Maui Factoids

There is much talk, if not controversy, about how to split up Maui by region so that it can easily be described on a website such as this. Why the controversy you ask? Well, Maui, like all the Hawaiian islands, is part of a county politically divided into several districts, clockwise: Lahaina, Wailuku, Makawao, and Hana (seen here). Since Molokai and Lanai are also technically inside Maui county, they are also districts, but we're ignoring them here. Quite honestly, to the modern day traveler these districts serve no purpose.

The remedy then is to find a way to divide the island into segments that are easy to recognize, describe, and access via the major roads of the island. This is where much of the debate comes from. Every "expert" has their own way of dissecting the island into pieces.

Our way is pretty simple and it's a method we've followed religiously in all of our physical guidebooks. We like to take the North, East, South, and West approach and we've stayed as true as possible to that format here online (see the map below to the right). In general, we've adjusted some region names as needed and kept others to preserve common reference. I'm sure some of you will disagree and send off an email to us, but this system has worked rather well for us and as noted, we're aware others have their own preferred method of dividing up the island.

Ultimately we've divided the island in a manner that helps us group spots together so that they are easily accessible along the major routes of the island. This allows us to use our mile by mile directions to easily and accurately describe each spot here on our website.

Q: Why is Maui called the "Valley Isle" of Hawaii?
A: All the Hawaiian islands have nicknames. Kauai is the 'Garden Isle,' Hawaii is either referred to as 'The Big Island' or the 'Orchid Isle,' Oahu is 'The Gathering Place,' and Maui is the 'Valley Isle.' The name is derived from the fact that central Maui sits between two mountains. Haleakala to the east and the West Maui mountains to the west. Nearly all of central Maui is no more than 200 feet above sea level, while Haleakala stretches to some 10,000+ feet above sea level. Quite a contrast.

Q: So how big is Maui and how many people live on the island?
A: It's the second largest island in the chain, but don't let that statistic fool you. If you live on the mainland, the county you live in is likely larger than Maui. Maui is approximately 48 miles (76.8km) long and 26 miles (41.6km) wide, totaling 728 square miles. Chances are it'll feel larger than it sounds when you arrive, plus there is enough topographic diversity on this island to make it feel like a multi-state road trip on the mainland. Where on the mainland can you visit a tropical rain forest, a 400' waterfall, hike a lava field, visit a volcano's summit, and swim in the ocean on the same day? Maui has a population of about 140,000 people. During the peak travel months, visitors can often easily outnumber the local population. And though it's not directly related to the FAQ, we should probably also note that Maui, as a county, includes the separate islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Kaho'olawe.

Q: Where can I swim under a waterfall on Maui?
A: Before we give you the long list of gorgeous waterfalls on Maui, a few words of caution. The image of people frolicking under a cascading waterfall looks great on a visitor’s brochure but there are inherent dangers in standing underneath a natural feature. Streams feed waterfalls which means that what is coming down stream is also coming down the waterfall. That includes rocks, logs and other things that could bonk you on the head. Another danger is microscopic but extremely dangerous. Leptospirosis is a wicked bacterium which seeps into streams from animal waste. If you do decide to wade in creeks or swim in waterfalls, do not drink the water and cover up open wounds. You can check out a few of Maui's best waterfalls on our Best Hawaii Waterfalls page (details and ratings of each falls included).

Maui is the second largest landmass in the Hawaiian island chain that consists of eight major islands and 124 islets. The archipelago is made up of numerous volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean stretching in a 1,500-mile crescent from Kure Island in the northwest to the Big Island of Hawai‘i in the east, encompassing an area of 6,459 square miles. The eight major islands at the eastern end of the chain are, from west to east, Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, Oahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Kaho‘olawe, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Maui is composed of two major volcanic areas, the older and extinct West Maui Mountains and a very expansive volcano named Haleakala on the eastern side of Maui. In between the two is a valley filled with deposits. In addition to these three primary areas, the island can be divided into several official sub-areas, and it’s a good idea to become familiar with each of them. No area is quite like another on Maui. Read more on the Regions and Areas of Maui.

If you're heading to Maui and you've been doing your homework, you might have stumbled across the 'EMI' name when researching the Hana Highway. You're probably wondering, "Who or what is EMI?"

Who or What is EMI?
EMI is the East Maui Irrigation company, and they have ditches running most of the way to Hana. Since they do divert water from various falls and occasionally prevent public access to certain locations, keep that in mind as you explore along the highway. Some waterfalls may be flowing at a lower than usual rate due to EMI diverting water from the stream above the falls.

Their tunnels and ditches feed the cane fields in central Maui. Occasionally they also will block public access to certain locations with “No Trespassing” signs. A few waterfalls along the Hana Highway are completely on or inside EMI areas. We have typically skipped mentioning these spots on our website and in our guidebooks due to the fact they are on private property and are not legally accessible (though we have noted the KAPU status of some of the better known locations).