Where to stay in Maui

Morning coffee on the lanai, with the beach already glowing below. You swim before breakfast, then follow the beachfront path to Whalers Village for lunch. In the afternoon, snorkel at Black Rock and look for sea turtles. At sunset a cliff diver lights the torches on the rock and leaps into the sea, and dinner is a short walk away.

Your lanai hangs right over the water, and the turtles are often the first thing you see in the morning. Walk to the food trucks and the little farmers market in Honokowai, or drive five minutes to snorkel the reef at Kahekili Beach. In winter, humpbacks breach just offshore. Then fire up the grill by the pool and watch the sun set over Lanai and Molokai.

You wake to birdsong and the rustle of palms. Join the line at the Gazebo for macadamia nut pancakes, then walk the coastal trail past lava headlands, with a snorkel at Kapalua Bay or a swim at Napili Bay. In summer, Honolua Bay's marine preserve is calm enough to explore. Spend the evening on the lanai, watching the sun sink beside the island of Molokai.

Step off the lanai onto one of Maui's longest beaches, a ribbon of sand that runs about five miles to Maalaea. Walk it at sunrise, then watch for humpbacks in the bay, Maui's whale nursery in winter. The afternoon trade winds bring out the windsurfers, so swim in the morning. The farmers market and the Kealia Pond boardwalk are minutes away, and the sun sets across the bay.

Cross the road to the Kamaole beach parks for a morning swim, while the water is calm and clear. Snorkel the rocky points between them, then grab fish tacos from a food truck. In the afternoon, explore: Iao Valley, Paia town and Haleakala are all within reach. Evenings are relaxed: a beach-bar sunset with Kahoolawe and Lanai on the horizon, then live music around Kihei Kalama Village.

Wailea runs on a gentle rhythm. Swim at Ulua Beach while the water is still glassy, then walk the coastal path that links five crescent beaches. Spend the afternoon by the pool, play a round of golf, or drive ten minutes to Makena's Big Beach. At sunset, the Shops at Wailea and some of Maui's best restaurants are minutes away.

Wake to roosters and the patter of rain on the jungle, then watch the sun rise over Hana Bay. Swim at Hamoa Beach, walk the bamboo forest of the Pipiwai Trail to a 400-foot waterfall, and buy lunch from a fruit stand. By late afternoon the day-trippers have gone home, and Hana is yours.

Start with coffee in Paia, a surf town of cafes and boutiques, then watch the turtles haul out on the sand at Hookipa. Drive up the mountain to Makawao's cowboy-town galleries and the farms of Kula, where evenings are cool enough for a sweater. You're as close as you can stay to Haleakala's summit and the start of the Road to Hana.