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KA‘ANAPALI BEACH
Hundreds of years ago, Black
Rock, where the Sheraton now stands, was the private
home of Chief Kakaalaneo, who ruled West Maui. Today,
the turquoise ocean around the rock is one of the best spots
for snorkeling on Maui. The colorful reef fish here are
tame and accustomed to visitors.
In fact, visitors are what
Ka‘anapali is all about. Many of Maui's most elegant
hotels sprawl along the three miles of golden beach that
make up Ka‘anapali Beach Resort. Built in the mid 1960s,
the resort is nestled at the foot of rolling canefields.
On the “Ma Kai” (oceanside) of Highway 30 these
fields turn into two magnificent 72-par golf courses, the Royal Ka‘anapali’s North
and South Courses. Here golfers can enjoy the velvety
greens as they stroll beneath coconut palms along a winding
stream, all set to a backdrop of the West Maui Mountains.
At the southern end of Ka‘anapali
Beach is the $300 million Hyatt Regency Maui,
inhabited by ornate tropical gardens, exotic birds and a
two million-dollar Oriental art collection. A stroll along
the beach from the Hyatt Regency past the Maui Marriott
and the Westin Maui brings you to Whalers
Village, which is a collection of exquisite shops
and restaurants.
Over 50 diverse shops offer
scrimshaw, art, shells, jewelry, casual or elegant fashions
and exotic gifts and treasures. Four renowned eateries serve
a variety of cuisines such as seafood, steaks, Mexican,
continental, even ice cream and cookies. Of special interest
is the FREE Whalers Village Museum.
Combine all of this with a FREE
spectacular hula show every Wednesday and Sunday at the
Village’s courtyard, and you won’t want to miss this attraction.
From Whalers Village, a truly
enjoyable activity is to walk barefoot along the beach past
the Whaler, Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel and up over the Sheraton
Black Rock to the northern beach of the Royal Lahaina.
Here lie the ruins of the old Ka‘anapali Landing, abandoned
just prior to World War II. This pier was once used to ship
out tons of sugar from the Pioneer Mill which cultivated
most of Ka‘anapali in cane fields.
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