Kapalua, Arms Embracing the Sea

Named for its dramatic lava peninsulas, Kapalua Resort is one Hawaiʻi's premier destinations. Its shoreline is lined with five bays and three white-sand beaches, one of which has been designated "The Best Beach in America" by professor Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. "Dr. Beach", of the Florida International University. Kapalua poetically translates to "arms embracing the sea," and is so inviting that monk seals often visit its shores.

In the 1890s, it was known as the Honolua Ranch and later became the Honolua Plantation when Kapalua's acres of grassy slopes were converted to geometric patterns of silver-blue pineapple fields. Throughout the resort, historic Cook pines add a striking silhouette to hidden pathways and mountain vistas.

Situated on Maui's scenic northwest coast at the foot of the verdant Mauna Kahālāwai, or West Maui Mountains, Kapalua is a 1,650-acre destination resort set amidst 23,000 acres of privately owned pineapple plantation. The luxury resort and master-planned community features a rare native rainforest, a protected marine life conservation district, an ancient Hawaiian burial ground, and golf courses that double as wildlife sanctuaries. In this magnificent landscape appear historic sites, such as the Honolua Store, churches, and plantation homes, which recall in poignant detail the cultural development of Kapalua Resort.

Guests of the resort create their own mix of leisure at a pace of their choosing. Miles of coastal and ridgeline trails wind through the resort, offering hiking access to some of West Maui's most unspoiled terrain and breathtaking seascapes. Colorful coral gardens and bays teeming with tropical fish provide the perfect venue for kayaking and snorkeling. The new Mountain Outpost offers entry into lands never before accessed and its state-of-the-art zipline system traverses two miles of breathtaking natural terrain. A Hawaiian cultural arts program, inspired dining options and special events round out all the amenities needed in paradise.

Celebrating Hawaiʻi's rich cultural heritage, natural resources, championship golf, tennis tournaments and acclaimed culinary arts, the world-renowned Kapalua Resort plays host to special events year-round. Signature events include: the PGA Tour's Mercedes-Benz Championship in January, Whale Quest Kapalua in February, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua's Celebration of the Arts festival in spring, Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in June and the Kapalua LGPA Classic in October.

Kapalua Resort is also renowned for its championship golf courses. Designed by Arnold Palmer and Francis Duane, The Bay Course's signature hole 5 is a par 3 that stretches 154 yards from the regular tee amidst a backdrop of surf breaking against sea cliffs and an enticing panoramic view. This scenic course meanders through the resort and is home of the new Kapalua LGPA Classic. The Plantation Course's signature 18 is the hole around which Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed the rest of the course. At 663 yards from the championship tee, this downhill and downwind par 5 is the longest of any on the PGA Tour. The links style course offers rugged terrain and spectacular mountain-to-ocean views and is home to the best-of-the-best tournament, the Mercedes-Benz Championships.

It's hard to remember that all this happens on a tropical island at a world-class resort surrounded by pineapple fields, just a few miles from a little Hawaiian village where people still farm, raise pigs and pound their taro into poi.