 Welcome
to the Island of Maui
Please use our Interactive
Map of the Hawaiian Islands page to get a better idea of the "lay
of the land" on Maui.
The Island of Maui is known as the "Valley Isle" because of
the huge valley between its two volcanoes. It's no accident that for
the eleventh consecutive year, Maui has been voted "The Best Island
in the World"
by the Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards Poll.
Maui has so much to offer within its limited forty-eight mile long and
two mile high package. There are as many different climatic zones here
as exist along the entire coast extending from Alaska to Costa Rica.
These variations extend from the hot and balmy white sand beach coastlines
of Kihei, Makena, Kaanapali and Lahaina to the occasional snow covered
peaks of Mount Haleakala, to the wild jungle of Hana, to the desert scapes
of lower Kanaio, to the eucalyptus forests of Ulupalakua or Olinda, to
the the Redwood forests of of Polipoli or to the rain-drenched slopes
of the second wettest spot on Earth, Puu Kukui.
Each area has its own unique charm and provides a venue for its own
unique form of island activities. Stargazing
tours can be found at the top of Haleakala. Downhill
bike tours cruise from the crater top to the beaches below. Horseback expeditions
ride down into the bowl of the crater. Zip-line
tours glide over upcountry Kula. Visit Tom Barefoot's unique Maui
Spa Retreat that can be found in the Olinda eucalyptus forest region.
 Fantastic snorkeling and sailing tours
and activities are available on half-day trips out to the close-by island
of Molokini.
Great diving abounds
off Molokini and
the nearby island of Lanai. ATV
rides climb over upcountry ranch lands. World famous surfing,
windsurfing and kitesurfing can
be found off Maui's North Shore.
 The
seacoast town of Lahaina provides a departure point for parasailing flights,
rafting adventures, dinner
and sunset cruises, whale
watching tours, submarine and glassbottom boat
rides, and fishing
charters as well as being a mecca for shopping, restaurants, spectacular evening
shows and art galleries which are famous through out the Pacific.
A wide variety of luaus are
found in the Lahaina and Kaanapali areas as well as South Maui. In addition,
the whole island can be enjoyed via a host of different land
tours or horseback rides
and of course above it all you will be thrilled by the breathtaking sights
to be seen from Maui's lofty helicopter fleet.
No Hawaiian island offers so much to the visitor as Maui, the Valley
Isle.
Air
Tours - Fixed Wing in Maui - Fixed wing air tours on Maui can
simply fly over the island of Maui but the most popular of them
are those that either include the erupting volcanoes of the Big
Island of Hawaii or those that include a tour to Father Damiens
Leper Colony on the island of Molokai. The Father Damien trips
actually land on the famous Kaulapapa Peninsula and tour the leper
colony on land for four hours before your airplane comes back to
pick you up on your return trip to Maui.
 ATV
Off-Road Tours in Maui - All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
is a popular ways to get around on Maui, either
on or off the road. There's nothing like exploring Maui on
an ATV. Maui's ATV tours visit the upper regions of Haleakala Ranch
and offer a rare glance at Maui's indigenous rainforest.
Bike
Tours in Maui - Thousands of downhill biking enthusiasts have
experienced this adventure since 1982. Of all the activities on
Maui, this bike ride can't be done anywhere else on earth.
Dinner
Cruises in Maui - Dinner cruises usually include: full dinner,
an open bar, live entertainment and the best show of all: the islands,
the sea, the mountain peaks, clouds, sun, stars, and - as often
as heavenly possible - the moon. Maui dinner cruises depart from
both Lahaina and Maalaea harbor.
Diving
- Scuba Tours in Maui - There are many wonderful scuba diving
spots on Maui. Probably the best known is Molokini crater. Many
people snorkel there but scuba divers have a much wider range.
They can dive the crater, the outer reef, or Molokini's backside "wall" which
appears to descend straight down and disappear into the abyss.
Many scuba enthusiasts think this is the most exciting dive of
all. Another popular dive is off the shoreline of Maui's island
neighbor, Lanai.
Dolphin
Watching Tours in Maui - Unlike Maui's famous Humpback whales,
dolphins are year-round residents of Hawaii and can be seen off
all the Hawaiian islands during virtually every month of the year.
The best spots to see them off Maui are the Kanaio coastline and
off the coast of Lanai.
