Maui

The vast hollow below the summit looks like a crater but was carved by erosion, and red and black cinder cones dot its floor. Cars entering for sunrise between 3am and 7am need booking in advance. The summit drops close to freezing, so bring a heavy layer.

Past Paia the road winds along sea cliffs all the way to Hana, with many bridges wide enough for a single car. Local custom is to let the cars waiting on the far side cross before you go. Do not stop on the roadway; pull into the marked turnouts only.

Lava ground down by the surf makes the black sand beach, and sea water surges through the lava caves beside it. Visitors from outside the state need booking for an entry and parking slot, and anyone without one is turned back at the gate.

A long run of sand lined with resorts on the west shore, with the snorkelling off the black rock headland at its north end. At every sunset a diver lights torches on that rock and leaps into the sea. Hawaiians held the rock to be where souls left this world.

A crescent-shaped crater half sunk in the sea, its inner side sheltered from the swell and very clear. Only boats from Maalaea or Kihei go there, and since the trade winds build in the afternoon most trips go out in the morning.

A moss-green needle of rock rises mid-valley. In 1790 Kamehameha's army crushed Maui's forces here; the fallen blocked the stream, so the battle is named for the damming of the waters. On many afternoons cloud fills the valley and hides the needle.

Strong wind and surf on the north shore bring windsurfing contests to this beach. Late in the afternoon green sea turtles haul out on the sand to rest, and you watch from outside the roped-off area. The turtles are federally protected, so keep away.

One of the island's widest sweeps of sand, but the waves break right at the waterline, and every year people knocked down in the shallows hurt their necks and shoulders. Over the rocky rise at the north end hides the smaller Little Beach.

An aquarium beside Maalaea Harbor, built around the marine life of Hawaii. In the clear tunnel under the big tank, sharks and rays glide overhead. It fills up on rainy or windy days when the boats cannot go out.

The town where sugar plantation workers once lived now holds a row of surf shops and restaurants. It is the last town with a proper gas station on the way to Hana, so drivers fill the tank here before setting off.

A marine reserve at the island's northwest tip, a five-minute walk down through woods to a rocky shore. Calm summer water makes it a snorkelling spot for coral and turtles; winter swells turn it over to surfers. There is no sand, so wear water shoes.

A hole in the lava shelf on the northwest coast where each surge shoots seawater many metres into the air. People have been sucked in after going too close, so stay off the wet rock. It is about a 15-minute scramble down a rough slope from the parking area.

A crescent of sand a little south of Hana town, framed by cliffs and palms. Few drivers continue this far past Hana, so it stays quiet into the afternoon. Surf is often rough, so swim only when it is calm.

Perched at about 1,200m in Upcountry Kula, the farm's lavender rows overlook the ocean and the West Maui mountains. Up here the air is noticeably fresher, so pack a layer. The shop sells lavender tea and treats, and garden walking tours run here.

Waterfalls on farmland just before the Hana road starts twisting, reached by a path through orchards. Many swim in the pool beneath the first fall. A farm stand at the gate sells coconuts and smoothies; after heavy rain the stream surges suddenly, so stay out.

A paved path running past the resorts on the south shore, linking five sandy beaches and lava points. Native Hawaiian plants along the way carry name tags. Kahoolawe and Molokini lie offshore, and in the evening walkers gather along it for the sunset.

From December to April humpbacks down from Alaska calve and nurse in the shallow channels between Maui and its neighbours. Boats leave from Maalaea Harbor, and blows are visible to the naked eye from the Kihei shore. Some crews drop hydrophones for whale song.