Maui is a fabulous destination for active travelers. There are adventures to outlast even a month-long stay. From November through May, Maui welcomes the humpback whales, our largest seasonal visitors. They come Maui to give birth and provide aquatic entertainment for all. Maui's south and west coastlines provide abundant opportunities for watching this endangered species, and various companies offer whale watching excursions aboard both power and sail boats.

Windsurfing is a great spectator sport. Ho'okipa Beach is world famous among windsurfers, who have made the charming town of Pã'ia their capital. The perfect waves and brisk offshore breezes are ideal for the fleets of neon-bright sails streaking across the waves. Spectators can watch from a convenient hillside lookout. Rentals and instruction are available in Pã'ia and other locations around the island. Once a plantation town, Pã'ia is now has unique boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and notable restaurants, as well as windsurfing shops.

Walk into a rainforest echoing with the songs of birds found nowhere else. There are trails to waterfalls with plunge pools for swimming, and walks into valleys so deep they rarely see a sunrise. Hike into the dramatic lunar landscape of Haleakalã Crater. Trails at Kapalua Resort meander down toward the panoramic coastline, or up to the lush Maunalei Arboretum There are trails and nature walks for every level of skill.

You can bike from the south end to the northwest end of Maui. Much of the ride is along spectacular shoreline road. There are guided downhill bicycle tours from the beneath the summit of Haleakalã, through the flower farms and small towns of Upcountry to the beach at Pã'ia. In 38 miles, the elevation drops an amazing 10,000 feet.

Enjoy glorious views on the road to Hana. The Hãna Highway has 54 one-lane bridges in 56 miles and winds along lava shores, through old plantation towns, past miles of beaches and through towering forests.

Maui has some of the finest dive spots in Hawai'i, with reputable operators offering certification. There are two marine conservation areas, one at Honolua Bay on West Maui and the other at Molokini, a partially submerged volcanic crater offshore at Wailea. The contours of the crater turn it into an aquarium without walls. Boats at Lãhaina and Mã'alaea offer a number of snorkel and dive excursions. The nearby award-winning Cathedrals at Lãna'i is considered to be one of the most beautiful dive sites in the Hawaii. Glass bottom boats and a pleasure submarine open up the underwater wonders to all.

In season, jet and water skiing are available along the south and West shores. See the island from the air, when conditions are right you can drift above the island, floating in a parachute.

See Maui from a helicopter and fly through vibrant, circular rainbows into remote valleys lined with waterfalls. Fly above the dimpled crater of Haleakalã and see the waterfalls, pools and valleys along the serpentine Hãna Highway. For more information call 1-800-525-MAUI (6284) or go to www.VisitMaui.com.