Fishing
Charters in Maui - Maui's deep sea fishing charters usually
depart from either Lahaina or Maalaea Harbors. These fishing charters
come in 4 hour, 6 hour or 8 hour tours and can be either "share
boats" where you go out will other anglers or "private
charters" in which you rent the entire boat for just yourself
or your family and friends. The very best are probably the 6 and
8 hour trips which allow you the time to get to the deeper waters
where the big fish are generally found.
Health
and Wellness in Maui - Maui has always been known for its "counter
culture" interest in health and wellness. Practitioners of
many modalities including massage, aromatherapy, and various forms
of body work can be found can be found in different parts of the
island. One of the very best spas on the island can be found in
the beautiful Olinda region of Maui at the Maui Spa Retreat. This
exclusive and private spa is extremely personalized and includes
various forms of massage, body wraps and advanced aromatherapy
techniques at a breath-taking location in the high forest with
one-of-a-kind views of the island below.
 Helicopter
Tours in Maui - View isolated valleys, hidden waterfalls, secluded
ridges, triple-canopy rainforests, and mountain summits. Some areas
are so dense and rugged they are impossible to traverse on foot.
Some species of animal and plant life are so isolated in their
Maui habitat they exist only in their own little valley and nowhere
else in the world. Maui's most popular helicopter tours are probably
the 45 minute trips the include a visit to both the crater of Haleakala
and Hana but some of the most comprehensive helicopter tours include
the full island of Maui and those that fly over Maui's West Maui
Mountains and then over Molokai's fantastic northern coastline
and Father Damien's leper colony.
Hiking
Tours in Maui - Maui has more hiking trails per square miles
than most National Parks. Tours are available to visit the crater
floor of Haleakala which will take a full day or less strenuous
tours will take you to beautiful waterfalls throughout the island.
These Maui hiking tours provide some of the most rewarding experiences
of all the Maui activities.
 Horseback
Riding Tours in Maui - Riding stables and working ranches are
located from Kapalua in West Maui to Makena in South Maui and from
Waihee Valley to Hana. All will want to know your level of experience
so you can be matched up with a horse that will be appropriate.
If you're a beginner, don't worry, we've seen your kind before.
If you're a veteran equestrian we have rides that are a bit more
challenging.
Inter-Island
Excursions from
Maui - Don't forget that you can choose
to visit another island for a day while still staying on Maui.
Special one-day trips are offered that fly you to the Big Island
to view the lava in Volcano's National Park or to visit Pearl Harbor
on Oahu. These are great ways to get another island adventure into
your schedule without having to change islands or to change hotel
rooms.
Kayaking
Tours in Maui - Kayaking tours are some of the most marine
intensive excursions that are offered on Maui. These Maui activities
are usually two to three hours in length but can be longer. Early
morning is usually the best time for these kayak tours when the
ocean is calm and still. Many areas along Maui's coastline provide
great spots for kayaking but some of the best are Turtle Town off
South Maui, 1000 peaks off west Maui and Honolua Bay off the coast
of Maui's northwest shore.
Lanai
Tours in Maui - Lanai is another popular dive destination.
Just one of many spots around this island is "Cathedrals," so
named because from underwater, looking up through its labyrinth
of coral formations and caves, the sun's rays and shafts of light
shimmering down create the illusion of being in a cathedral. Lanai
also has ferry service from Maui which travels back and forth four
times each day.
Land
Tours in Maui - Each bend of the narrow, winding road carved
along the Hana coastline curves into a valley of waterfalls and
fresh water pools. Dense jungle and rainforest are so thick in
places you wonder how anyone could have made the trek before the
Hana Highway. Other Maui land tours include tours to Haleakala
Crater and to the Iao Valley. We even have land tours that travel
one way visiting Hana and then return back to central Maui via
helicopter.
Luaus
in Maui - A party. Food, drink, dance, music and much aloha.
Hawaii is the only place where you can attend truly authentic Hawaiian
luaus. Maui is well known to have some of the very best luaus in
the State of Hawaii. We highly recommend you take one in while
you're on Maui but remember to book early as some of the very best
Maui luaus are often booked many weeks in advance.
Molokini
Snorkeling in Maui - Molokini Island Crater is actually the
tip of an extinct volcano, barely peeking above the ocean surface
between Maui and Kahoolawe. Visibility is often 150 feet, tropical
fish are everywhere, and its sheer cliffs and rugged beauty are
often the focus of professional photographers. Snorkel trips to
Molokini will often include a second location off the coast of
South Maui called Turtle Town.
Motorcycle
and Car Rentals in Maui - Motorcycles and Cars are popular ways
to get around on Maui. There's nothing like touring the valley island
on a Harley or in an exotic car, driving to the summit of Haleakala.
