Lahaina · US

Lahaina

Lahaina sits on Maui's sun-drenched leeward coast — a name that once meant relentless sun, and a place that spent two centuries as capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, roaring whaling port, sugar boomtown, and beloved holiday destination before a catastrophic wildfire on August 8, 2023 reduced its historic core to ash. Today, the broader Lahaina district — including the Kāʻanapali and Kapalua beach resorts just to the north, which were untouched by the blaze — remains open to visitors. The town is rebuilding, and respectful tourism helps fund that recovery. What follows is what makes this corner of West Maui still worth experiencing, and how to do it with awareness of what happened and what's still being lost.