A guide to booking elegant Kapalua villas in Maui

A guide to booking elegant Kapalua villas in Maui

Move over Princeville and Waikiki, Kapalua’s in town. Once a center for pineapple and sugarcane farms, this corner of Maui’s north shore has been transformed into a hub for deluxe vacation homes. World-class golf courses and pristine tropical beaches have helped it along the way, and there are plenty of Kapalua villas in Maui’s Polynesian-chic style that tout swimming pools, ocean views, and plush interiors to match.

Amazing things that set Kapalua villas apart from the crowd

A villa in Kapalua with a shared pool area and vistas of palm-speckled hills out front

Kapalua Bay villas do luxury like you wouldn’t believe. Sparkling pools and simmering hot tubs combine on craggy clifftops to offer something truly special, with ocean views and proximity to top-class golf courses also a part of the package…

Ocean-view Kapalua villas – Maui’s rugged shoreline

Add dramatic vistas of rock-carved coves and wave-splattered headlands to the mix by holding out for Kapalua villas in Maui that stand atop the cliffs of this breathtaking region. They are the ones with patios that spill out onto precipitous bluffs above the roaring Pacific, or porches aloft between the palm-speckled sand bays and powder of Kapalua Beach, offering jaw-dropping sunset shows come evening, and walking access to the shoreline come morning.

Kapalua villas on the golf course

If you’ve come to this corner of Maui, a Kapalua villa that straddles the greens and tees might be in order. There are lots of homes that promise to put you within walking distance of the clubhouses, with many touting leafy gardens and decks where you can kick back and watch others working their iron shots.

Villas in Kapalua with their own pool

It’s true you might not need a pool, what with shimmering Kapalua Beach and its gold-glinting sands just beyond the headland, but it can’t hurt, right? If you’re a fan of doing lengths as the sunset glows pinkish-red over the Pacific and Maui’s cliffs, then there are pads for you in these parts. The glitziest have stunning infinity pools in clifftop locations, but most Kapalua villas share theirs with other rentals in a complex. Enchanting Hawaiian touches One of the great things about Kapalua villas is that they haven’t lost touch with the traditions and roots of the Hawaiian Islands. Palm-sprouting gardens scented with hibiscus blooms encircle many of them, while thatched sunning cabanas and tiled seating areas come adorned with Tiki carvings that ooze a Polynesian mystery and charm in others.

The most enticing areas of Kapalua

A high-class kitchen and terrace area overlooks the waters and palms of Kapalua Beach

From the high-perched villas that soar above the wave-bashed coves on Ridge Road to the beach-side rentals by Kapalua’s famous arc of gold-flecked sand, the pointers below range across this corner of the Maui shore to offer a taste of the alluring places you can seek out your home away from home.

The Ridge – for views and golf in one

There are plenty of reasons why the Kapalua villas that straddle the winding roadway known as the Ridge are always in demand. For starters, they often open onto sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, with cascading terraces of lush green grass and wind-swaying palm trees unfolding below them. But they are also right next to two of the most prestigious golf courses Hawaii has to offer, and many are deluxe in the extreme – think infinity pools and panoramic terraces.

On the Kapalua Coastal Trail

As the Maui north coast arcs and bends around Kapalua, it turns into a sublime montage of rugged promontories, deep crevices, caves, cliffs, and reflective lagoons. To explore it all, the Kapalua Coastal Path is the trail to hit. You can even snag some villa rentals that butt right up to it.

A few steps from Kapalua Beach

Pining after soft Hawaiian sands and sloshing Pacific waters? Kapalua Beach is by far the best part of town to head to. A few Kapalua villas hide between the coconut groves a little back from it. They tend to be more chilled and low-key than the rentals nearer the chic golfing resorts, although some clutch the rocks to the north of the beachfront with grand gardens and uber-opulent interiors.

What travelers are bound to love Kapalua villas?

A gorgeous vista of tropical beachfront, palms, and a swimming pool, taken from a Kapalua villa

Thinking about a Kapalua villa in Maui’s wild north shore region for this year’s vacay? Not sure if they are the kind of escape for you? There are a few types of globetrotter who suit the sands and sun-splashed fairways here down to the ground.

A place for R&R

Because they are stylish and luxury in the extreme, villas in Kapalua often appeal to travelers pining after classic rest and relaxation. Days by the swimming pool can be topped off with sunset viewing on Kapalua Beach, cocktails in the sleek coastal bars, or a dinner in the prestigious country club. It’s that sort of place.

Golfers, of course

There’s endless golfing offered in Kapalua. Some Kapalua villas even rub shoulders with the manicured fairways and greens. Look for them around if you want to be near the very best – it’s a bucket-list round of 18 with awesome mountain and ocean views, along with challenging pars designed by maestros Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.