 Parasailing
Tours in Maui - On Maui the flip side of whale watching is
parasailing. When whale season ends on May 15, parasail season
begins and stays with us until whale season begins again on December
16. These are usually found just off the coast of West Maui at
Lahaina and Kaanapali. Early morning is usually the best time to
schedule your parasail flight on Maui as the water are calmest
and the winds are minimal.
Sightseeing
Tours in Maui - Each bend of the narrow, winding road carved
along the Hana coastline curves into a valley of waterfalls and
fresh water pools. Dense jungle and rainforest are so thick in
places you wonder how anyone could have made the trek before the
Hana Highway. Other Maui land tours include tours to Haleakala
Crater and to the Iao Valley. We even have land tours that travel
one way visiting Hana and then return back to central Maui via
helicopter.
Snorkeling
Tours in Maui - There's a reason people love snorkeling on
Maui. The ocean waters surrounding Maui and its neighbor islands
of Lanai and Molokini are comfortably warm, have great visibility
(often in excess of 100 feet), and are teeming with beautiful coral
formations and colorful tropical fish. Once again, the best time
to schedule these snorkeling excursions on Maui is generally in
the morning when the ocean is calm and the winds are gentle.
 Submarine
and Glassbottom Boat Tours in Maui - When was the last time
you were on a submarine? Never? If you're one of the few who have
been on a submarine, I'll bet it didn't have windows! Here's your
chance to board a $4.5 million submarine, dive to a depth of 150
feet, and cruise around the ocean floor for an hour - and see everything
out there from the best vantage point possible. Sound exciting?
It is!
 Sunset
Sailing Tours in Maui - Many vessels on Maui can take you on
a sunset cruise, most leaving from Lahaina harbor. Catamarans,
sloops, schooners, and even power vessels - no matter what boat
on Maui you take, one thing is certain, it will be the beginning
of an evening you will remember for a long time to come.
Surfing
Lessons in Maui - Hawaii and surfing are inseparable to many
people. After all, it was the sport of the ancient Hawaiians and
is even more popular today. Maui's abundant coastline offers big
waves for veteran surfers and spots suitable for beginners.
Theatres
and Shows in Maui - For years entertainment on Maui in the
evenings was limited to luaus or dinner cruises. This is not the
case today as Maui has some world class theatrical presentations
and shows that rival those of many of the artistic and sophisticated
cities on the mainland. In fact, we are always cognizant of reminding
visitors to make sure they keep a few evenings free during their
vacations to make sure they have room for one or two of these special
Maui theatre presentations in addition to their luau.
Visit
Another Island from Maui - Don't forget that you can choose
to visit another island for a day while still staying on Maui.
Special one-day trips are offered that fly you to the Big Island
to view the lava in Volcano's National Park or to visit Pearl Harbor
on Oahu. These are great ways to get another island adventure into
your schedule without having to change islands or to change hotel
rooms.
Water
Skiing and Wake Boarding in Maui - offers water skiing and
wakeboarding from a 23' SKI Supreme V232 Boat, with a 1000 lb.
ballast system that creates one of the most enjoyable rides on
the water, great for the pro-wakeboarding shredder. Features a
built in cooler, wrapped lounge seating, deep V entry for a smooth
ride, bimini cover, godzilla tower and high impact stereo.
Whale
Watching Tours in Maui - Narration and interpretation of whale
movements are provided on Maui whale watching boats. You'll find
yourself wanting to know more about these fascinating creatures.
Remember that these tours operate between December 15th and May
15th. The very best months of the year to see them are late January
through early April when they are on Maui in full force.
Zipline
Tours and Adventures in Maui - Zipline tours are a fairly recent
activity to appear on Maui, but Maui zipline tours are certainly
one of the most popular activities on Maui and are often booked
weeks in advance. These zipline tours are exciting and involve
a little hiking as well. Some of our favorite zipline tours are
those that are in combination with the ATV tours that tour the
Haleakala Ranch on Maui.
Maui - General Information:
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at
727.2 square miles (1883.5 km²) and is the 17th largest island in
the United States. Maui is part of the State of Hawaii and is the largest
island in Maui County. Three other islands, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai
belong to Maui County. Together, the four islands are known as Maui
Nui. As of 2000, Maui has a resident population of 117,644, which
is ranked third within the state behind the islands of Oahu and Hawaii.
