What to do in Kuau, HI

Wailea Resort is named after the ancient Hawaiian goddess Lea who watched over canoe builders on the islands. She was believed to transform into a bird and fly over this area, so the beaches and surrounding countryside are known as the waters of Lea – or Wailea. Whilst now a luxury resort, the area is still popular for kayaking and other water-based activities.Wailea is an expansive stretch of 607 hectares, comprising a dense carpet of tropical plants inland and five beaches dotting the shoreline. There are three world-class golf courses, an impressive tennis club with floodlit courts and exclusive spas offering a full range of relaxing and revitalising treatments.Most people head straight for the biggest of the beaches – a wide expanse of soft white-gold sand. Wailea Beach is the perfect place to lie back with a good book or hide behind a pair of sunglasses and watch the world go by. The paved boardwalk is lined with up market boutiques offering designer beachwear and upmarket dining. The sea is warm and inviting, perfect for a cooling dip or an exploration of the teeming world of fish and other sea creatures on the ocean floor.Snorkelling is incredibly popular and scuba diving classes will bring you face to face with indigenous Hawaiian green turtles. Eco kayaking tours provide a nod to the area’s canoeing heritage, taking you on a three-hour exploration of the coastline, which takes in a deserted tropical beach and a chance to see more of the local sea life.Just a short walk away, the smaller Ulua Beach is a great place to escape the crowds. Clean and unspoilt, it’s home to a colony of Manta Rays – grab your snorkelling gear and dive in to get a great close-up view!Wailea Beach is one of those few places in the world that really lives up to the hype, so set aside a couple of hours to visit this glorious resort on the southwest coast.

At Haleakalā National Park, you can step inside volcanic craters, walk through rain forest and swim in freshwater pools.

Hidden behind a strip of luxury housing, Keawakapu Beach stretches for more than 1,000 metres along the south western coast of Maui. It is a little more difficult to find than some of Hawaii’s more popular resorts, giving it the air of a concealed treasure that is only available to those who seek it out.The Beach is a peaceful spot, ideal for escaping from the crowded tourist trail. Its softly sloping sand-covered ocean floor makes swimming and snorkelling with the kids an absolute joy. There is also a restaurant where you can enjoy some delicious al fresco food straight from the grill as well as any number of grocery shops nearby to pick up the bits you need for an impromptu picnic.Head over at sunrise and welcome in the new day with a spot of rejuvenating yoga on the shoreline’s silken sands. If sun salutations aren’t your style, why not simply take a stroll or jog along the beach and enjoy the glorious view out across the Pacific Ocean.Early morning is also the best time for snorkelling as the waters are clearer and calmer, giving perfect viewing conditions to see turtles and coronet fish frolicking in the shallows. Scramble over the rocks at low-tide to discover a wealth of sea creatures in the protected lava rock pools.A man-made reef 50 metres out to sea makes the Keawakapu coastline a popular destination for scuba divers. The reef was created in the 1960s from a combination of crushed cars, concrete slabs and rubber tyres, and now plays home to a wide variety of sea-life while acting as a breaker against the strong ocean swell.When you’re ready to go home, freshen up in one of the many public showers dotted along the beach before grabbing a bite to eat or jumping back in the car.n get unruly and sandstorms are a defin The beach makes a great retreat, whether for an hour or a whole day. There are no lifeguards here though so be careful if the wind gets up, as the sea can become unruly and sandstorms are a definite possibility.

Honolua Bay is a small rocky beach in the Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District on the North-West coast of Maui. It is famed as one of Hawaii’s foremost surfing spots, with immense barrel waves that reach up to 18 metres in height creating perfect conditions for long rides. The waves are intense, so less confident surfers may want to brush up their skills with a few lessons at one of the local surf schools before heading out alone.If you’d rather watch the fun than risk the waves, head up to the craggy cliffs around the beach for perfect views of all the action. The surf is best during the winter months, with the immense Northern swell hitting the beach’s renowned surf break for some of the most spectacular peaks around. If you’re around in January, you should head over for the Billabong Pro Maui Surfing Competition, which attracts the world’s best professional women surfers who come to show off their skills.The grass-carpeted cliffs make a divine walking spot, with views across the bay to the neighbouring island of Molokai with its dense jungle-like vegetation. Remember to take some water with you as, although there is a cooling sea breeze, hiking in the Hawaiian heat can be thirsty work!Outside of the surf season, the Beach is a popular snorkelling spot. Fishing is banned in the conservation district, so the native sea-life is varied and plentiful. See if you can spot the official Hawaiian state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa (or humuhumu for short), amongst the teeming schools of damsel fish, flag tails and bigeye scad. Head to the rocks at the northern end of the Bay for spectacular coral formations and clearer water that hasn’t been fogged up by the swirling grey sands.There are no lifeguards on patrol here, so don’t enter the water unless you are an experienced swimmer as its strong currents can be unpredictable. To get to Honolua Bay, drive northwest along the Honoapiilani Highway. There is a free car park just near the beach, with a pedestrian track which will lead you straight to the shore.

The Haleakalā Crater is an unmissable part of any visit to Maui. Surrounded by protected parkland and filled with native fauna and flora, this impressive natural feature offers views, exploration and a chance to see geology in action.