Maui's unique geography is shaped by two volcanic cones and the variations of land from mauka (mountainside)  to makai (oceanside).

Kahului is the main commercial and service center of Maui with a cruise ship port, typical box stores and shopping malls, some parks and beaches, and a  historical area. 

Wailuku is the historic area of Kahului with homes, churches and government buildings dating from the early 1800s.

Wailuku has now become a haven for local artisans and merchants.

Iao Valley State Park is a lush mountain valley with a distinctive needle-shaped peak. It has viewpoints, interpretive hiking trails, and a stream in which people swim. 

Kepaniwai Park's Heritage Gardens have memorialized Maui's multicultural history with scale models of buildings and gardens representing the immigration of  Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese and Korean cultures.
 

Vast sugar cane plantations and sugar production mills were important to Hawaii's economy and communities from the 1860s to the 1960s.

Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is a salt marsh which is home to 30 species of birds.

Maui's 30 miles of beaches include the popular Kahana, Ka'anapali and Kihei areas.

The tradition of diving from Black Rock in Ka'anapali dates from the native Hawaiians who viewed it as a portal to the ancestral realm.

The Maui Ocean Center is an aquarium that features displays on fish, mollusks, sharks, humpback whales and sea turtles.

The MOC researches and reproduces coral reef, sandy shore and deep sea habitats.

Napili and Kapalua Beaches in West Maui are lesser-known beaches good for swimming, snorkelling and boogie-boarding.

The Kapalua Coastal Trail includes the Dragons' Teeth, an unusual light-colored lava formation.
 

 Public art is influenced by various traditions from its Polynesian heritage and its multi-ethnic settlers.
 

In the 1850s, Lahaina was a major whaling center.  Its harbour still serves as the hub for deep-sea fishing and whale watching excursions.

Historic homes, inns and stores line Lahaina's Front Street. They house museums, art galleries and various shops.

A trail through native banyan, mangrove, tree fern, screwpine and breadfruit trees leads to Honolua Bay, a prime area for snorkelling and diving.

The Olivine tide pools in West Maui are magnificent but dangerous.

Snorkelling and whale watching excursions are readily available from the piers at Lahaina, Maalaea and Mokapu.

There is a tradition of the blowing of conch shells as the sun sets.