12 Best Things to Do In Maui Hawaii Molokini Snorkel 2022
Maui is an island in the Central Pacific, part of the Hawaiian archipelago. Sprawling Haleakala National Park encompasses the island’s highest peak, volcanic Haleakala, as well as the pools and waterfalls of Ohe’o Gulch, accessed via scenic, winding Hana Highway. The island’s 30 miles of beaches include golden-crescent Kapalua, sheltered from strong currents by lava-rock promontories.
- Area: 727 mi²
- Max length: 39.77 mi
- Max width: 26.1 mi
- Elevation: 10,023 ft
- Highest point: Haleakalā
- Island group: Hawaiian Islands
Things to do in Maui, Hawaii
Maui is one of the complete islands in Hawaii, where you can enjoy impressive beaches for sunbathing, swimming, and surfing; world-famous snorkelling and diving spots; see one of the most famous sunrises in the world from the Haleakala volcano and ride the legendary Road to Hana, one of the most impressive roads in the world.
Yes, we already know that in the first paragraph we have used the most beautiful phrase in the world a lot, but the island of Maui is gorgeous, and we wanted to write this article to tell you about our experience and the best things to do in Maui, Hawaii 🙂
Route map for Maui, Hawaii
As always, and so that you don’t miss a single thing to do in Maui, we have prepared a map to find all the places and things that we talked about in the post.
What to see and do in Maui
1.- Road to Hana: One of the most beautiful roads in the world.
We have not traveled all the roads in the world but what we can tell you is that we liked it so much that we decided to do the road three days in a row: One during a storm to look for waterfalls (we had to turn around before reaching Hana), another to complete the road and enjoy all its stops and a third day to surf the best beaches in Hana.
Road to Hana is an 84 km road with hundreds of curves and more than 50 bridges, some of them one way, with many sharp curves and stunning views of the coast, the tropical forest, and several waterfalls and cliffs of dozens of meters above sea level.
If you are in Maui, you can’t miss it, either on your own or by hiring an excursion to do it in a group if you prefer not to drive yourself.
With our extensive experience on the route 😀 we advise you to take your time to fully enjoy the road and all the stops you will find. That is why the best thing would be to dedicate two full days to it, one to go, spend the night in Hana, so you don’t have to worry about it getting dark on the road, and the next to return
12 Best Things to Do In Maui Hawaii Molokini Snorkel 2022.
But if you only have one day to do this route or staying in Hana is not within your budget, we recommend that you get up very early and start the road through the south of the island to go against the current and avoid traffic jams.
Indeed, some sections of the southern part of the road are not paved, that is why it is better to take a 4×4 car, but they are tiny sections, and we did not find any problem to do it, in addition, this part of the route has some beautiful views.
Stops on the road to Hana
Here are some of the essential stops on your road trip to Hana.
- Huialoha Church
- Kipahulu Visitor Center
- Seven Sacred Pools at Ohio
- Masahiko Falls
- Pipiwai Trail
- Waimoku Falls
- Wailua Falls Overlook
- Koki Beach Park
- Kaihalulu Beach (Red Sand Beach)
- Black Sand Beach.
- Nahiku Marketplace
- Hinomaru Bay
- Twin Falls
- Jaws Country Store
- To move around Maui, it is best to rent a car to explore it at your leisure. To find the perfect rental car for your trip, whether you want a small car, a Jeep, or an SUV, take a look at the Autoeurope website; it is the complete comparator and with the best prices that we have found. So far to travel to Hawaii.
12 Best Things to Do In Maui Hawaii Molokini Snorkel 2022
As we have already mentioned, making the Road Trip to Hana is essential on your trip to Maui; we recommend you do it on your own to be able to go at your own pace and stop at the places that interest you the most, but if you prefer to do the route with an excursion, you can also do it.
- If you prefer to do a group excursion along the road to Hana, these are the ones that we have found to be the most complete:
- Small-Group Hana Road Tour
- Maui: Highway to Hana Eco Tour with Pickup
2.- Sunrise in Haleakala
They say that seeing the sunrise from the crater of the Haleakala volcano is one of the most beautiful experiences in the world, and we say they say because we couldn’t see it, the storm that we told you about at the beginning of the article prevented us from doing so.
To see the sunrise, you must book your tickets in advance on this national park website ( Tickets to see the light in Haleakala) and arrive very early (About 3 am) to avoid crowds and park without a problem. Remember to bundle up because temperatures can be shallow, 1º C.
