If there were one word to describe Kihei that word would definitely be \u201cbeaches.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
There are no fewer than ten different beaches to choose from when visiting Kihei, a town where the sun nearly always shines on Maui\u2019s southern coast.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Given the wealth of beaches and sunshine, it\u2019s little surprise that Kihei is one of Maui\u2019s top visitor hot spots. It\u2019s also a literal Maui hot spot, as the island\u2019s warmest temperatures are almost always recorded in Kihei. The average high temperature in the middle of winter is a balmy 81\u00b0, and by summer that figure can regularly top 90\u00b0 with zero chance of rain. Then again, with snorkeling, diving, boogie boarding, surfing, and paddling just minutes away, escaping the constant Kihei heat is as easy as hitting the beach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So what\u2019s the downside to Kihei\u2019s climate if it\u2019s always warm and sunny? Afternoons are relentlessly windy \u2014 particularly in summer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The weather aside, Kihei is also Maui\u2019s hottest town for drinking, dancing, and nightlife. Much of the action is at Kihei Kalama Village, though because you can often get lost in the maze of bars, restaurants, and dance halls, locals have dubbed it \u201cThe Bermuda Triangle\u201d \u2014 or to many, simply \u201cThe Triangle.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Maui\u2019s largest brewing facility is also located in Kihei, and by visiting Maui Brewing Company you can tour behind the scenes of Hawaii\u2019s largest local craft brewery and sample dozens of different beers in their small but popular tasting room.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
All of this growth has taken place in only the past 40 years, and Kihei as late as the 1950s was little more than a barren string of beaches lining the coast. The area was so remote, in fact, that in World War II the military practiced amphibious assault on the beaches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Going back even further in time, Kihei was once called \u201cKama\u2018ole\u201d in the days of Ancient Hawaii \u2014 a word that loosely translated as \u201cbarren,\u201d because it was lifeless and dry. It wasn\u2019t until water was pumped from East Maui that Kihei started its growth spurt, though the one place in Kihei where Hawaiians built homes was around Ko\u2018ie\u2018ie Fishpond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Located in North Kihei by Kalepolepo Beach Park, Ko\u2018ie\u2018ie Fishpond was first built in the middle of the 1500s. Legend says it was built by\u00a0menehune<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 the mythical \u201clittle people\u201d of Hawaii \u2014 and that they built the fishpond in only one night, where it still stands to this day. Regardless of how it came to be, the pond was used to raise\u00a0\u2018anae<\/em>, or mullet, as well as\u00a0\u2018awa<\/em>, or milk fish, and the same area in the 1800s was a popular trading post with whalers and merchants selling wood, potatoes and produce.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Today the area around Kalepolepo is home to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center, where in addition to learning about the winter visitors that breach and splash offshore, you can find exhibits on island marine life from dolphins to Monk seals and turtles. As an added bonus, the fishpond creates a gentle lagoon for wading, and if you visit before the wind picks up, it\u2019s the perfect place for families with children to spend a few hours enjoying what Kihei is ultimately known for \u2014 the beach.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If there were one word to describe Kihei that word would definitely be \u201cbeaches.\u201d There are no fewer than ten different beaches to choose from when visiting Kihei, a town where the sun nearly always shines on Maui\u2019s southern coast. Maui\u2019s Hot Spot Given the wealth of beaches and sunshine, it\u2019s little surprise that Kihei…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":101594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3326],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do-maui"],"yoast_head":"\nHawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n