- About 15% of Kaanapali's residential real estate is single-family homes and 85% are condos.
- Kaanapali is Hawaii's 1st master-planned community, adding its first single-family home subdivision, Kaanapali Vista, in 1971. 15% of Kaanapali's residential real estate is single-family homes. The remaining 85% are condos.
- Amfac, Inc. (formerly American Factors) began development in 1959 and is still seeing it through today in its reorganized form, Kaanapali Land.
- The homes comes in a variety of settings, including beachfront and hillside, all within subdivisions.
Kaanapali Subdivisions- Kaanapali Coffee Farms - Built 2015. 58 lots of 4 - 7 Acres, with 1 of those acres specifically for personal/residential use. Homes are 2 - 6BR, 1 & 2-story. Remaining land in your lot is for agricultural use. Live surrounded by an operating coffee farm. Location 300 - 500 ft above the resort means panoramic views.
- Kaanapali Hillside - Built 1985 in 3 Phases (Phase I: 24 lots, II-A: 40, II-B: 67). 131 1/4-acre lots in total with 3 - 5BR, 1 - 3-story homes. Ocean & mountain views. Amenities include fenced park & playground.
- Kaanapali Vista - Built 1971, developed by Amfac. 35 lots of 10K - 15K Sq Ft with 3 - 6BR, 1 & 2-story homes.
- Kahua Kai - Built 2004. 13 lots of approx. 18K Sq Ft each, with 3 - 6BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Subdivision sits between 7th & 9th fairways of Royal Kaanapali Golf Course. Mountain, ocean & fairways views. Gated community.
- Kai Ala Place - Built 2000. 6 beachfront lots of approx. 1 Acre each, with 4 - 8BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Each lot is individually gated. Zoned ‘Hotel’ so Vacation Rentals allowed immediately, without the required 5 year wait for new Maui house owners.
- Lanikeha - Built 2007. 136 lots total of 9K - 33K Sq Ft with 3 - 5BR, 1 & 2 story homes. Located against the West Maui Mountains. Amenities include pool, hot tub, fitness center and clubhouse with game room, lounge, kitchen & business center. Gated community.
- The Pinnacle - Built 2003. 33 lots of 18K - 24K Sq Ft with 3 - 6BR, 1 & 2-story homes. 10 lots front South Course fairway. Most have ocean views, out to Lanai & Molokai and Lahaina Harbor. 2 gated entrances.
- The Summit (Phases 2 & 3) - Built 2001. 36 1/4-acre lots with 3 - 5BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Sits near the top of the hillside so ocean views are extensive. Gated community.
Note: Phase 1 homes are categorized as condos - Built 2001. 17 standalone 1 & 2-story, 3BR units, each with its own yard area. 4 floor plans to the condos, 2 single-level and 2 2-story. Subdivision sits toward the top of the resort, so views are wide-open. Gated community.
Things to Do in Kaanapali Most of Kaanapali’s coastline is taken up by a single beach, but you’ll find different conditions in the waters and the sands as you travel along its span. It’s like having several beaches to choose from, not just one.
Each July Kaanapali Beach is the starting line for the annual ‘
Maui to Molokai Ocean Challenge’. Watch outrigger paddling teams from around the world race across the channel to Neighbor Island.
For more land-based sports, the
EA Sports Maui Invitational Collegiate Basketball Tournament at Thanksgiving time brings top NCAA teams for a 3 day tournament and other events, with the players all staying in Kaanapali.
If you want to do some shopping,
Whalers Village has shops and boutiques that provide essentials as well as clothes & beachwear, local & Hawaiian crafts, jewelry and dining.
You can get to all these places on the free
Kaanapali Trolley, which runs daily 10AM - 9:30PM.
Beaches Kaanapali Beach - Winner of ‘Best Beach’ award for both America & the World. 3 miles of clear, blue waters with wide stretches of sand. Many spots to go snorkeling, swimming and the surfers will find some breaks, too.
Locals divide it into North & South sections since they can have different conditions.
- North section (above Black Rock) - Tends to have rougher waters than the South. Still, some report great spots for snorkeling on this side. The beach is also less crowded and quieter for those who just want to relax on the sands.
- South section - Generally calmer waters, better for snorkeling and swimming. Busier and more crowded, due to Whalers Village and the catamaran traffic alone.
- Kahekili Beach (AKA Airport Beach) - North of Kaanapali Beach, it draws a lot of scuba and snorkeling fans. The reef is close to the shore, so wade in and the fish are right there. Less people than Kaanapali, but growing more popular. Large parking lot.
Golf Courses- Royal Kaanapali - Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Different PGA Tour Events have been held here, including the Champions Skins Game & the Canada Cup. The course starts right along the shoreline, then moves toward the mountains. The 18th hole is famous for being called one of the most challenging he ever played by Arnold Palmer.
- Kaanapali Kai - Originally an Executive Course, it was 1st redesigned by Arthur Jack Snyder in 1976, then again by Robin Nelson in 2006. 4 sets of tees to give all levels of golfers an opportunity. Shorter yardages (6,400 yards total) than usual, but features like the narrower fairways and smaller greens make strategic play important.
Tennis The
Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch has 11 courts, including a 3,500 capacity Stadium Court. Several of the courts have lights for night play. There are year round classes, teams/leagues & tournaments for both Junior & Adult divisions. 2 courts have had lines added so they can be used for pickleball.
Hikes Kaanapali Beach Walk Trail - The trail runs the entire span of Kaanapali Beach, totaling 5.5 miles round trip. Provides scenic jogging or walking on both paved and boardwalk sections. More casual hikers enjoy stopping for a bite at one of the many dining places along the way.
Dining- Duke’s Beach House - Hawaiian/American cuisines. Known for seafood & steak dishes, but with vegan options available. Casual, open-air dining next to the beach with throwback Hawaii décor. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Roy’s Kaanapali - Hawaiian & Asian cuisines by Hawaii’s iconic chef. Seafood, sushi and pasta dishes plus vegan options. High-end restaurant that has been here for 3 decades. New dishes are introduced periodically, but they also retain favorites from Roy’s 1st menu.
- Slappy Cakes Maui - Only open for Breakfast, Lunch & Brunch. Best known for ‘Make Your Own Pancakes’ bar and seasonal batters, like pumpkin spice and strawberry shortcake. Mimosas are popular here, too.
- Japengo - Asian & Island-Inspired cuisine. Winner of both the ‘Best Asian Cuisine" and ‘Best Sushi’ titles from Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine. Try their specialty hand rolls that have remained favorites. Reservations recommended.
History of Kaanapali Ancient Hawaiian warriors once trained for battle on these grounds. More appropriately to its present, it was also a place reserved for royalty to relax and enjoy themselves.
The massive Pioneer Mill plantation later covered much of this territory, growing sugar from the mid-1800s until the 1950s. By that time, sugar was losing out to the tourism industry, so the new owners of the land, American Factors (Amfac), began looking at building a resort. This would be the 1st master-planned resort community in all of Hawaii.
They broke ground on the first hotel in 1959 and the ceremonial 1st tee off for the initial golf course followed in 1962. Since that time, development has continued and even evolved, with projects like the Kaanapali Coffee Farms showing innovative approaches to Island living.
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