Montage Kapalua Bay, home to a collection of Exclusive Resorts villas overlooking stunning beaches and shimmering coastline, is more than a luxurious base for all of your island adventures: It’s a destination in its own right for Hawaiian culture, food, and wellness. Explore our mini guide to the best of West Maui.

Cane & Canoe • Montage Kapalua Bay’s stunning views will knock you out the minute you arrive at the resort — and this restaurant nestled between verdant lawns, beneath soaring palm trees, with views of cascading pools and Kapalua Bay, is its crown jewel. The fare is always fresh and authentic, whether you’re starting your day off with next-level Loco Moco (featuring Wagyu steak) or ending it with straight-from-the-sea dishes like Hawaii kanpachi and tiger prawns.

Leoda’s • Leave your diet at the door — trust us, Leoda’s is worth it. Though this Olowalu establishment is both a restaurant and a pie shop, there’s no denying Leoda’s gift is the latter. Her mini pies are small enough to eat in one sitting (and quite frankly, you won’t want to share a single bite). Don’t miss the banana cream — Leoda’s made-from-scratch cream will blow your mind — or the key lime, made with perfectly tart Olowalu limes. 

Monkeypod Kitchen • An island favorite with four locations across Maui and Oahu, Monkeypod isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a vibe. At this location in Whaler’s Village, just a few miles from Montage Kapalua Bay, you can sip lilikoi cocktails and munch on poke tacos in the breezy hale-style dining room, or catch the sunset over Keeka Point from the lanai.

Montage Sunset Luau • Of course, there are any number of luaus you could attend (and attend, you must!) while visiting Maui, but Montage Kapalua Bay does the tradition right with an intimate setting — no big crowds or buffet lines here — and some of the island’s best entertainment. The sit-down affair is filled with mai tais (using Trader Vic’s official recipe), authentic fare like Pua ‘a Kalua (aka the famous roasted pork you often see rotating on a spit), and poi cheesecake, accompanied by traditional dancers, live music, and a heart-racing grand finale featuring Hawaii’s famous fire twirlers.

Kapalua Bay • Just steps from Montage Kapalua Bay, this idyllic beach of golden sands and swimmable shores is the answer to all your Hawaiian outdoor dreams: swimming, surfing, and snorkeling with colorful fish and giant sea turtles are all at your fingertips here, along with cliff-jumping a short walk away. Just above the beach, Merriman’s Kapalua is a go-to for romantic dinners and celebratory sunset cocktails.

ʻĪao Valley State Monument • Head to West Maui Forest Reserve to see the Maui of centuries ago: lush and green, brimming with giant monstera and valley ferns, rushing streams and painterly rainbow eucalyptus trees, and, perhaps most impressive, the 1,200-foot Iao Needle. You’ll meet many a local at this magnificent site, who visit not only for its impressive beauty, but also for its cultural significance: It was here in 1790 that King Kamehameha I fought Maui's army in his quest to unite the Hawaiian Islands at the Battle of Kepaniwai.

Native Intelligence • Combine your craving for culture with your passion for shopping at this locally owned shop in the artsy town of Wailuku. Here, you’ll find high-end arts and crafts like flower and feather lei — the kind royalty once wore — along with black-pearl and woven lauhala jewelry, books, board shorts, and, yes, Hawaiian shirts.

Paradise Now • Another Wailuku spot for not-so-ordinary souvenirs, this boutique is brimming with one-of-a-kind art, whether the canvas is a piece of a wood, a T-shirt, or a bumper sticker. Shop modern tropical patterns, cool surf-culture paintings, and island-made skincare and fragrances, all locally made.

Ku’ia Estate • This Lahaina chocolatier is a survival story with a sweet ending: The estate miraculously made it through the 2023 wildfire without significant damage, and today welcomes visitors to its chocolate factory for tours, as well as its chocolate bar, where you can sample flights of chocolate bars infused with tropical flavors like Mapulehu mango, along with drams of Kopahi bourbon (made from corn grown in Kauai). Stop by for Pua Hana celebrations on Friday or sunset jazz performances on Sundays.

Kapalua Golf Club • Kapalua Bay is home to two top-notch courses: Plantation Course, known for its views over the Pailolo Channel and West Maui Mountains, as well as its championship 18-hole design — and its reputation as the host of the Sentry, PGA Tour’s annual season opener; and Bay Course, a 36-hole juggernaut that has hosted its own fair share of professional tournaments. Guests of Montage Kapalua Bay enjoy membership access to both courses.

Spa Montage • The Hawaiian art of wellness goes back centuries, and Montage’s jungle retreat is a tranquil gateway to all of it, from hot-stone therapies to lomi-lomi massage. Treatments are performed in traditional outdoor hales that welcome the breezes. There’s also a bamboo waterfall, cedar-wood sauna, and refreshing pool surrounded by native flora and fauna.