Native Hawaiian tradition gives the origin of the island's name in the
legend of Hawaiiloa, the Polynesian navigator attributed with discovery
of the Hawaiian Islands. The story relates how he named the island of
Maui after his son who in turn was named for the demigod Māui. According
to legend, the demigod Māui raised all the Hawaiian Islands from
the sea. The Island of Maui is also called the "Valley Isle" for
the large fertile isthmus between its two volcanoes.
Maui - History:
Polynesians, from Tahiti and the Marquesas, were the original peoples
to populate Maui. The Tahitians introduced the kapu system, a strict
social order that affected all aspects of life and became the core of
Hawaiian culture. Modern Hawaiian history began in the mid-1700s. King
Kamehameha I took up residence (and later made his capital) in Lāhainā after
conquering Maui in 1790, during the bloody Battle of Kepaniwai.
On November 26, 1778, Captain James Cook became the first European explorer
to see Maui. Cook never set foot on the island because he was unable
to find a suitable landing. The first European to visit Maui was the
French admiral Jean François de Galaup de La Pérouse, who
landed on the shores of what is now known as La Perouse Bay on May 29,
1786. More Europeans followed: traders, whalers, loggers (e.g., of sandalwood)
and missionaries. The missionaries began to arrive from New England in
1823, choosing Lāhainā because it was the capital. They clothed
the natives, banned them from dancing hula, and greatly altered the culture.
They tried to keep whalers and sailors out of the bawdy houses. The missionaries
taught reading and writing, created the 12-letter Hawaiian alphabet,
started a printing press in Lāhainā, and began writing the
islands' history, which until then existed only as oral accounts. Ironically,
the work of the missionaries both altered and preserved the native culture.
The religious work altered the culture while the literacy efforts preserved
native history and language for posterity. They started the first school
in Lāhainā, which still exists today: Lāhaināluna
Mission School. The Mission school opened in 1831 and was the first secondary
school to open west of the Rocky Mountains.
At the height of the whaling era (1840-1865), Lāhainā was
a major whaling center with anchorage in Lāhainā Roads; in
one season over 400 ships visited Lāhainā and the greatest
number of ships berthed at one time was about 100. A given ship tended
to stay months rather than days which explains the drinking and prostitution
in the town at that time. Whaling declined steeply at the end of the
19th century as crude oil (petroleum) replaced whale oil.
Kamehameha's descendants reigned in the islands until 1872. They were
followed by rulers from another ancient family of chiefs, including Queen
Liliuokalani who ruled in 1893 when the monarchy was overthrown. One
year later, the Republic of Hawaii was founded. The island was annexed
by the United States in 1898 and made a territory in 1900. Hawaii became
the 50th U.S. state in 1959.
Maui was centrally involved in the Pacific Theatre of World War II as
a staging center, training base, and for rest and relaxation. At the
peak in 1943-44, the number of troops stationed on Maui exceeded 100,000.
The main base of the 4th Marines was in Haiku. Beaches (e.g., in Kīhei)
were used for practice landings and training in marine demolition and
sabotage.
Maui - Modern Development:
The island has experienced rapid population growth in recent years (e.g.,
4.6% in 2001/2002) with Kīhei one of the most rapidly growing towns
in the U.S. (see chart, below). The growth is occurring because many
people, having visited Maui, decide to move or retire to the island.
Population growth—partly due to an influx of new people, typically
from Canada and the U.S. mainland—is producing strains, including
growing traffic congestion on many of the major roads. There is concern
about the availability of affordable housing and access to water. Property
prices have risen to levels such that families on average incomes find
it difficult to afford renting or buying a home. Property developers
have insufficient regulatory or financial incentive to build less expensive
(affordable) homes. Maui County Council has been investigating ways of
changing the situation.
There have been long-standing concerns about the reliability of Maui's
potable water supply; droughts have been declared in most recent years
and the Īao aquifer is being drawn from at what some believe are
unsustainable rates of above 18 million US gallons (68,000 m³) per
day. While the long-term situation remains unclear and reliable supply
has not been secured, recent estimates indicate that the total potential
supply of potable water on Maui is around 476 million US gallons (1,800,000
m³) per day, many times greater than any foreseeable demand.
