Forget Hang Loose t-shirts and shell necklaces: While both are well and good—and while both have a certain tropical charm—Maui also offers a cornucopia of rare and wonderful souvenirs. Whether you’re shopping for mementos or determined to find an extraordinary gift, the Maui souvenir shopping scene is sure to satisfy your every craving.
Here are 11 of the best places to score island swag—and why you should support their businesses:
Hot Island Glass
If you’ve been to the sleepy Upcountry town of Makawao, there’s a very good chance visiting Hot Island Glass was the highlight. Whether you get to watch decades’ worth of talent working with molten glass or just perusing their diverse collection of beautiful art, it’s worth checking out and picking out something for your home (or to wear).
Make sure to check out their sites for occasional glass art deals too.
Maui Alpaca
If you live in a cold climate or are doing some Maui souvenir shopping for someone who does, Maui Alpaca’s angora and alpaca fiber goods are a practical must-buy. After all, what purpose does an aloha shirt serve in the dead of Canadian winter?!
Head up the slopes of Haleakala to meet the animals that produce such highly-valued material. In addition to selling alpaca and angora products like beanies and yarn, Maui Alpaca offers farm tours during which visitors can feed, pet, and snap selfies with the alpacas. Guests will also get to snuggle with cuddly Angora bunnies and learn how to spin animal fiber into yarn— which any knitter or crocheter will certainly relish.
After getting to know each of the animals’ offbeat quirks and funny personalities, a goodie from Maui Alpaca is sure to hold significant sentimental value.
The Maui Cookie Lady
When in doubt, a sweet souvenir always hits the mark. And for the creme de la creme of Maui-made confections, look no further than The Maui Cookie Lady. Tucked on Baldwin Avenue in Makawao Town, The Maui Cookie Lady’s storefront is bursting with artisan cookies. Each cookie is handmade and sourced with local ingredients, from fruits and nuts to whiskey and beer. Whether you’re shopping for a baker back home or just a sweet-toothed friend, The Maui Cookie Lady’s range of Maui-made sweets, extracts, and goodies won’t leave you short-handed.
If you’ve yet to make it back to Maui following the pandemic, The Maui Cookie Lady’s online shop has got you covered. Their business model has evolved with the times and boasts a well-stocked online shop that ships almost anywhere. You’ll never have to go without your favorite Maui Cookie Lady creation again!
Ace of Cups
Another witchy and wondrous shop calls the north shore home: Ace of Cups. Located in Haiku in the Aloha Aina Center (next to Nuka), Ace of Cups is Maui’s tarot card emporium, stocked with tarot and oracle decks from near and far. You’ll also find an array of pendulums, crystals, candles, and more. You never know what might speak to you.
If physical objects aren’t your jam, opt for a memorable reading instead. Ace of Cups hosts adept tarot, akashic, oracle, and astrology readers in the shop weekly. A reading might just be a highlight of your time on Maui! Check out @ace.of.cups.maui on Instagram for a complete reading schedule.
Mahina
Have a lady to shop for on your list? Whether she’s your sister or BFF, Mahina is the hottest boutique on the island for one-of-a-kind fashions.
Created by a pair of yogis dedicated to discovering “sartorial perfection,” Mahina accomplishes the couple’s vision: To provide locals and visitors with a store that’s akin to walking into your trendiest friend’s closet.
Darling sundresses, platform sandals, handbags in fruity colors, rompers with adorable details—Mahina has it all and then some. Selections also include chic jewelry with a bit of edge, lightweight scarves for Hawaii’s perennially-bright weather, and wallets in an array of shades and styles. With locations in Paia, Lahaina, Kihei, and Wailea, Mahina is the ideal place to browse between brunch and cocktails.
Maui Coffee
Though Kona was the first region to get international fame and success as one of the best coffee beans on Earth, many prefer coffee from the lesser-known Maui farms. Because our farms are smaller, we get less attention and have a limited supply. And as acclaim and demand increase, we’re seeing far less availability as each season passes.
