations
Maui offers a nature and beach getaway with a variety of condos, vacation rental homes, hotels, and resorts. Choose an accommodation near any of Maui's local beaches and attractions that offers comfort while making the most of the beautiful beaches and attractions at affordably priced rates.
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Activities
The Iao Valley State Park is a lush tropical location, featuring the Iao Needle which rises 2,250 feet high. The Park features easy hikes, clear natural pools, and exotic tropical plants. Towering over Maui is the Haleakala National Park The park is known for its unique volcanic features in the 3000 foot deep crater, its long scenic drive with numerous overlooks, and the unusually clear views of the night sky. At the Maui Ocean Center, visitors can see spectacular live coral displays, marvel at elusive garden eels and majestic lionfish, see the colorful Hawaiian wrasse, green sea turtles and awe at close encounters with sharks, and rays, all while learning about Hawai‘i’s natural history and cultural heritage. Officialy named the Lahaina, Kaanapali & Pacific Railroad, the Sucgar Cane Train is still chugging along, treating visitors to a nostalgic journey to historical Maui. The locomotive moves along a six-mile stretch of track at a leisurely pace, trading speed in favor of panoramic views of the West Maui mountains
Events
The Maui Film Festival takes place in June each year, and the highlight of the event is the Celestial Cinema where festival goers have the opportunity to see great movies under the stars. In addition to the celestial cinema, there are movies at other venues, workshops, tributes, parties and more. The Parade of Whales and Whale Day Festival are Maui's Annual events honoring the humpback whales that visit Maui each winter. featuring a parade, entertainment, craft fair, games, food and displays. In May, the Island of Maui holds an annual Onion Festival, featuring celebrity chef demonstrations, entertainment and a Maui onion recipe contest. A Taste of Lahaina and the Best of Island Music Festival is Maui's largest culinary event, with cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, entertainment and a kid’s zone,
Water Sports
The Pacific Ocean has a long history of attracting surfers to the local shores and Maui offers many beaches with excellent surfing. Maui also offers whale watching tours, boating and deap sea fishing. The local beaches are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and windsurfing.
Golfing
Maui offers challenges for golfers of any skill level. The Pacific Ocean is your water hazard and the lava fields define the rough. Play through palm trees, mango forests, and immaculate greens on courses created by some of the world's best designers. So pack your clubs, your golf shoes, and a bottle of sunscreen, but for the serious golfer, a swimsuit is optional.
Beaches
Ka’anapali Beach is one of the best beaches on Maui, stretching along most of the Ka'anapali resorts. There is a path that runs along the entire beach from Black Rock to the Hyatt Hotel. Black Rock is a popular area that divides the beach in half and is renowned for terrific snorkeling.
Ho’okipa Beach is known as possibly the best place in the world for windsurfing, with two major world-class competitions held here. Due to the strong surf, windsurfing at this beach should be limited to the experts. However, the beach has a coral reef that makes a pond-like area perfect swimming in the early morning or when the ocean in calmer.
Big Beach, officially named Makena Beach, a lovely sandy beach over 100 yards wide. Often crowded on weekends, there is a second, smaller, section of the beach connected by a path referred to as "Little Beach". The division between Big Beach and Little Beach was caused by a lava flow and earthquake in 1790.
Hamoa Beach. located just outside of Hana, is a beautiful public beach that shares some facilities with the Hotel Hana Maui. Sea cliffs surround the bay and the tropical vegetation. This beach has been voted one of Hawaii's favorite beaches.
Honokalani Black Sand Beach is located in the Wainapanapa State Park. This large beach is set among lava cliffs and a small sea arch, sea caves, and seaside lava tubes are located in the beach area. The black sand is actually small, smooth, lava pebbles.