At one time in the not too distant past, sugar cane cultivation used
over 80% of the island's water supply (The Water Development Plan of
Maui, 1992 – Present). One pound of refined sugar requires a ton
of water to produce. The water used for sugar cultivation is taken mostly
from the streams of East Maui, routed though a network of tunnels and
ditches hand dug by Chinese labor over a century ago. Controversy exists
as to whether the sugar companies have a right to monopolize water from
ditches dug on leased public land transporting public water. In 2006,
the town of Paia successfully petitioned the County against mixing in
treated water from wells known to be contaminated with both EDB and DBCP
from former pineapple cultivation in the area. Agricultural companies
have been released from all future liability for these chemicals (County
of Maui, 1999).
There is a great deal of discussion about the meaning of—and the
way to achieve—smart development. There clearly exists a tension
between economic growth and urbanization on the one hand, and the wish
to preserve the beauty of Maui and a relaxed way of life on the other.
In the past there existed a pro-growth bias in policy with developers
and politicians working together to stimulate the economy; now the balance
has swung toward more sensitive consideration of community concerns about
the dangers of uncontrolled growth and development.
Maui - Geology and Topography:
Maui's wide variety of landscapes have resulted from a unique combination
of geology, topography, and climate. Each volcanic cone in the chain
of the Hawaiian Islands is built of dark, iron-rich/quartz-poor rocks,
which poured out of thousands of vents as highly fluid lava, over a period
of millions of years. Several of the volcanoes were close enough to each
other that lava flows on their flanks overlapped one another, causing
several volcanoes to merge into a single island. Maui is such a "volcanic
doublet", formed from two shield volcanoes that overlapped one another
to form an isthmus between them.
The older, western volcano has been eroded considerably and is cut by
numerous drainages, forming the peaks of the West Maui Mountains (in
Hawaiian Mauna Kahalawai). Pu'u Kukui is the highest of the peaks at
5,788 feet. The larger, younger volcano to the east, Haleakala, rises
to more than 10,000 feet (3,050 m) above sea level, but measures five
miles (8 km) from seafloor to summit. The eastern flanks of both volcanoes
are cut by deeply incised valleys and steep-sided ravines that run downslope
to the rocky, windswept shoreline. The valley-like Isthmus of Maui that
separates the two volcanic masses was formed by recent lava flows and
erosion of material from the steep slopes of the volcanoes. This prominent
topographic feature is the reason why Maui is known as "The Valley
Isle".
The last eruption (originating in Haleakala's Southwest Rift Zone) occurred
around 1790; two of the resulting lava flows are located (1) at Cape
Kina'u between Ahihi Bay and La Perouse Bay on the southwest shore of
East Maui, and (2) at Makaluapuna Point on Honokahua Bay on the northwest
shore of West Maui. Although considered to be dormant by volcanologists,
Haleakala is certainly capable of further eruptions.
The island of Maui is one of the four main Hawaiian Islands that formed
the much larger island, Maui Nui that submerged about 200,000 years ago,
and is now about 500 m below sea level. The other three islands that
made this prehistoric island are Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
Maui - Climate:
The climate of the Hawaiian Islands is characterized by a two-season
year, mild and uniform temperatures everywhere (except at high elevations),
marked geographic differences in rainfall, high relative humidity, extensive
cloud formations (except on the driest coasts and at high elevations),
and dominant trade-wind flow (especially at elevations below a few thousand
feet). Maui itself has a wide range of climatic conditions and weather
patterns that are influenced by several different factors in the physical
environment:
- Half of Maui is situated within five miles of the island's coastline.
This, and the extreme insularity of the Hawaiian Islands themselves
account for the strong marine influence on Maui's climate.
- Gross weather patterns are often determined by an area's elevation
and whether it faces into or away from the Trade winds (prevailing
air flow from the northeast quadrant).
- Maui’s rugged, irregular topography produces marked variations
in conditions from one locality to another. Air swept inland on the
Trade winds is shunted one way or another by the mountains, valleys,
and vast open slopes. This complex three-dimensional flow of air results
in striking differences from place to place in wind speed, cloud formation,
and rainfall. When irregular topography is combined with variations
in elevation, marked differences in air temperature are the result.
- One of the most distinctive features of Hawaii’s climate is
the small annual variation in air temperature range. This is because
there is only a slight variation in length of night and day from one
part of Hawaii to another because all its islands lie within a narrow
latitude band. The small variations in the length of the daylight period,
together with the smaller annual variations in the altitude of the
sun above the horizon, result in relatively small variations in the
amount of incoming solar energy from one time of the year to another.
