Things to do in Lahaina

Lahaina is not the beach resort next door in Kaanapali; it is West Maui's historic town, and it burned on 8 August 2023. Front Street is not the shopping and gallery strip it once was, and large sections remain closed construction zones rather than places to stroll. The 150-year-old banyan tree in Courthouse Square survived and has since leafed back out, but access around it stays restricted rather than open for a picnic underneath.

What has reopened is limited and changes month to month, so check the county's recovery updates before building a day around it. The harbour itself never stopped operating: catamarans, sunset sails and snorkel boats bound for Lanai or Molokini still load from Lahaina's boat ramp, largely unaffected by what happened uphill.

Treat a stop here as a quiet, respectful look at a town still rebuilding, not a sightseeing detour to the damage, and not an assumption that everything is back to normal.