Lahaina Maui and Closeby

[AtSeaForever]

Hello,

 

I understand our tender will drop us off near Front Street. If we only have 6 hours, what are some suggested things to do/see by public transportation? We are planning to spend a few hours in Lahaina to explore the shops etc, and hope to go to a beach.

 

1. Would Kaanapali be the best option for a beach closeby and do the buses run frequently between Kaanapali and Lahaina?

 

2. We plan to stay at Lahaina in the morning, then head out to the beach in the afternoon. Would this be do-able in 6 hours?

 

3. I've read that Kaanapali is good for snorkeling, but is it also good for surfing (late September/early October)? If not, where can we do some surfing close to Front Street? Would this be at the Puamana Beach County Park and Lahaina Harbor? If yes, can we get to the surfing areas by foot, but if not, which bus route would take us there?

 

4. Are there equipment rentals (snorkel gear, surfboard etc) at Kaanapali, or do we have to rent at Front Street and bring it with us to Kaanapali?

 

5. Aside from Lahaina and a beach, are there any other suggested places that we can visit by public transportation that would not take a lot of travel time to and from Front Street?

 

Thank you!

[cb at sea]

There is no good surfing in Lahaina...it's a harbor...no waves! The good surfing spots are on the NW side of the island.....

[Astro Flyer]

Hello,

 

I understand our tender will drop us off near Front Street. If we only have 6 hours, what are some suggested things to do/see by public transportation? We are planning to spend a few hours in Lahaina to explore the shops etc, and hope to go to a beach.

 

1. Would Kaanapali be the best option for a beach closeby and do the buses run frequently between Kaanapali and Lahaina? The best way to get to Ka'anapali is by cab which is about $12 one-way. From the back of the Wharf Cinema center there's a once per hour bus that costs about $2/pp/ow to Ka'anapali. I've never used it but recall reading that it can be quite busy with a ship in port & why I'd recommend taking a cab.

 

2. We plan to stay at Lahaina in the morning, then head out to the beach in the afternoon. Would this be do-able in 6 hours? Usually beach conditions are best in the morning as the winds increase in the afternoon. Although going to the beach first would mean not being as clean for a walk around Lahaina.

 

3. I've read that Kaanapali is good for snorkeling, but is it also good for surfing (late September/early October)? If not, where can we do some surfing close to Front Street? Would this be at the Puamana Beach County Park and Lahaina Harbor? If yes, can we get to the surfing areas by foot, but if not, which bus route would take us there? Snorkeling at Ka'anapali's Black Rock is good but heed the flag warnings because the current can be bad. Because too many tourists ignore the conditions, Black Rock has the majority of water related deaths (drownings & medical related) in Maui. It's true that surf is best in the winter however many times surfing is possible near the south end of the Lahaina harbor breakwater. This summer we've had many tropical storms due to El Niño conditions & many days of high surf warnings. You could search online for surfboard rental shops who could also probably provide you with surf info.

 

4. Are there equipment rentals (snorkel gear, surfboard etc) at Kaanapali, or do we have to rent at Front Street and bring it with us to Kaanapali? We have our own equipment but have read that some items are available for rent at Ka'anapali.

 

5. Aside from Lahaina and a beach, are there any other suggested places that we can visit by public transportation that would not take a lot of travel time to and from Front Street? Unlike the great bus system on O'ahu, the public transportation system on Maui is not good.

 

Thank you!

With only 6 hours in Lahaina, I'd recommend to either spend most of the day at Ka'anapali Beach with a quick walk through Lahaina or to fully explore Lahaina with a visit to a Lahaina beach.

 

Ka'anapali: A good beach with snorkeling at the north end's Black Rock; Whalers Village shopping center with a free whaling museum & restaurants such as Hula Grill's Barefoot Bar (umbrella covered tables in the sand & live entertainment).

