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SUNNY SOUTH MAUI
Because it rests in Haleakala's rain shadow, Maui's southeastern shore gets maybe ten inches of rainfall each year. It is the driest, sunniest spot on the island. Couple that with a long, almost continuous line of beautiful beaches with exceptional views of the neighboring islands and Molokini as well as predictably gorgeous sunsets and it is easy to understand why the area is one of Maui's most popular resort destinations. South Maui, like West Maui is also a frequent visiting place for tourists and kama'aina alike who enjoy the sunny hot weather. With so few rainy days, the likeliness of a sunny beach day is great. The trade winds which bring rain and cooler temperatures to the islands do not directly hit South Maui, creating warmer weather than other parts of the island.
Makena: 
In the 1800s Makena was the busiest landing on the southeastern coast of Maui. During the California Gold Rush, many San Francisco-bound ships coming up from Cape Horn stopped for supplies at Makena. Fresh fruits and vegetables needed by the miners were loaded onto the ships.
Even after the gold frenzy died down, cattle from Ulupalakua and other ranches were shipped to market in Honolulu from the old Makena Landing. The ranchers tethered the animals to longboats and swam them out to steamers waiting just offshore.
By the 1920's, however, interisland boat traffic had shifted to other ports on the island and the Landing was pretty much abandoned and Makena slumbered.
About a mile south of the landing, just beyond Puu Olai, a 360 foot red cinder hill which is a prominent shoreline feature, is Makena Beach. The beach is actually two beaches: Big Beach, a gorgeous sweep of glistening golden sand that is well over a half-mile long with straight-on views of Molokini and Kahoolawe and turquoise waters, and Puu Olai Beach or Little Beach, which is a secluded cove protected by rocky outcroppings from the cinder cone.
In the late 1960s, Makena Beach became the site of a free camping ground that developed into a semi-permanent tent city. Makena Beach took on the nickname "Hippie Beach." Finally, in 1972, the police evicted everybody on health-code violations.
In the 1980s, the Seibu Corporation bought 1800 acres of Makena above the landing and now an exclusive development similar to Wailea is growing.
The Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve and the historical La Perouse Bay can be reached by following the Makena Road past this resort area. The King's Highway Coastal Trail, which follows the coastline across jagged barren lava flows that date from the last eruption of Haleakala in 1790, continues past the end of the road.
Wailea:
Just south of Kihei, Wailea stands as a spacious, meticulously laid out resort, built in the early 70's by A & B (Alexander and Baldwin). There are five separate beaches along a mile and a half of shore with views of Lanai, Kahoolawe and Molokini. Winter whale-watching, good from vantage points down the length of the leeward shore, are exceptional off the Wailea beaches, where, sometimes, whales play just 100 yards from the shore.
Many upscale hotels including the Grand Wailea, the Four Seasons, Marriott and Fairmont Kea Lani front the Wailea coastline. Baccarat Wailea condominiums will replace the Rennaisance Hotel with new construction consisting of high end ocean front condos. Condominiums and exclusive residential communities are set amid well-planned streets and world-class golf courses. There is a tennis club and a spectacular oceanfront walking path. The Shops at Wailea has world class shopping and designer boutiques as well as several gourmet restaurants.
Kihei:
Kihei's near-constant sunshine and the fringe of sandy beaches -- some of the loveliest on the island -- along its six-mile-long stretch on Maui's southwest coast continues to attract avid sun- and sand-worshippers. The beaches have incredible views of Lanai and Kahoolawe as well as West Maui. At sunset, the orange orb of the sun seems to hang for a long time over the water before sliding gently into the sea. The breezes off the ocean during the late afternoon and early twilight hours bring a cooling, welcome relief from the heat of the day.
If you want to be strictly accurate, the original "Kihei" was a single village located near the Kihei Wharf, across from Suda Store. The next villages over were Kalepolepo and Kama'ole, which are now names for beaches along the South Kihei Road.
The area that we call Kihei now (bounded to the north by Maalaea Bay and to the south by the Wailea resort) was once a long stretch of undeveloped beaches with an abundance of scrubby plants and thorny kiawe (mesquite) trees and panini cacti. Along this stretch there was a scattering of homes, a few small stores and a couple of churches. Local families often camped overnight at the many beaches and fishermen had their favorite spots up and down the coast. The living was slow and easy, and land was not worth much money since, after all, you couldn't grow much produce here. There just wasn't enough rain.
In the 1960s and 1970s Maui was economically depressed. The young people were leaving the island to find their fortunes elsewhere and population was dwindling. Tourism seemed to be the answer, and tourists liked beaches. Kihei had lots and lots of beautiful beaches.
Lots of development was called for to handle Kihei's rise in tourism. Private developers constructed high-rise condominiums along the shoreline and folks seeking to take advantage of the available beachfront property began building million-dollar homes. Subdivision tracts are now interspersed between the condos and the high-end homes as well as many strip malls and shopping centers. The newer Piilani Highway (Highway 31), above South Kihei Road and running parallel to it, was constructed to help alleviate the constant traffic congestion along South Kihei Road. Crossroads connect the two, and the building continues along this other thoroughfare as well.
 Maalaea:
Six miles out from Wailuku, bordering Kihei, is Maalaea, the preferred marina of Maui's flotilla of cruise and pleasure boats. Many of these are Molokini snorkel boats, but there are also a number of cruise boats and charter fishing boats as well.
There is a restaurant at the harbor as well as a fish market. The harbor village includes a small store, the Coast Guard station, and the newly built Maui Ocean Center. Beyond the harbor, along Hau'oli Street, are several condominium buildings and a few beachfront homes.
The best thing about Maalaea are the views: broad sea views, with Haleakala in the foreground and the West Maui Mountains in the background. The trade winds blow constantly, a breezy blessing against the heat. There is a long strip of white sand beach that curves around Maalaea that is a popular spot for joggers and walkers.
Across the highway from the beach is a salt-water marsh, Kealia Pond, that has been set aside as a nesting and breeding refuge for birds, most notably the indigenous Hawaiian Stilts, Black-Crowned Night Herons and Hawaiian Coots. There are signs along the highway warning drivers to watch for sea turtles who have a tendency to cross the road very slowly.
There were ancient villages in and around Maalaea, but most traces are gone now. One village of archeological importance was located near McGregor Point, just past Maalaea on the highway leading to Lahaina. It was destroyed by the contractor who built the Maalaea Harbor breakwater, who used the boulders from the village to build the breakwater, demolishing the site. It was a fishing village of 45 house sites as well as a well-preserved heiau (temple), a fishing shrine and several petroglyphs. All that is left of the village are two large boulders behind the restaurant at the harbor.
Maalaea Bay is a major wintering spot for humpback whales. After summering in Alaska, the gentle giants spend the winter in the waters between west Maui and Lanai. As they are sensitive to noise, they stay farther out to sea off Lahaina and Kaanapali.
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary expanded in 1998 to include waters around all the major islands and the sanctuary headquarters is located in Maalaea. It is one of only 12 national marine sanctuaries strewn across the Atlantic and Pacific, from Samoa to Cape Cod.
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