Maui
On August 8, 2023, a wind-driven wildfire destroyed most of Lahaina in under six hours. More than 100 people died. Lahaina had been the historic capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the most culturally significant town in the Hawaiian Islands, and the centre of West Maui’s visitor economy. What replaced it was a burnt grid of foundations and debris that is still, as of 2026, being cleared and planned for rebuilding.
This is where a guide to Maui has to start in 2026, not because Lahaina’s loss defines the whole island, it does not, but because how you think about it shapes how you travel there. The short answer is: visit. Maui needs tourism revenue for its recovery and its residents have said clearly that visitors are welcome. Just understand that Lahaina town itself is not a sightseeing destination. Large sections remain closed to the public while residents rebuild. Those areas are not for exploring, photographing, or looking around. The rest of Maui, including the Kaanapali and Kapalua resort corridors just north of Lahaina, is fully open and operating.
Lahaina Harbor has partially reopened as of spring 2026, with snorkel cruises, sunset sails, and whale-watching tours departing again from West Maui. It is a meaningful step.
Getting Your Bearings
Maui has three distinct zones that function almost like different islands:
West Maui runs from Lahaina (damaged) north through Kaanapali and Kapalua (both fully operating). The resort beaches are here: Ka’anapali’s three miles of white sand, Napili Bay’s calm crescent perfect for swimming, Kapalua Bay’s sheltered cove with reliable snorkelling. This is where most visitors stay and most of the upscale hotels are.
The North Shore and Upcountry centres on Paia Town and the slopes of Haleakala. This is where the surf culture, the local restaurants, and the artists live. Makawao, a historic paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) town at Haleakala’s base, has galleries and a genuine small-town character that the resort areas lack.
East Maui is where the Road to Hana runs. The south shore (Kihei, Wailea, Makena) has good beaches and a more laid-back resort strip than Kaanapali.
Haleakala
The volcano is 10,023 feet at its summit. At that altitude, the air is noticeably thin, the temperature is 20-30 degrees cooler than sea level, and on good days you are above the cloud layer watching the sunrise detach from the darkness below.
Sunrise requires a reservation, made well in advance, through recreation.gov. The park service limits the number of cars that can enter before 7am, and permits sell out weeks ahead in summer. Do not show up without one expecting to wing it. Sunset is equally spectacular and requires no reservation at all, though most guides fail to mention this. Drive up in late afternoon, walk around the crater rim, and watch the light change on the cinder cones below. You will have the place largely to yourself compared to the sunrise crowds.
The hike from the Sliding Sands trailhead down into the crater and back takes the better part of a day. Even a 30-minute walk down into the crater gives you a sense of the scale, it genuinely looks like a different planet. Bring water, warm layers, and sunscreen; the altitude sun burns fast.
Makawao town, on the way back down, is worth stopping for: Komoda Store and Bakery has been making cream puffs since 1916. Get there before noon, when they sell out.
Road to Hana
The Hana Highway covers 64 miles in about three hours of driving without stops, which nobody does. There are 617 curves and 54 one-lane bridges. The stops are the point.
Halfway to Hana (just after mile marker 17) sells banana bread baked that morning. Aunty Sandy’s banana bread stand appears at mile marker 16 on the other side of the road. Both are worth it; this is not a situation for choosing.
Waianapanapa State Park requires advance reservations (also through gostateparks.hawaii.gov). The black sand beach, the lava tubes, and the coastal walk are genuinely stunning, and the reservation system keeps the crowds manageable. Do not skip it.
Hana town itself is a 45-minute drive beyond Waianapanapa. Spend the night at Hotel Hana-Maui if the budget allows; otherwise drive back via the backroad loop through Ulupalakua and across the Upcountry. The backroad is unpaved in sections; check your rental car agreement, as most standard vehicles are not covered on that route.
Beaches
Ka’anapali Beach on the west coast is the one everyone pictures: broad, white sand, calm water, a walkable resort strip. It is a very good beach. But the North Shore offers things Kaanapali cannot.
Hookipa Beach Park near Paia is one of the world’s premier windsurfing locations; watching professionals on the waves at sunset is worth the short drive from any accommodation. Swimming is not safe here for most people.
Hamoa Beach on the east side, near Hana, is one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii: a wide crescent of silver-grey sand framed by cliffs, almost always emptier than west-side beaches.
Little Beach (technically Makena State Park, second cove past Big Beach) is technically clothing-optional and entirely beloved by locals. The Sunday afternoon gathering there is a Maui institution.
Where to Eat
Tin Roof in Kahului is the place to understand what modern Hawaiian cooking looks like. Chef Sheldon Simeon (a Top Chef finalist) runs an entirely unpretentious takeout shop with rice bowls built on Filipino, Japanese, and Hawaiian influences. The mochiko chicken, the Hana-style taro rolls, the furikake ranch dressing, all of it exceeds expectation. Expect a queue at lunch.
Mama’s Fish House in Paia is the most famous restaurant in Maui and has been since 1973. It is also expensive and requires booking weeks in advance. The fish is genuinely extraordinary, each menu item names the boat that caught it and where. Worth it once for a special occasion; probably not twice in the same trip.
Sale Pepe in Lahaina area is an independent Italian spot from a Milanese chef using locally sourced fish and imported Italian flour for pasta and pizza. It fills a gap in Maui’s dining landscape between the large resort restaurants and the takeout spots.
Paia Town is worth a meal exploration on its own: Flatbread Company for wood-fired pizza, Milagros for Mexican and people-watching on the corner, Mana Foods for a local health food grocery and excellent prepared foods counter.
For breakfast anywhere on the island: shave ice at Ululani’s (multiple locations) ranks among the better food experiences on Maui regardless of age. The flavour combinations go far beyond what you expect; ask for a scoop of ice cream and azuki beans in the base.
Where to Stay
For the west coast and beaches: Montage Kapalua Bay is the benchmark for upscale accommodation, occupying 24 acres on Kapalua’s coast with ocean-view suites and the best resort position in West Maui. At the other end, Royal Lahaina Resort on Kaanapali has direct beach access and a more classic resort feel.
For something genuinely different, Paia has small guesthouses and vacation rentals that put you on the North Shore with surf culture, good coffee, and Hookipa Beach a short walk away. This is the better choice for anyone who wants to understand Maui beyond the resort bubble, and rates are often lower than comparable Kaanapali hotels.
Whale Watching
Humpback whales migrate to Maui’s waters from December through May, and the concentration is high enough that you can often spot them breaching from shore. A guided whale-watching tour from Lahaina Harbor (operational again in 2026) gives you a closer view; most operators use Pacific Whale Foundation’s boats, which are research-affiliated and knowledgeable. The whale season alone is sufficient reason to plan a winter trip rather than a summer one.
Practical Notes
Kahului Airport (OGG) is the main entry point, with direct flights from most major US cities. Rental cars are essential, public transport is limited. Book your car well in advance; rental prices spike in peak season and availability runs short. In the summer, Upcountry and the Road to Hana are more comfortable than baking at beach level; in winter, the ocean is at its calmest on the south and west shores.