 

Lahaina: The historical former capital of the Hawaiian monarchy and also a whaling center. There are free pamphlets that show the historical sites in Lahaina including a portion of the wall from the old fort, the old jail and the Baldwin Home Museum. It's a collection of fine art stores, souvenir shops & restaurants in century old wooden buildings. There is a narrow sandy beach from the south end of the harbor's breakwater that stretches to Kamehameha Iki Park located at 505 Front Street.

 

The best beaches are further north & south of Lahaina but with your limited time in port I wouldn't recommend them. These are just my suggestions but are based on decades of visiting & living on Maui and what I'd consider if only having 6 hours in the Lahaina area.

 

Bus from Wharf Cinema to Ka'anapali (now $2): http://thewharfcinemacenter.com/bus-schedule/

 

http://www.co.maui.hi.us/index.aspx?NID=605

 

Taxi rate info: http://westmauitaxi.com/services_and_rates

Edited September 7, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[Astro Flyer]

There is no good surfing in Lahaina...it's a harbor...no waves! The good surfing spots are on the NW side of the island.....

The best surf is during the winter on the NW shores (and monster waves at Jawz near Paia) but that doesn't mean there is no surf elsewhere on Maui.

 

When my kids were young they had surf lessons in the just area south of the Lahaina harbor breakwater where many locals also were surfing during the summer. So to say there are "no waves!" because it's a harbor is not true & they do surf there.

[greatlakesgirl]

They were surfing off Lahaina when we were there. :)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We went on the bus once (to the Cannery Mall) and after finally finding the bus stop (there's a back door from the Wharf Cinema Mall that we couldn't find at first), we had a bit of a wait for a very crowded bus.

 

When we decided to go up to Ka'anapali for our next time in Lahaina, we took a taxi. There's a nice beach there, but we were there for the Whalers Village mall (we did walk along the trail there to check out the beach). When we returned to Lahaina, we did spend some time by the Banyan tree (as usual) and check out the few stores open (it was Christmas Day).

[southerngirl528]

I would recommend you take a taxi from Lahaina to Ka'anapali Beach. It's a super short drive and the fare should be modest.

 

There are numerous operators along Ka'anapali Beach that offer beach rentals, snorkeling equipment and surf lessons. You don't say if you are experienced surfers or are wanting to learn. If you're wanting to learn, I have watched surfers and beginning surfers many, many times during our month-long stays on Maui at the Marriott Maui Ocean Club. There is an area right between Napili Tower at the above resort and Ka'anapali Ali'i Condos where small waves are often breaking. Emphasis on small but the surfers seem to have a great time.

 

I agree that the area around Black Rock in front of the Sheraton is a popular snorkel spot but also has nasty currents around the point so that area is especially to be avoided. AstroFlyer knows Maui well so I would heed their advice. Kahekili Beach at the north end of Ka'anapali has better snorkeling as reported by many but your time is so limited that I don't recommend you try to get there.

 

I love Astro's recommendations for Whalers Village and the beachfront restaurants, Hula Grill and Leilani's. GREAT views from both!

[MommaBear55]

My adult kids took surfing lessons at Goofy Foot Surf Shop. They had a great experience. Lahaina has some great restaurants, shops, banyan tree, shave ice stores, whaling museum. The Americas Cup sailing experience out of the harbor was wonderful. Its fun to see the fisherman bring in their catch. Best snorkeling is in front of the West in Kaanapali timeshares. Rentals can be had from Snorkel Bobs in Lahaina. There are public buses that are easy enough to figure out.

[cccole]

What kind of surfing are you looking for? Just catch a wave and have fun or serious? Our kids have surfed all along that coast and learned to surf just south of the pier, as others have mentioned. It seems like there is often a nice break in front of the Hyatt on Kaanapali also. The surf shops will be have good info when you rent. There are board rentals in Lahaina and Kaanapali, Maui's Beach House is one. Have fun adding another name to the places you have surfed!!! Cherie

Edited September 10, 2015 by cccole