If you have an entire day on Maui and can only choose one activity, arguably the best activity on Maui is driving the Road to Hāna. The secret, however, to a successful trip, is blocking off the entire day and not heading out there in a rush. Take the time to linger at viewpoints and foray into the forest, where muddy trails lead to hidden waterfalls and moments of tropical silence.

Waianapapa—which means “glistening waters”—is Maui’s most famous black sand beach, located in Hana and boasting fine black sand, black lava boulders, sea arches, a sea cave, and even a lava tube that goes right down to the ocean.

Wrap around the island’s backside on the infamous “back road” to Hāna, stopping to taste at MauiWine if you’ve made it there before closing.

If you’re itching to try out your underwater gear in a place teeming with marine life, Molokini is a hot ticket stop. An ancient volcanic cinder cone appearing low on the horizon about 3 miles off Maui’s south shore, Molokini is a world-class snorkeling and diving location, which can be reached only by boat.

Haleakala, a massive shield volcano that rises 10,023 feet above Maui’s coastal areas, is an enormously popular and easily accessible visitor destination. It has become almost a ritual, in fact, for visitors to rise before dawn and trek to the mountaintop to watch the sun come up from the “House of the Sun,” as it was named by early Hawaiians. Located in Haleakala National Park, the volcano, which has not erupted for more than 200 years, is a place of legends and intriguing biological diversity

For travelers based in West Maui, start the day with an early breakfast at The Gazebo restaurant in Nāpili.

Grab a casual loco moco from Honolua Store.

Drive to Mokuleiʻa Bay, also known as Slaughterhouse Beach, and spend an hour snorkeling the cove with sea turtles, eagle rays, and octopus.

Even though Maui has a dormant volcano that will likely erupt again, Maui’s most active eruption today has nothing to do with lava. Rather it’s a forceful explosion of seawater that erupts on a regular basis—often as frequently as every few minutes when the surf and wind are both up. Set on the island’s northwestern coast, Nakalele Blowhole is a natural geyser where seawater trapped in an underwater lava tube is searching for a way to escape.