Aloha Rise currently only offers 100% Maui coffee and is often out of stock. This is one of those brands worth keeping tabs on and signing up for the newsletter for upcoming releases.
Coffee connoisseurs—or those with caffeine aficionados back home—find pleasure upon pleasure with coffee from Maui. Grab a bag of light and dark or Mokka beans to brew in your own abode and get a cup of this Maui goodness for the road: Much of the coffee here is grown on small Maui farms, so you can feel good about supporting local too.
Moonbow Tropics
Lovely souvenirs are here in spades, primarily in the form of breezy island clothes and splendid pieces of jewelry.
Aloha shirts that call to mind Elvis’s Blue Hawaii swing next to laidback-beach tees by Toes on the Nose. The women you hope to impress will also be contented: Sporty but elegant shirts are offered by Hawaiian Drift Tees. At the same time, dresses by Rainbow Joe will convince your best friend that she best join you on your next Hawaiian excursion.
Unsure of your loved one’s size? Go with a Maui sign. Retro landscapes—from hula dancers to longboarders—are recreated with a nod towards vintage glamour (and, lucky for you, cost less than $20). With locations in Wailea, Paia, Lahaina, and Maalaea, you’re bound to find something awesome for your house or closet.
Alice in Hulaland
Paia may be the Windsurfing Capital of the World, but it’s also one of the best spots to procure spectacular presents.
Alice in Hulaland on Baldwin Ave. shouldn’t be missed on your North Shore stop. Here, jazzy hats are sold next to stylish eyewear and headscarves, while chic threads beg to be worn on Maui’s sunny verandas. Searching for some serious funk? Tribal earrings, slick pants—even bongs that double as sculptures—can be found within this cozy, clever gem of a shop.
The Bikini Market
For women, there are few better ways to take home a slice of paradise than with a cute suit—especially one that evokes basking on Maui’s beaches.
Find that delight at The Bikini Market on the island’s south side. Small but sweet, this hip boutique showcases one of the choicest selections of quality suits on the Valley Isle. (Acacia, Cocobelle, and Issa De’Mar are just a few of their eminent labels.) Sun hats, key rings, and journals perfect for seaside doodling are also offered, as well as delicate pieces of jewelry that are bound to earn you compliments.
Village Galleries Maui
Established in 1970, Village Galleries Maui is the oldest art boutique on the island—and of the most remarkable.
Featuring works by over 100 Hawaii-based artists, the two galleries—one in Lahaina, the other in the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua—exhibit pieces in a number of mediums, including marine life recreated in copper bronze, raku tea kettles in ocean colors, and Hawaiian petroglyphs rendered in gold. This is the place to reinvent your home with a tropical bent—and the boutique to find something truly unusual. Visit their website before making the trek as both galleries frequently present special events.
Ki’i Gallery
Founded more than two decades ago by a couple who’s committed to offering unique interpretations of Hawaii’s beauty, Ki’i Gallery—which translates to petroglyph in Hawaiian—features hand-blown glassworks by the finest European and American artists. (Think: vivid jellyfish suspended in bubbled glass.)
Original prints and paintings depicting Hawaii’s majesty are also for sale, as well as Tahitian pearl jewelry and Maui-made rings and necklaces. With two locations in Wailea—one at The Shops and one tucked into the Grand Wailea—visiting one of these galleries is an event in itself.
Maui Charities
Tangible souvenirs may offer lasting gladness, but you and your loved ones will experience a different kind of joy by giving back to the Maui community.
A number of nonprofit organizations welcome charitable donations, whether it’s movie tickets for Women Helping Women, volunteered time at Habitat for Humanity, or monetary gifts to the Pacific Primate Sanctuary. You might not be able to place such souvenirs on your shelf—or wrap and tie with a ribbon—but sometimes the greatest gifts of all are found in, well, giving.
