Maui may never shake its reputation as Hawaii's premier beach hub, but Haleakala, its dominant volcano, elevates the island from a luxury vacationer's pilgrimage site to an adventure outpost of the highest order. Rains, breezes, waterfalls, and undersea lava formations are all legacies of this 10,023-foot (3,055-meter) force of nature rising from the island's core.
Venture north of the cone for wind-whipped surf, to the east for lush jungle treks, or hide in its lee—along Maui's south and west shores—where placid waters harbor world-class snorkeling and paddling. Start at the top to take it all in, because from Haleakala's weathered, moonlike crown, the island's true nature shines through: This is one high-energy paradise.
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Land
Rove Mars on Earth
Haleakala is best conquered from the top down. Make the serpentine 40-mile (64-kilometer) drive from Maui's coastal hub of Kahului to the Haleakala National Park visitors center on the volcano's summit and snap your hero shots. From here, Sliding Sands Trail leads into the massive crater, beginning with a four-mile (six-kilometer), 3,000-vertical-foot (914-vertical-meter) descent through an austere landscape of oranges, reds, and browns. Look out for Kapalaoa Cabin at mile 5.6 (kilometer 9), a cozy but primitive crash pad with cooking gear and bunks for up to 12. Day hikers should turn back at the cabin, but more intrepid trekkers can veer north to pick up the Halemauu Trail, which loops back toward the crater's west rim and Holua Campsite. Settle in for an exceptionally starry night, then press on to the Halemauu trailhead, where you can hitch a ride back to your car. For a quicker Haleakala fix, stay on the mountain's more tropical eastern side in an oceanfront cottage at Hotel Hana-Maui and mount a half-day excursion to the lower slopes. Hike to 400-foot (122-meter) Waimoku Falls from the park's Kipahulu entrance (12 miles [19 kilometers] south of Hana), a 3.8-mile (6-kilometer) round-trip trek through a dark bamboo forest that clacks percussively all around you. Or try the new waterfall-rappelling and canyoning course from Maui Canyon Adventures, an offshoot of leading local outfitter Hike Maui, in nearby Makamakaole Valley. Guides spend a few hours teaching you the basics on dry land before setting you loose on 30-foot-high (9-meter-high) falls.
The Vitals
Do: Haleakala National Park ($10 car entry fee; www.nps.gov/hale); Maui Canyon Adventures ($175 for a half-day canyoning excursion; www.hikemaui.com)
Sleep: Kapalaoa Cabin ($75 a night; www.nps.gov/hale); Holua Campsite (free with permit; www.nps.gov/hale); Hotel Hana-Maui ($625; www.hotelhanamaui.com)
Wind
Kite With the Pros
Year-round trade winds pummel Maui's windward shores northwest of Haleakala, granting the island some of the best windsurfing and kiteboarding waters on the planet. If you're new to Maui's wind-sports scene, it's best to get started on Kanaha Beach, outside of Kahuilui. Here an offshore reef slows the waves to a mere chop, creating 150 to 300 yards (137 to 274 meters) of flat sea with side-shore breezes. David Dorn, the head instructor of Action Sports Maui, has been teaching kiteboarding at Kanaha for ten years and prescribes five days of lessons for novices to gain self-sufficiency; three days for anyone with board chops, whether surf, wind, or snow. Seasoned boarders should hit the water in the afternoon when the winds pick up (on a good day gusts push 25 knots). After your brine bath, motor east along the Hana Highway toward famed Hookipa Beach, where experts from the world over—kiteboarders, windsurfers, and board riders—come to do battle with enormous waves (look out for Laird). For tyros, Hookipa is theater: Grab a blufftop seat above the crescent-shaped beach and watch the pro-level wind-riders inscribing mad mandalas into the sea. Wrap up the day in nearby Paia, a funky sugar plantation turned surf town with a handful of accommodations (try the laid-back Nalu Kai Lodge) and a slew of healthy—and remarkably tasty—food stops.
The Vitals
Do: Action Sports Maui ($975 for a five-day kiteboarding course; $225 for a three-day windsurfing course; www.actionsportsmaui.com)
Sleep: Nalu Kai Lodge ($99; www.nalukailodge.com)
Sea
Explore a Silent Kingdom
On the leeward side of Haleakala, Maui's beachy west-facing shores open onto the island's premier kayaking and snorkeling regions. Paddlers are fairly certain to see green sea turtles and, between November and April, the antics of 45-foot (14-meter) humpback whales, who breach and slap the water with their tails (bring binoculars—you're not allowed closer than a hundred yards). This side of the island also draws the most tourists, but the Maalaea Surf Resort in its namesake town offers respite from the high-rise scene. Get up early for a calm ocean paddle before the afternoon breeze kicks in. Ron Bass of Maui Sea Kayaking leads daytime trips from Olowalu, a 20-minute drive south of Lahaina, and will have you back by noon or, as he says, "when the water gets all chicken-skinned. Then you know it's getting ready to howl." Bass also takes experienced kayakers on full-moon paddles farther down Maui's west shore, from the town of Makena to Molokini Crater, a crescent-shaped caldera four miles off the coast that rises just above the waterline. By day Molokini is Maui's most fabled snorkeling and scuba diving spot, thanks to crystal waters and hundred-foot (30-meter) visibility—not to mention its kaleidoscopic array of butterflyfish, yellow tangs, and huge schools of other multihued denizens. Far less peopled and nearly as stellar is the snorkeling at La Perouse—a volcanic bay south of Makena that requires a 20-minute walk across a coarse lava field—and the diving around the St. Anthony wreck, off Wailea. Originally a Louisiana shrimper, this sleeping ship has morphed into a virtual sea hotel.
The Vitals
Do: Maui Sea Kayaking ($85 for a half-day paddle or a full-moon Molokini excursion; www.maui.net/~kayaking); Kai Kanani Charters ($104 for a half-day Molokini and area snorkel; www.kaikanani.com); Mike Severns Diving ($140 for half-day boat dives; www.mikesevernsdiving.com)
Sleep: Maalaea Surf Resort ($250; www.maalaeasurfresort.com)
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