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For the spectacular grand finale, you walk along a 54ft glass tunnel right through the center of a massive tank as gliding stingrays and menacing sharks encircle you. It’s as close as you’ll ever get to being underwater without donning dive gear. And if you are a diver or snorkeler, the aquarium is an unbeatable place to identify the fish you’ve already seen.

Kid-friendly features abound, including interactive displays on whales, a touch pool and, best of all, keiki-level viewing ports that allow the wee ones to peer into everything on their own.

Activities

WINDSURFING & SURFING

Wicked winds from the north shoot straight out toward Kaho′olawe, creating some of the best windsurfing conditions on Maui. In winter, when the wind dies down elsewhere, windsurfers still fly along Ma′alaea Bay.

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WALK ON WATER

You can tread gently into a fragile wildlife habitat thanks to an elevated boardwalk that’s turned previously inaccessible marshland into a one-of-a-kind nature walk. The coastal marsh and dunes nestling Kealia Pond not only provide feeding grounds for native waterbirds but are also a nesting site for the endangered hawksbill sea turtle. The 2200ft boardwalk begins on N Kihei Rd just north of the 2-mile marker. Interpretive plaques and benches along the way offer opportunities to stop and enjoy the splendor, and in winter you might be able to spot passing humpback whales. You’ll even find a turtle laying eggs at the end of the boardwalk. Say what? Go take a look…

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The bay has a couple of hot surfing spots. The Ma′alaea Pipeline, south of the harbor, freight-trains right and is the fastest surf break in all Hawaii. Summer’s southerly swells produce huge tubes. Ma′alaea Bay is fronted by a 3-mile stretch of sandy beach, running from Ma′alaea Harbor south to Kihei, which can be accessed at several places along N Kihei Rd.

SNORKEL & WHALE WATCHING CRUISES

Many of the boats going out to Molokini (see the boxed text, Click here) leave from Ma′alaea. Afternoon trips are typically cheaper, but because that’s when the wind picks up, it’s rougher and murkier.

Pacific Whale Foundation ( 249-8811, 800-942-5311; www.pacificwhale.org; Harbor Shops at Ma′alaea; adult/child 7-12 from $55/35; 7am-6pm) has Naturalist-led tours, beginning with snorkeling classes on the boat. Snacks are provided and kids under 6 are free. Also done with style are the whale-watching cruises (adult/child $32/16) that sail from several times daily in the winter season.

If you want more of a party scene, hop aboard Quicksilver ( 662-0075, 888-700-3764; Slip 103 Ma′alaea Harbor; cruise $99), a sleek double-decker catamaran. Once you’re done in the water your crew cranks up Jimmy Buffett and breaks out a BBQ lunch.

HIKING

Fine hilltop views of Kaho′olawe and Lana′i reward hikers along the Lahaina Pali Trail, which follows an ancient footpath as it zigzags steeply up through native dryland. After the first mile it passes into open, sun-baked scrub, from where you can see Haleakalā and the fertile central plains. Ironwood trees precede the crossing of Kealaoloa Ridge (1600ft), after which you descend through Ukumehame Gulch. Look for stray petroglyphs and paniolo graffiti. Stay on the footpath all the way down to Papalaua Beach and don’t detour onto 4WD roads. The 5.5-mile trail takes about 2½ hours each way.

You can hike in either direction, but starting off early from the east side of the mountains keeps you ahead of the blistering sun. The trailhead access road, marked by a ‘Na Ala Hele’ sign, is on Hwy 30, about 100yd south of its intersection with Hwy 380. If you prefer to start at the west end, the trailhead is 200yd south of the 11-mile marker on Hwy 30.

Eating

Hula Cookies ( 243-2271; Harbor Shops at Ma′alaea; snacks $2-5; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun) The perfect place to take the kids for a snack after the aquarium. The fresh-baked cookies and Maui-made ice cream are chockful of macadamia nuts, pineapple and mango.

Beach