This factor, and the location of Hawaii in mid-ocean contribute to
Hawaii’s pleasant climate. The surface waters of the open ocean
around Hawaii have an average temperature that ranges from 73° to
74°F between late February and early April, to a maximum of 79° to
80°F in late September or early October. With air temperatures
this mild for hundreds of miles around, the air that reaches Hawaii
is neither very hot nor very cold. Temperatures of 90°F and above
are quite uncommon (with the exception of dry, leeward areas). In the
leeward areas, temperatures may reach into the low 90’s several
days during the year, but temperatures higher than these are unusual.
- The other reason for the small variation in air temperature is the
nearly constant flow of fresh ocean air across the islands. Just as
the temperature of the ocean surface varies comparatively little from
season to season, so also does the temperature of air that has moved
great distances across the ocean; the air brings with it to the land
the mild temperature regime characteristic of the surrounding ocean.
In the central North Pacific, the Trade winds represent the outflow
of air from the great region of high pressure, the Pacific Anticyclone,
typically located well north and east of the Hawaiian Islands. The
Pacific High, and with it the trade-wind zone, moves north and south
with changing angle of the sun, so that it reaches its northernmost
position in the summer. This brings the heart of the trade winds across
Hawaii during the period of May through September, when the Trade winds
are prevalent 80 to 95 percent of the time. From October through April,
the heart of the Trade winds moves south of Hawaii; however, the Trade
winds still blow across the islands much of the time. They provide
a system of natural year-long ventilation throughout the islands and
bring to the land the mild, warm temperatures characteristic of air
that has moved great distances across tropical waters.
These seemingly contradictory factors combine to create a unique and
diverse set of climatic conditions, each of which is specific to a loosely
defined sub-region of the island chain. These sub-regions are defined
by major physiographic features (such as mountains and valleys) and by
location (i.e., is it on the windward or leeward side of the island).
These sub-regions (and their characteristic climates) are as follows.
- Windward Lowlands – Below 2,000 feet on north-
to northeast-sides of an island. Region is oriented roughly perpendicular
to direction of flow of prevailing trade winds. Moderately rainy; frequent
trade wind-induced showers. Skies are often cloudy to partly cloudy.
Air temperatures are more uniform (and mild) than those of other regions.
- Leeward Lowlands – Daytime temperatures are
a little higher and nighttime temperatures are lower than in windward
locations. Dry weather is prevalent, with the exception of sporadic
trade winds showers that drift over from the mountains to windward
and during short-duration storms.
- Interior Lowlands – Intermediate conditions,
often sharing characteristics of other lowland sub-regions. Occasionally
experience intense local afternoon showers from well-developed clouds
that formed due to local heating of the land during the day.
- Leeward Side High-Altitude Mountain Slopes with High Rainfall – Extensive
cloud cover and rainfall all year long. Mild temperatures are prevalent,
but humidity is higher than any other sub-region.
- Lower Mountain Slopes on Leeward Side – Rainfall
is higher than on the adjacent leeward lowlands, but much less than
at similar altitudes on the windward side; however, maximum rainfall
usually occurs leeward of the crests of lower mountains. Temperatures
are higher than on the rainy slopes of the windward sides of mountains;
cloud cover is almost as extensive.
- High Mountains – Above about 3,000 feet on
Haleakala, rainfall decreases rapidly with elevation. Relative humidity
may be ten percent or less. The lowest temperatures in the state are
experienced in this region: air temperatures below freezing are common.
Other aspects of Maui's climate
The wind patterns on Maui and the other islands are very complex. Though
the trade winds are fairly constant in speed and duration, their relatively
uniform air flow is distorted and disrupted by mountains, hills, and
valleys. Light to moderate mountain winds are prevalent in the more mountainous
areas of Maui. The usual regime is to have upslope winds by day and downslope
winds by night. Local conditions that produce occasional violent winds
are not well understood, even though the general causes of these winds
can be surmised. These are very localized winds, observed only in a few
areas. They sometimes reach speeds of 60 to 100 MPH and are best known
in the settled areas of Kula and Lahaina on Maui. The Kula winds are
strong downslope winds that occur on the lower slopes of the west side
of Haleakala. These winds tend to be strongest between 2,000 and 4,000
feet above mean sea level. The Lahaina winds are also downslope winds,
but have somewhat different characteristics. They are also called “lehua
winds” after the lehua tree, whose red blossoms fill the air when
these strong winds blow. They issue from the canyons at the base of the
main mountain mass of western Maui, where the steeper canyon slopes meet
the more gentle piedmont slope below. These winds are quite infrequent,
occurring every 8 to 12 years. They are extremely violent, with wind
speeds of 80 to 100 MPH or more.
