Napili, Kahana & Honokowai sit on the 5 miles of coastline between
Kapalua and
Kaanapali. Although not master planned, these are resort communities, based around the tourism economy. The Pacific scenery and the cooler temperatures make this area of
Maui an attractive destination.
There are beachfront homes in these areas, but only 15% of all the residential properties here are single family homes. The remaining 85% are condos.
Single-Family Home Subdivisions Napili Subdivisions- Hale Malia - Built 1976. 6 oceanfront lots of 10K - 14K Sq Ft with 3 - 5BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Gated community.
- Honokeana - Built 1991. 38 lots of 5.5K - 17K Sq Ft with 2 - 7BR, 1 & 2-story homes. More inland community, next to Kapalua. Amenities include 2 neighborhood parks, one with a baseball field.
Kahana Subdivisions- Kahana Nui (Also called Kahananui Village or Tiny Town) - Built 1996. 26 lots of 3.4K - 5.7K Sq Ft with 2 & 3BR, 2-story homes. 1 block to the ocean, 3 blocks to beach access. Amenities include neighborhood park.
- Kahana Ridge - Built in 1999. 230 lots of 6.5K - 8K Sq Ft with 2 - 5BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Mix of developer-made floor plans & custom builds. Some vacant lots are still available. Hillside subdivision with ocean views from many of its residences.
- Kapalani Estates - Built in 1980. 22 3 - 5BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Primarily custom builds, some lots have ocean views. Just a few blocks walk to Pohaku (S Turns) beach park. Amenities include pool, tennis court, clubhouse. Gated community.
- Kahana Wai - Built in 2000. 17 lots of 6K - 7.4 Sq Ft with 3 - 5BR, 2-story homes all on 1 cul-de-sac street. Houses are all custom builds. Beach is just across the street. Gated community.
- Kapua Village - Built 2003. 45 lots of 6K - 7.8K Sq Ft with 3 - 8BR, 1 & 2-story homes. Subdivision is across the street from S-Turns beach park. Ocean views from most houses.
Things to Do in Napili, Kahana & Honokowai Local life starts with shopping local. The
Napili Farmers Market is where you can get all locally grown produce & products - fruits, coffee, herbs, vegetables and more. It happens every Wednesday at the corner of Honoapiilani Highway and Napilihaui Street from 8AM - 11AM.
Music is a huge part of life here in Hawaii and you can hear some of the best twice a week at the
Slack Key Guitar Show. Hosted by slack key guitar master George Kahumoku, Jr. each Wednesday and Thursday evening. Every show has a different guest musician who joins your host to make beautiful Hawaiian music.
Hiking- Napili Bay Beach Trail - Not a lengthy trek, just 0.7 miles the whole way and back. However, the ocean shoreline scenery and mostly paved surface make it a great jogging and pleasure walking circuit. Expect company, but dogs are not allowed.
- Kapalua Coastal Trail - If you want something longer, this 3.5 mile trail (to the end and back), starts just over the Napili-Kapalua border. It hugs the coastline and is flat most of the way, another option for runners or walkers who love the ocean scenery.
Golf There are no golf courses from Napili to Honokowai, but that’s not a problem when you’re next door to Kapalua, where they have 2 excellent choices.
- Plantation Course - Designed by Ben Crenshaw & Bill Coore. The course offers ocean views from just about every hole. The PGA Tour’s ‘The Sentry’ tournament is played here every year.
- Kapalua Bay Course - Designed by Arnold Palmer and Frances Duane, you never lose sight of the ocean on these links. Over 20 Major Pro Tournaments have been played here, but is most renowned for its 17th Hole, the only one on Maui you play over the ocean waters.
Beaches- Napili Beach - A snorkeler’s dream due to clear waters filled with fish and sea turtles. Generally calmer waters also make it more kid-friendly and safer for all. Boogie boarders show up when the waves start coming in higher.
- Pohaku Beach (AKA S Turns) - Main beach for Kahana. Waves are smaller than other nearby beaches so it’s a good place for beginner surfers. You’ll see a lot of paddleboarders, too. A lot of friendly locals come here to kick back or to fish.
- Honokowai Beach Park - Great spot to bring the family. Kids can wade safely in protected parts of the shore or play on the 2 playgrounds. Snorkeling is good at times, as is the swimming, but be aware of the ocean conditions. There are strong currents at times. Park has picnic tables & BBQs.
Tennis Currently, outside of private resort & residential courts, there’s just one tennis court & 4 pickleball courts at
Napili Park available to the general public.
The nearby
Kapalua Tennis Garden is a private club option with 8 tennis courts and 10 pickleball courts for its members’ use. It also has regular clinics and private lessons available with their pros.
Dining- Gazebo Restaurant at Napili Shores - Hawaiian & American cuisines. Breakfast, lunch & brunch only and at affordable prices. Their macadamia nut pancakes are their signature dish and all items, lunch/breakfast/brunch, are served all hours they’re open. Expect lines and large portions once seated.
- Aa Roots Maui - All vegan here. The Acai & Buddha bowls are ordered most, with smoothies, curry bowls, breakfast burritos and more on a changing menu. Even non-vegans rave about the food here. Open 8AM - 3:30PM only.
- China Boat - Have moved to Take-Out only. Mainly Chinese, with some Japanese udon items. Some have said it is the best Chinese food on Maui. Multiple menu items get highlighted by reviewers, so almost anything is a safe bet to order.
- Sea House Restaurant - Primarily seafood dishes, the Mahi Mahi and Ahi items being the standouts. Salads & vegan options are available, plus breakfast is served here also. Beachfront location that looks out on Napili Bay. Repeat winner of Maui Magazine’s ‘Best Happy Hour’.
- Fond - American cuisine. The Maui Cattle Sirloin and Seafood Tsunami are their most popular dinner dishes, with burgers and salads to try along with the entrees. The menu is not extensive, but what they do offer is usually well received. Location is a little out of the way, but parking is plentiful.
History of Napili, Kahana & Honokowai This part of Maui’s coastline once held fishing settlements as well as farming communities, during not only Ancient Hawaiian times, but long after. A Hawaiian village in Honokowai Valley continued to sustain itself on farming and fishing up into the 1920’s. The rich soil of the region attracted plantation interests in the mid-1800s, taking over much of the lands along the shoreline.
One of the missionaries who came to Hawaii, Dr. Dwight Baldwin, received a large royal grant of lands here that was later expanded by his descendants to over 23,000 acres of pineapple fields. That territory covered what is now Napili as well as Kapalua to the north. To the south, the Kahana Agriculture Company began in 1875 growing pineapple and then sugar on its lands, closing its doors finally in 1935.
The plantation system began to be unprofitable in the mid-20th Century, prompting these businesses to sell off or even develop their land themselves from the late 1950s onward. The Napili Kai Resort opened in 1962 on such former farmlands, starting what is now a line of vacation properties across all 3 communities, joined soon by the homes and condos that we see today.
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