Upcountry Maui: Kula, Farms and the Cool Side of the Island
Most visitors never leave the coast, which is exactly why Upcountry Maui is so rewarding. On the western flank of Haleakala, the elevation brings cooler air, rolling pasture, jacaranda trees and some of the best farm food in Hawaii.
Kula and the farms
Kula is Maui's agricultural heart, its cool 3,000-foot slopes growing everything from sweet onions to strawberries and protea flowers. Visit the Ali'i Kula Lavender farm for hillside rows and views to two coastlines, or tour Surfing Goat Dairy and O'o Farm for a true farm-to-table lunch.
Makawao, a paniolo town
Hawaii has a cowboy (paniolo) tradition older than the American West, and the town of Makawao still wears it — weathered storefronts, galleries, a famous cream-filled malasada at the old bakery, and a rodeo each summer.
Sip and stay a while
At the end of the Upcountry road, MauiWine at 'Ulupalakua Ranch pours wines (including a pineapple wine) in a historic cottage once visited by Hawaiian royalty. It pairs naturally with a Haleakala sunset on the way down.
Why go
Upcountry is also the gateway to Haleakala's summit, so many travelers combine the two: sunrise at the crater, breakfast in Kula, an afternoon among the farms. Bring a light layer — it really is cooler up here — and a cooler for everything you'll want to take home.
Photo: belindah / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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