Cloud Formation – Under trade wind conditions, there is very often
a pronounced moisture discontinuity between 4,000 and 8,000 feet. Below
these heights the air is moist; above it is dry. The break (a large-scale
feature of the Pacific Anticyclone) is caused by a temperature inversion
embedded in the moving trade wind air. The inversion tends to suppress
the vertical movement of air and so restricts cloud development to the
zone just below the inversion. The inversion is present 50 to 70 percent
of the time; its height fluctuates from day to day, but it is usually
between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. On trade wind days when the inversion is
well defined, the clouds develop below these heights with only an occasional
cloud top breaking through the inversion. These towering clouds form
along the mountains where the incoming trade wind air converges as it
moves up a valley and is forced up and over the mountains to heights
of several thousand feet. On days without an inversion, the sky is almost
cloudless (completely cloudless skies are extremely rare). In leeward
areas well screened from the trade winds (such as the west coast of Maui),
skies are clear 30 to 60 percent of the time. Windward areas tend to
be cloudier during he summer, when the trade winds and associated clouds
are more prevalent, while leeward areas, which are less affected by cloudy
conditions associated with trade wind cloudiness, tend to be cloudier
during the winter, when storm fronts pass through more frequently. On
Maui, the cloudiest zones are at and just below the summits of the mountains,
and at elevations of 2,000 to 4,000 feet on the windward sides of Haleakala.
In these locations the sky is cloudy more than 70 percent of the time.
The usual clarity of the air in the high mountains is associated with
the low moisture content of the air.
Rainfall – Showers are very common; yet while some of these are
very heavy, the vast majority are light and brief – a sudden sprinkle
of rain and it's over. Even the heaviest rain showers are seldom accompanied
by thunder and lightening. Summer is the warmer season; with an overwhelming
dominance of trade winds, it is the season when widespread rainstorms
are rare. Throughout the lowlands, summer is the drier season in terms
of average monthly rainfall. At one extreme, the annual rainfall averages
17 to 20 inches or less in leeward coastal areas, such as the shoreline
from Maalaea Bay to Kaupo, and near the summit of Haleakala. At the other
extreme, the annual average rainfall exceeds 300 inches along the lower
windward slopes of Haleakala, particularly along the Hana Highway. If
the islands of the State of Hawaii did not exist, the average annual
rainfall on the same patch of water would be about 25 inches. Instead,
the actual average is about 70 inches. Thus, the islands extract from
the air that passes over them about 45 inches of rainfall that otherwise
would not fall. The mountainous topography of Maui and the other islands
is responsible for this added water bonus.
Daily Variations in Rainfall – In the lowlands, throughout the
year, rainfall is most likely to occur during the night or morning hours,
and is least likely to occur during mid-afternoon. The most pronounced
daily variations in rainfall occur during the summer because most summer
rainfall consists of Trade winds showers that most often to occur at
night. Winter rainfall in the lowlands is the result of storm activity,
which is as likely to occur in the daytime as at night. Rainfall variability
is far greater during the winter, when occasional storms contribute appreciably
to rainfall totals, than during summer, when trade-wind showers provide
most of the rain. With such wide swings in rainfall, it is inevitable
that there are occasional droughts, sometimes with severe economic losses.
The real drought years are the ones where the winter rains fail, when
there are only a few (or even no) significant rainstorms. Droughts hit
hardest in the normally dry areas that depend on winter storms for their
rainfall and receive little rain from the Trade wind showers.
Torrential rainfall is common in all parts of Maui, except the very
high mountains. It is also true that in Hawaii very light showers are
extremely frequent in most localities. On the windward coast, it is common
to have as many as 10 brief showers in a single day, not one of which
is heavy enough to produce more than one-hundredth of an inch of rain.
This is because the usual run of trade wind weather yields many light
showers in the lowlands, whereas the torrential rains are associated
with a sudden surge in the trade winds or with a major storm. Hana has
had as much as 28 inches of rain in a single 24-hour period.
Major storms occur most frequently between October and March, inclusive.
During this period, there may be as many as six or seven major storm
events in a year. Such storms bring heavy rains and are sometimes accompanied
by strong local winds. The storms may be associated with the passage
of a cold front – the leading edge of a mass of relatively cool
air that is moving from west to east or from northwest to southeast.