Well, when you see your sunrise from Haleakala, do not forget about us and leave us a comment to know your experience; we will have to return to Maui to see it.
- If you prefer, you can also see the sunrise on a group excursion:
- Maui: Haleakala National Park and Sunrise Tour
3.- Southwest Maui Beaches
If you can, take a day to enjoy the beaches of South Maui, they are perfect for snorkeling or relaxing in the sun. Here we leave you some of the best.
- Makena Beach (our favorite).
- Wailea beach
- Kamala Beach
- Kihei Beach
- Palauea Beach
- beach polo
– Jaws: The most significant wave in HawaiiThis wave is one of the most famous in the world of big wave surfing; when it is at its maximum, it can reach between 15 and 20 meters in height.
Its name (jaws in Spanish) comes from some surfers who put it on after a session when the big waves suddenly arrived.
To see if you have to take a dirt road of about 2 kilometers, we strongly recommend you not drive your rental car. Taking a 20-minute walk, you will be at the viewpoint of a cliff from where you can see the wave perfectly. It may be that the day you decide to go to see Jaws, there are no waves, so before taking the ride, check the Jaws swell forecast.
5.- Jaws Country Store: Banana Bread
If you are going to go to the viewpoint to see Jaws, the giant wave, or you are doing the Road to Hana, stop at this little shop and try their Banana Bread; we loved it.
6.- Northeast of the island
The island’s northeast is a very touristy area full of resorts, luxury hotels, and golf courses. Still, in this area, you will also find some of the best beaches on the island for snorkeling in summer and surfing in winter.
The sunsets in the northeast of the island are stunning.
While enjoying one of these sunsets, we had the opportunity to spot humpback whales from the coast.
The most popular beaches in Northwest Maui are:
- Kaanapali Beach
- Honolua Bay
- Mokuleia Bay
7.- Kahekili Highway Scenic Route (Highway 340)
We did the scenic Kahekili Highway (highway 340) to tour the island’s west and see some of the best beaches in Maui that we told you about in the previous point.
It is a very narrow road with dizzying curves, and some parts are not paved. We read a lot before going through it, and if the day is good, you like to drive, and you are not in a hurry to reach your destination, it is an experience that we recommend 100% because the views are beautiful.
The best stops on this route are:
- Olive Pools
- Nakalele Blowhole
- Honolua Bay (It is a trendy beach for snorkeling in summer and surfing in winter)
- Makaluapuna Point
- To rent a car and travel around Maui, we recommend doing it through Autoeurope.
8 – Surfing
You are in Hawaii, the cradle of surfing, so whichever island you visit, spending time on a board catching waves is a great idea. You cannot leave Hawaii without practicing the “sport of kings.”
You’ll find the most significant waves at Honolua Bay and Hookipa Beach during the winter. We have already told you about Jaws, although this wave is only suitable for professionals.
If you are a beginner or want to learn to surf, it is better to go to the beaches in the south of Maui ( Lahaina and Kine i) or in the west ( Kaanapali beach ) to take a class.
- If you are interested in taking a surf lesson, we have seen that many schools offer them in Kihei (South Maui area). Take a look at these:
- Maui: Private Surf Lesson in Kihei
- Small-Group Surf Lesson in Kihei
- Maui: Kihei Group Surf Lesson
9.- Whale watching
During whale-watching season, from late November to late April, thousands of humpback whales migrate from Alaska to mate and give birth in warmer tropical waters off Hawaii.
We had the opportunity to see them on several occasions from the coast, and, as we had come to see whales in Australia and New Zealand, we decided not to take the cruise to see them up close in Hawaii as well. But if you haven’t seen humpback whales up close yet, it’s an unforgettable experience.
- These tours have ecological certificates, and we have found that the excursions are great.
- Maui: Whale Watching Eco Tour from Ma’alaea Harbor
- Maui: Deluxe Whale Watching with Lunch
10.- Snorkeling and diving
At most South and West Maui beaches, you can strap on a pair of goggles and a snorkel and dive in to explore the seabed off the island of Maui.
The best-known areas for snorkeling and diving in Maui are:
- Black Rock Beach
- Molokini Island (Only accessible by boat)
- If you want to do a snorkeling excursion, here we leave you some that we have found absorbing:
- West Coast Kayak and Snorkel Tour
- Maui: Molokini and Turtle Town Eco Tour with Lunch
- Snorkeling experience for beginners with a sea scooter
- Maui: Molokini and Turtle Town Snorkel with Lunch
- If you like diving here, we leave you some of the best tours with an ecological certificate:
- Maui: Eco Night Snorkeling Tour for Certified Divers
- Ecological Conservation Diving Experience
- Beginner Scuba Diving Tour from Lahaina
- Maui: Two-Tank Lanai Scuba Diving Adventure to Cathedrals
12.- Luau
Another exciting thing to do in Maui is to see a Luau, the shows with Hawaiian music and dance where you can learn more about the Polynesian culture.
