Vacation rentals in Kapalua Bay

Kapalua Bay makes an impressive first impression, with its crown of swaying palm trees fringing calm and crystalline waters protected by crescent-shaped outcroppings of ancient volcanic rock. The waters here are among Maui’s most picturesque, and offer one of the most placid spots to swim on the island. These features, alongside the proximity of showers and restrooms, make Kapalua Bay extremely popular with families, among other travelers. If you’ve never snorkeled but want to give it a try, the bay is an excellent natural beginner’s pool where you can safely learn without serious concerns about currents — a common worry elsewhere. There’s a colorful aquatic community of local creatures awaiting beneath the water, including starfish clinging to rocks and schools of bright tropical fish. If you’re inclined to spend more time out of the water and relaxing in the sun, there’s plenty of sand to stake a claim to here.

Maui’s reliably mild weather makes the island an inviting place to vacation year-round. The most pleasant time to visit the northern-situated Kapalua Bay is between April and May, when the days stay comfortably warm and evening temperatures dip to a degree where sleeping with the windows open feels like the right thing to do. This is thanks to the northeasterly trade winds that blow across the island for the majority of the year. If you’re planning a summer trip, you may want to consider arriving in June for the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, an annual four-day event established in 1981 and attended by some of the world’s most famous chefs and sommeliers. Kapalua Bay becomes more crowded during the winter months, part of the seasonal ebb and flow of vacationers seeking escape from colder mainland temperatures, so plan accordingly if crowds are a concern.

Kapalua Bay Beach

It’s really all about the beach life while staying in Kapalua Bay. The waters are calm and shallow and the sand lightly golden, with tall overhanging palm trees offering shade at the far ends of the beach. Currents are subdued to a gentle lapping of the shoreline. And anyone with a snorkel mask can commune with a vibrant community of brightly colored fish, including the reef triggerfish locally known as humuhumunukunukuāpua’a.

Mahana Ridge Trail

If you tire of the beach life and want to burn off a few calories, rest assured this 10-mile trek starting at D.T. Fleming Beach Park can transport you to another world. The Mahana Ridge Trail offers an ascension 2,000 feet above sea level through lush tropical forest to the secluded Maunalei Arboretum.

Kapalua Labyrinth

The Dragon’s Teeth at Makaluapuna Point is a natural ragged rock formation resembling its namesake. The small rocky peninsula on the outskirts of Kapalua near the start of the Mahana Ridge Trail also hosts a fascinating circular labyrinth design, a flat maze made of grass, white coral, stones, and volcanic rock that invites contemplation.