Kona storms are features of the winter season. They are so-called because
they often generate winds coming from the “kona” or leeward
direction. The rainfall in a well-developed Kona storm is more widespread
and more prolonged than in the usual cold-front storm. Kona storm rains
are usually most intense in an arc, or band, extending from south to
east of the storm and well in advance of its center. Kona rains last
from several hours to several days. The rains may continue steadily,
but the longer lasting ones are characteristically interrupted by intervals
of lighter rain or even partial clearing, as well as by intense showers
superimposed on the more moderate regime of continuous, steady rain.
An entire winter may pass without a single well-developed Kona storm.
More often, however, there are one or two such storms a year; sometimes
there are four or five. Three harbors provide some protection from Kona
storms Kahului Harbor (used mostly for commercial vessels), Lahaina and
Maalea Harbors used primarily for sailing craft.
True hurricanes are very rare in Hawaii, indicated by the fact that
only four have affected the islands during a 63-year period. Tropical
storms are more frequent. These are similar to hurricanes but with more
modest winds, below 74 MPH. Because weak tropical storms resemble some
Kona storms in the winds and rains they produce, and because early records
do not distinguish clearly between them, it has been difficult to estimate
the average frequency of tropical storms. A tropical storm will pass
sufficiently close to Hawaii every year or two to affect the weather
in some part of the Islands. Unlike cold fronts and Kona storms, hurricanes
and tropical storms are not limited to the winter season. They are most
likely to occur during the last half of the year, from July through December.
Maui - Natural History:
Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands due
to Humpback whales wintering in the sheltered Auau Channel between the
islands of Maui county. The whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles
(5,600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn and spend the northern hemisphere
winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters off Maui. The whales
are typically sighted in pods: small groups of several adults and one
or more calves. Humpbacks are an endangered species protected by U.S.
federal and Hawaii state law. There are estimated to be about 3,000 humpbacks
in the North Pacific.
Maui - Tourism:
Maui County welcomed 2,207,826 tourists in 2004; for 2005, the total
was 2,263,676, with total tourist expenditures of US$3.09 billion for
the Island of Maui alone. While the Island of Oahu is most popular with
Japanese tourists, the Island of Maui tends to appeal to visitors mostly
from the U.S. mainland and Canada: in 2005, there were 2,003,492 domestic
(i.e., U.S. nationals) arrivals on the island, compared to 260,184 international
arrivals. It should be noted that the latter figure is a 2.1 percent
increase from 2004.
The big tourist spots in Maui include the Road to Hana, Haleakala National
Park, Lahaina, and Hookipa. The Road to Hana is a highway that runs through
the mountains. The road has many curves, but the sites are well worth
it. There are waterfalls and black sand beaches along the way. Haleakala
National Park is home to one of the most beautiful sunrises in the world.
Drive up the dormant volcano to view the sunrise. It looks like it is
coming right out of the crater. Lahaina was a quiet little fishing town,
then a rowdy town where whalers came for R&R in the 1800's, and is
now a tourist Mecca loaded with shops, restaurants, history, boat harbor,
and one of the best luaus on the island. Hookipa beach is home to some
of the world's best windsurfers.
The main tourist hotel and condo areas are West Maui (Kaanapali, Lahaina,
Honokowai, Kahana, Napili, Kapalua), and South Maui (Kihei, Wailea).
References: Official site of County of Maui; County of Maui QuickFacts
from the U.S. Census Bureau; Hawaii Dept.of Business, Economic Development,
and Tourism; and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Maui Tours and Maui Activities - The
island of Maui has more categories of activities than any other Hawaiian
island. This in itself is a testimony to the diversity
of Maui. It has great mountains for the downhill bicycle experience. It
has spectacular oceans for snorkeling, diving and swimming. It
has a multi-island sunset view for dinner cruises and sunset sails. It
has seemingly endless hiking trails. There are wonderful places to
kayak. There are great off-road areas for ATV’s, spectacular
displays of the heavens at night and sunrises up at Haleakala, dolphins
and whales ply the waters all around the island of Maui, fishing is
available from two of our harbors, 75% of the island can only be seen
by air so helicopter flights on Maui are among the best to be seen
anywhere, there are about 6 or 7 horseback riding stables, Molokini
is one of the most popular snorkeling locations in the state, arguably
the best luaus in Hawaii are found on the island of Maui, there are
countless surf breaks for beginners as well as the more experienced,
we have zip-line tours on both sides of the island and we have world
class theatrical entertainment for your nightlife. Maui as they say,
is a feast for your senses and one of the very best places for tours and
activities.
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"The
Valley Isle" - Discount Tours and Discount Activities