- The best Maui Luaus are:
- Maui: Myths of Maui Luau with All-Inclusive Buffet
- Maui: Mokapu Feast, Farm-to-Plate Luau, Wailea
Where to stay in Maui
When you start looking for accommodation in Maui, you will already realize how expensive the island is, but there are always options for cheaper tourism.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, we advise you to book your hotel as soon as possible to not miss out on the best value for money accommodation.
We booked late and ended up staying at The Northshore Hostel Maui, quite basic, but the cheapest we found when we booked. Here we leave you the hotels that we had booked:
- Maui What a Wonderful World Bed & Breakfast
- Hakuna Matata Maui Hostel
- Lahaina Inn
- Days Inn by Wyndham Maui Oceanfront
Tips for traveling to Maui, Hawaii
Very briefly, after telling you about the best places to visit in Maui (Hawaii), we want to give you some tips that we would have liked to know before visiting Maui:
- If you are going to do the famous Road to Hana (and it is essential on any route through Maui), plan at least two days to enjoy it as it deserves, if you can, because your pocket allows it, stay one night in Hana.
- If you decide to stay in Hana and don’t want to break the bank, we advise you to look at Booking‘s apartments because hotel prices are prohibitive.
- We believe that it is best to rent a car to explore Maui, and we also advise you to rent a 4×4, it is not mandatory, but you will feel safer when you travel through some sections of the island’s roads.
- The best website that we have seen on the internet to compare rental car companies with varied car options, jeep among them, is Autoeurope.
12 Best Things to Do In Maui Hawaii Molokini Snorkel 2022
- Book your accommodations well in advance, or you will regret it. The best hotels and vacation apartments with good value for money sell out quickly. Take a look at Booking.com as soon as possible.
- Although traveling during December, January and February have the advantages that you will be able to see humpback whales and that the accommodation prices on the island are a little lower, be prepared that the weather can play tricks on you.
- We traveled in February, and we had the bad luck to coincide with a storm that did not let us enjoy the island’s beaches or the sunrise from Haleakala. You are warned.
- And don’t forget to take out suitable travel insurance; you already know how expensive health care can be in the United States. We always travel with Iati Seguros.
You already know what to do in Maui; now, if you are organizing a trip, these resources will come in handy:
- To find the cheapest flights to Hawaii: Skyscanner.
- To compare among the best car rental companies in Hawaii: Autoeurope.
- Compare and book hotels and apartments in Maui with: Booking.com.
- To find the best excursions and tours in Maui with get Your Guide.
- Do not forget to take out travel insurance; you will get a 5% discount: Iati Seguros in this link.
- To see all the articles we have written about Hawaii, follow this link: Post Hawaii Time to Explore
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What should you not miss on Maui? Please comment below about activities we may have missed.
- LEARN TO SURF. Lessons are available now! …
- WITNESS A HALEAKALA SUNRISE. …
- TRANSFORM INTO A MERMAID. …
- EXPLORE THE ROAD TO HANA. …
- VISIT MOLOKINI CRATER. …
- COMBINE SNORKELING & KAYAKING. …
- PAIA TOWN. …
- GO WHALE WATCHING.
What should I do in Maui for a week? In One Week in Maui
- Day 1: Arriving & Seeing Kapalua Beach.
- Day 2: Going Up a 10,000-Foot Volcano & Down Again.
- Day 3: Driving the Hana Highway.
- Day 4: Spending a Day in Heavenly Hana.
- Day 5: Enjoying Wine, Food & (Hawaiian) Song.
- Day 6: Sailing to Lanai.
- Day 7: Relaxing & Shopping.
What Maui is known for?
Maui, known also as “The Valley Isle,” is the second-largest Hawaiian island. The island beloved for its world-famous beaches, the sacred Iao Valley, views of migrating humpback whales (during winter months), farm-to-table cuisine and the magnificent sunrise and sunset from Haleakala.
How much money do you need to go to Maui for a week?
A vacation to Maui for one week usually costs around $1,541 for one person. So, a trip to Maui for two people costs around $3,081 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $6,163 in Maui.
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