Only a short drive from breezy Maʻalaea, Maui’s West Side is a tourism hub renowned for its beaches, shopping, dining, and accommodations. From Lahaina’s bustling Front Street to the opulent resorts on Kaʻanapali Beach, we’ve uncovered the best activities to try when visiting Lahaina and Kaʻanapali.
1. Shop
The shopping in Kaʻanapali is unparalleled. Set your sights on local boutiques, art galleries, and souvenir shops. Whalers Village shopping center is an assemblage of luxury shops, well-established brands, and locally-owned stores.
2. Dine
There is a concentration of eateries in Lahaina and Kaʻanapali, from humble food trucks to world-renowned restaurants. You can’t go wrong with eating your way through Kaʻanapali resorts. If hidden gems are what you’re after, be sure to explore the areas in West Maui off the beaten tourist path. Some of the best restaurants in West Maui? Monkeypod, Mala, and Hula Grill – just to name a few.
3. Take a snorkel tour
West Maui is surrounded by thriving coral reefs and calm, impossibly clear waters. As a result, there are a wealth of snorkel tours to choose from in the area. Most snorkel excursions depart from the recently reopened Lahaina Harbor, while a select few leave from Mala Ramp or Kaʻanapali Beach. Our favorite is Trilogy’s ‘Discover Kaʻanapali Tour’.
4. Indulge your sweet tooth on a chocolate tour
You won’t find any Oompa Loompa’s at Kuʻia Estate’s chocolate factory. Rather, a visit to the Kuʻia Estate chocolate factory and farm offers guests a peek into the meticulous world of chocolate making. Kuʻia Estate Chocolate boasts the largest chocolate factory in Hawaii and hosts daily tours of their cacao plantation and chocolate tastings on their airy rooftop pavilion. While the factory is a far cry from Willy Wonka’s fantastical digs, exploring Kuʻia’s 20-acre cacao farm in the foothills of Lahaina is whimsical in its own right.
5. Go To Surf Camp on the Water
On Maui’s west side, Maui Surfer Girls offers two overnight camp options that turn the area into more than just a place to surf for a few hours. Their teen surf camp is for girls ages 13 to 17 and is built for first-time, beginner, and intermediate longboard surfers. Campers stay oceanfront at Camp Olowalu, get daily surf coaching, three meals a day, tropical outings, community service, and beach cleanups, and the program keeps ratios tight with up to 20 campers, a 5:1 student-to-surf-instructor ratio, and a 2:1 camper-to-staff ratio. The camp also includes outings beyond the beach, which gives teens a fuller Maui experience instead of a week spent doing only one activity.
The women’s surf camp is the adult version of that same west side appeal, but with a more relaxed, retreat-like feel. It is a week-long, all-inclusive camp for women 18 and up, also based at oceanfront Camp Olowalu, and is designed for beginner and intermediate surfers who want more than a single lesson. Guests get surf coaching, meals, accommodations, tropical adventures, community service, and beach cleanups, with smaller camp sizes and a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio. Both camps pair well with the west side because lessons take place at Ukumehame Beach Park, about 20 minutes from Kaanapali, Kihei, and Wailuku, so the whole experience stays centered around one of Maui’s easiest areas for visitors to reach while still feeling beachy, active, and distinctly local.
6. Soar to new heights on a zipline tour
High above the opulent resorts and beaches in Kapalua exists a thrilling zipline adventure. Hosted by Kapalua Zipline, this 6-line dual zipline course travels across the ridges and valleys of the beautiful West Maui Mountains. Guests are treated to panoramic ocean and mountain views on this heart-stopping adventure. In addition, Kapalua Zipline’s guides are expert entertainers and well-versed in Hawaiian history and culture.
7. Test your climbing skills at Adventure Park Maui
Serving as the only aerial ropes course on Maui, Adventure Park is one of Lahaina’s most unique attractions. The park’s giant ‘Hexapod’ structure is an elevated jungle gym featuring 45 climbing courses spread across three levels. Each level provides a different degree of difficulty, ranging from easy to challenging. In addition to the ropes courses, Adventure Park Maui also offers ziplining and ax throwing.
8. Visit the Maui Dragonfruit Farm
Maui Dragonfruit Farm is a 27-acre working fruit farm located in the hills above Lahaina. In addition to offering tropical fruit tasting tours, Maui Dragonfruit Farm is a hub for exciting activities like ziplining. The farm also boasts a 450-foot aqua ball course, where guests hop in a giant, double-walled inflatable ball filled with a few inches of water, then slip and slide their way down the course. All activities are paired with fruit tastings, which feature unique tropical fruits like starfruit, soursop, sapadilla, and dragonfruit.
9. Take a surf lesson
Lahaina only receives treacherous, hammering surf once in a blue moon. Most days, ocean conditions are calm and playful, making Lahaina the perfect place to learn how to surf. Set your sights on Ukumahame just south of Lahaina Town. You can find surf schools that offer lessons online.
10. Go golfing
Maui is a world-renowned golf destination, and Kaʻanapali is no different. There are two golf courses within the Kaʻanapali resort area- the Kaʻanapali Kai and the Royal Kaʻanapali. The Kaʻanapali Kai is suitable for golfers of all levels, while the Royal Kaʻanapali presents more of a challenge – Arnold Palmer even called the 18th hole one of the most challenging he’s ever played.
11. Visit a local brewery
West Maui’s beer scene will pleasantly surprise you if you’re a craft beer connoisseur. The West Side boasts one brewery and two brewpubs- Kohola Brewing, Maui Brewing, and Waikiki Brewing, respectively.
12. Go whale watching
From December to April, the waters off West Maui are teeming with humpback whales. Humpbacks prefer the shallow, calm waters around Maui to mate and nurse their young. While they’re easy to spot from the shore, there’s nothing like hopping aboard a whale watch and viewing these gentle giants in their natural habitat. In turn, there’s a slew of affordable whale watching tours that depart from Lahaina Harbor.
