There are so many reasons to love Maui, from the gorgeous beaches in Wailea to the cooler climates of Makawao. But there are things that are unique to the Valley Isle—things you won’t find anywhere else in Hawaiʻi.
1. Haleakalā Silverswords
Silverswords growing in Haleakalā National Park on Maui.
Photo: Getty Images/kaiao
Atop Haleakalā, the dormant volcano that dominates Maui, grow silverswords, or ʻahinahina, that are specific to this region. (The silverswords found on Mauna Kea on Hawaiʻi Island are slightly different.) The silvery hairs, fleshy leaves and low-growing rosette form allow it to survive in hot, dry climates like the aeolian desert cinder slopes of this crater. At one time, these plants, which can grow taller than the average human, were rapidly disappearing, due to feral goats and visitors uprooting them as souvenirs. Today, it’s a federally threatened species.
2. Dry Mein
Dry mein from Sam Sato’s on Maui.
Photo: Catherine Toth Fox
Dry mein is a style of saimin (another uniquely Hawaiʻi dish) where the noodles are served dry and the broth in a separate bowl. The broth—or dashi in Japanese—tends to be more concentrated. You dip the noodles into the broth before eating them. This is a noodle dish found only on Maui—and Sam Sato’s in Wailuku is famous for it.
3. Largest Rock Heiau in Hawaiʻi
Piʻilanihale Heiau in Hāna on Maui.
Photo: Getty Images/Jim Ekstrand
In Kahanu Garden in Hāna is an immense lava-rock platform that spans more than 400 feet. This is Piʻilanihale Heiau, the largest heiau (place of worship, temple) in all of Polynesia and the best preserved one in the Hawaiian Islands. Archaeologists believe construction on this massive structure began as early as AD 1200 and was built in phases. The heiau measure 341 feet by 415 feet at the top with a front wall rising to 50 feet. This National Historic Landmark is considered one of the most important archeological sites in Hawaiʻi.
4. Kiwikiu, Maui Parrotbill
The critically endangered saffron Maui parrotbill is endemic to Maui; meaning it exists nowhere else on Earth. The name is combination of the Hawaiian words kiwi (curved, referring to its beak) and kiu (the cold, brisk breeze that blows across the forests above Makawao, where this bird lives). It’s critically endangered.
5. Molokini
Molokini off Maui.
Photo: Getty Images/M.M. Sweet
Located 3 miles from Maui’s southwestern coast, Molokini is a small, crescent-shaped, uninhabited island surrounded by reef teeming with fish. The crystal-clear waters offer outstanding visibility to see more than 250 species of tropical fish, spinner dolphins and honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles). Molokini is only reachable by boat, and there are snorkeling and scuba tours to this islet daily.
6. First Fishpond in Hawaiʻi
According to Hawaiʻi moʻolelo (stories), Kūʻula, a fisherman with supernatural powers, built the first Hawaiian fishpond on Maui. Loko ʻai were once prominent along the shores of all the inhabited Hawaiian Islands. By the late 1700s, there were more than 400 fishponds in operation across the Islands, producing an estimated 2 million pounds of fish a year. Today, most of them have fallen into disrepair, but there are local community organizations aimed at restoring them. Kalepolepo Beach in Kīhei is a historically significant fishpond that you can visit.
7. Pink Algae
Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo: Courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service-Pacific Region
When Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge turned pink this year, it made headlines. Researchers discovered that halophilic (thriving in salt conditions) prokaryotes, also known as archaea and bacteria, were likely the cause of the brightly colored water. Fortunately, halobacteria are not considered to be a public health threat.
8. Hawaiʻi’s Oldest Winery
Taste wine made from Maui-grown grapes at MauiWines.
Photo: Courtesy of MauiWines
For more than 40 years, grapes have been growing on the slopes of Haleakalā on Maui. MauiWine farms 23 acres at ʻUlupalakua, at an elevation of 1,700 to 1,850 feet. It cultivates six grape varietals that the company uses for its wines. Its cellar, winemaking facilities and tasting rooms are housed in historical buildings, refitted from the former Rose Ranch estate. Here, you can sample MauiWine’s unique vinos while overlooking stunning views of the island.
9. Guri Guri
Tasaka Guri Guri Shop has the signature Maui cool treat, guri guri, which fits somewhere between sherbet and ice cream.
Photo: Dawn Sakamoto Paiva
Guri guri is a hybrid of sherbet and ice cream that’s become a Maui staple. The only place to get it is at Tasaka Guri Guri in the Maui Mall. This mom-and-pop shop has been serving this creamy Maui speciality for more than a century.
10. Hawaiʻi’s Only Lavender Farm
Aliʻi Kula Lavender Farm on Maui.
Photo: David Croxford
Located at 4,000 feet above sea level, on the verdant slopes of Haleakalā is Aliʻi Kula Lavender, a family-run lavender farm. It sprawls over 13.5 acres and is home to about 55,000 lavender plants and 20 different varieties of lavender. Best to go in the summer, when lavender typically blooms. (The farm does grow a handful of lavender that blooms all year.) You explore on your own or sip lavender tea in the garden.
11. Road to Hāna
Hāna Highway on Maui.
Photo: Getty Images/dan_prat
The winding coastal Road to Hāna (Hāna Highway) is one of the most scenic drives in Hawaiʻi. The 64-mile route connects the towns of Kahului and Hāna, which, because of its remoteness, feels like old Hawaiʻi. Thanks to the more than 600 curves and about a dozen one-lane bridges, it takes about three hours to get there—longer if you stop along the way, which we recommend. There are waterfalls, beaches and roadside stands selling some of the best banana bread you’ll ever have.
