When I was seven years old, my parents turned 40 and decided to move us from Kansas to Maui. I joke that it’s the best thing they ever did for me, but it really was. As a child, I would go to elementary school barefoot, go surfing at 6 am to get to high school by the starting bell, and always spend my weekends hiking and exploring new places. I’m so dang lucky.
I’ve put together my top 5 favorite things to do here that are geared toward adventurous couples that don’t want to to the typical “touristy” things. Over time Maui has gotten busier, so you can’t expect these places to be totally empty by any means…but they really are what we locals love on this island.
Big Beach State Park in Makena
As a teenager, we spent every single Sunday hanging out a Big Beach in Makena. It’s a huge stretch of beach that’s SO much fun to hang out at. There are technically two entrances to the beach, but we never go through those. The first few entrances are parking lots where it can be pretty impossible to find parking. If you keep driving down the road, you’ll see cars parked on the side of the road. Park there and walk through the woods to pop out at the beach. The waves can get HUGE in the summer. I definitely don’t recommend going out when they’re massive. People have broken there backs here! When the waves are huge, I always love to sit on the beach and watch the local kids surf and bodyboard… it’s so fun to watch them catch insane waves. I always bring a cooler full of drinks and snacks and plan to hang out for the day.
Lavender Farm and Exploring Kula
The Lavender Farm is unreal! When people think of Maui, I imagine they see pristine beaches, amazing resorts, and waterfall hikes. These are all things that Maui is known for, but we have so much more to offer! Going up to the Lavender Farm and getting lavender tea and scones has always been one of my favorite things to do! It’s probably because I grew up in a beach town, so it’s nice to not be sweating while drinking hot tea. First world problems, ya know?!
Anyway! Hanging out in Kula just makes you feel like you’re truly a part of Maui’s community. The town is quaint with not a ton to do. I always love getting coffee and breakfast at Grandma’s and walking down Thompson Road (where Oprah has a house!). From Kula, you get the most amazing bi-coastal views. Definitely spend half a day up here!
Hana
For the ultimate adventurous day, head straight to Hana! This is where all of our hiking and waterfalls are! The drive to Hana is super long and windy. If you get motion sickness, you’ll definitely want to take medicine before you start driving. I recommend leaving as early in the morning as possible… like when it’s still dark out. Hana is one of Maui’s top attractions, so it can get super busy. If you leave early in the morning, you’ll beat most of the crowds. If you do head to Hana, make sure you read this guide. There’s a small local community in Hana and with the growing tourist visits, they’ve put together a guide to make your visit is great you the local community is respected.
Waihe’e Ridge Trail
My very favorite hike!! It’s kind of intense at first, but then it turns into a normal hike that isn’t too strenuous. This hike puts you way up on a ridge with an amazing view. Do this hike!!
Paia
Okay okay, Paia has totally gotten touristy, but it’s still 100% worth a visit! We call it our little hippy town. There’s an amazing health food store called Mana Foods, a TON of local boutiques, local coffee shops, and local restaurants. If you want to support the local community, then this is where you should go! It’s so important for money to stay in Hawaii so I always suggest shopping local as much as you can. Right next to Paia is one of my favorite beaches, Baldwin Beach. My ideal “Paia Day” would be grabbing a cappuccino to go from Cafe Des Amis, heading down to Baldwin Beach to hang out and swim, grab lunch at Flatbread Pizza (Seriously the best pizza ever), and going to Ho’okipa Beach Park to watch people surf.
There you have it! Those are all of My Favorite Things To Do On Maui! If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an e-mail here!
I would lovvvve to visit Maui. These are great tips for anyone coming to Hawaii!
Maui is such a breathtaking place to adventure with people in love! Such a stunning work! And on my bucket list!
Love the hike on the Waihe’e Ridge Trail. How amazing it is to be in Maui and be able to make all these beautiful things. You can really guide the couple through all the great hidden spots of Maui for their elopement or engagement session!
So many great recommendations! Such a helpful post for anyone going to Maui!!
Maui sounds amazing! Such beautiful surroundings and lovely places to hang by the sounds of it too! 🙂
all the yes. Such great recommendations!!
So many fun things and places to go in Maui! Definitely checking some of these out next time I’m on the island
I want to do all of these things! Now I just have to get to Maui first 😉
I never knew there was a lavender farm on Maui! It sounds amazing. Do they make more than tea and scones there?
Brb, buying a plane ticket too Maui. I was there a few years ago, and it was a very short trip (like 2 days) which wasn’t nearly long enough. Thank you so much for the helpful tips!
This is such a great blog post!! So helpful for couples coming to Maui