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South Maui includes Kihei (kee'-hay), Wailea
(wy-lay'-ah) and Makena (ma-ken'-ah). Kihei
offers a comfortable mix of resort and residential areas and
features an extensive selection of condominiums. The luxury
resort areas of Wailea and Makena appeal to
the most discriminating visitor.
Your ocean view from South Maui includes Kahoolawe
(ka-ho-oh-la'-vay), a smaller, uninhabited island, and Molokini
(mo-lo-kee'-nee), a tiny half-crater islet that is the destination
for many snorkeling excursions. You can also see the island
of Lanai off in the distance.
Looking inland, you see towering Haleakala (House
of the Sun) rising 10,000 feet above sea level. The mountain
blocks almost all rain from falling on South Maui, so you
can be pretty certain of sunny skies (South Maui gets something
like 357 rainless days a year). The coastal areas including
the hotels and condos are watered so they stay lush and tropical,
but the lack of rain makes the terrain away from the coast
look pretty dry.
Kihei has a nice mix of tourist and residential areas.
Unlike West Maui, which has little non-tourist housing, lots
of local working families live in Kihei, many commuting to
the commercial centers of Kahului and Wailuku. It’s a
casual area with shorts, t-shirts and bathing suits the standard
dress. Kihei Road is lined with vacation rental condos which
allow easy access to the area’s wonderful beaches. But
there are lots of restaurants and shopping areas here, too,
mostly casual restaurants, cafes, a few fast food places,
grocery stores, and some moderate but nice shops.
Wailea is a meticulously planned resort community
with a number of luxury hotels and condominiums in an incredible
tropical setting. Waterfalls, tiki torches, gorgeous decor,
spas, stuff you dream about. A newly remodeled shopping center
has elegant restaurants and shops. You can take the oceanfront
walkway going from one end of Wailea to the other; it’s
one of our favorite walks on Maui.
Makena is known for its beaches, including Little
Makena, the most famous “clothing-optional” beach
in Hawaii. Until fairly recently, Makena was still off the
beaten path, with only a single hotel and luxury condominium.
In the past few years, though, Makena has been “discovered,”
and a number of fancy homes have been built along its oceanfront.
Maalaea (ma-ah-lye'-ah) is sometimes included as part
of South Maui. It’s not a major center for accommodations
but its harbor is a launching area for much of South Maui’s
ocean activities such as whale-watching, fishing, parasailing,
and snorkeling. Maalaea is also home of the Maui Ocean Center,
which has Maui’s best aquarium.
Click
here for our list of South Maui accommodations
Go
to information about West Maui
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to Maui Overview
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