The best beach snorkel and volcanos are in Maui and both can be seen in the same day. Maui has some very unique snorkeling experiences. That’s right, I’m talking about sea turtles. You also need to visit Maui’s dormant volcano at Haleakala Volcano National Park. The same day, after snorkeling, you can drive up to 10,000′ for some spectacular views as well as see a plant that is only found on this volcano. You can book a tour for one or both, but let us show you how to do both in the same day and have the best time. Of course you need to do both! So, let’s go!
Best Beach Snorkel and Volcano Day on Maui
To Snorkel Tour, or not, THAT is the Question
To have the best snorkel trip the first questions to answer is- Will you self guide or pay for a guide? We have always paid for a guided snorkel because we feel there is a lot of value from their local knowledge and expertise. Plus, we don’t own the gear and don’t want to hassle with buying or renting it. But, before looking at guides, we always research what our snorkel location has that makes it unique. That way we know what, at a minimum, we need to look for in the company advertising. For Maui, we found ‘Turtle Town’ and decided that was where we wanted to go.
After deciding what is on our ‘must see’ list we start looking at the various operators. We choose Zephyr Adventures because they’re a small business with small groups and had a mid-morning start time. We’ve found a smaller group to be a more personalized and enjoyable experience. And, we like to have a somewhat relaxing start to the day. Breakfast is our favorite meal, we just don’t always like when it is traditionally served. Plus, they offered a beach-access experience vice a boat snorkel. We’ve done the boat thing and thought the beach entry would be a fun new way to experience snorkeling.
Zephyr sent us the meeting point which was in the Shops at Wailea parking lot. This was perfect since there was also an Island Gourmet Markets in the same center. And we love their breakfast! If you’ve never been, please allow a small detour in the story because you don’t want to miss an opportunity to experience an Island Gourmet Markets!
Fuel Up First
Island Gourmet Markets at The Shops of Wailea
We affectionately refer to this store as ‘The Hawaiian Whole Foods.’ We love it here and always make it a point to stop in for a quick bite and check out the inventory. The made to order food is really much better than you might expect. And the portions, yeah you may want to split with a loved one. This is where we always get our Loco Moco and it is more than enough for two to share. They also have a wide variety of pantry staples and beach needs.
Zephyr Adventures Maui- Turtle Town Snorkel
Okay, back to snorkeling. We met Robbie and he sized us up for the mask and fins, offered personal floatation devices, and gave us the safety brief. He also had an add-on for rent, an underwater handheld propulsion device you’d expect to see a Navy SEAL using. We stuck with the mask and fins. We loaded up in the van for a 10 minute drive to very small beach with very limited parking, donned our gear, and walked into the water.
He took us on a little guided tour, checking out some of the fish and looking for an octopus, and meandered our way to Turtle Town. Turns out this is a small cove with an underwater cave that the turtles like to frequent. I lost track of how many turtles we saw swimming in and out of the cave and swimming super close to us. I had to pull up and hover at the surface to avoid one that was headed right at me.
After 10 minutes or so, we meandered our way back. Along the way Robbie collected some sea floor treasures for us to hold. He was even able to find an octopus that, once calmed down, sat on his arm and we could touch it. That has to be one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. My wife said it was like the octopus was holding her hand, as it wound its tentacle around her finger. The whole snorkel experience was awesome.
It was definitely an experience to remember, which leads into the hidden gem that makes me say- book with Zephyr! Throughout the snorkel, Robbie was busy taking photos of everything. I wasn’t expecting them to be as awesome as they turned out. Having the best photos to help remember and share the experience is priceless. When you go snorkeling, not ‘if’ because you know you’re going, book with Zephyr!
To Volcano Guide, or not, THAT is the Question
Now that you’ve experienced the best beach snorkel on Maui, it is time to head up the volcano. Haleakala National Park is simply beautiful. The colors and shadows are most pronounced at sunrise and sunset, but really visiting any time of day is a good idea. Not as long or challenging as The Road to Hana, the drive up isn’t short or straight either. It is a bit of a drive, so start early for that sunrise experience.
But first, are you going to drive yourself or pay someone else? Let’s be real, trips are expensive and things are adding up. You’ve spent all that money to make it there are you really going to skip the guided experience and diminish your trip’s overall quality. I know I’m going to pay for that guided experience because I don’t mind paying for quality. What if you could buy that guided experience but at a lower cost? For some types of touring, say along a road when you already have a rental car, there are options. One of which is an app.
GuideAlong Audio Guide App
Let me tell you about GuideAlong, the best audio tour app we’ve used. I don’t know about you, but apps are not typically what I think of when I think of quality. I’m excited to say we found an audio guide app that I do consider to be top quality- GuideAlong. I’m honesty not even sure how we found this app. It doesn’t matter; we love it. Using an app like GuideAlong is like having your personal tour guide, it ensures you don’t miss anything while enjoying the park from the comfort of your own car.
In addition to the obviously desired ‘where do we stop and what are we going to see’ tour guide feature, the app also provides history lessons, interesting back stories, local knowledge, and many other add-ons that will enhance your touring experience. We bought it when we were visiting a few National Parks in Wyoming and South Dakota and we got so much value from the experiences we purchased it for Maui. We’ve recommended it to friends who also have loved it. We’re not an affiliate and don’t earn money from recommending it. We just love having it with us. Check them out at https://guidealong.com/ and in your app store of choice.
Fuel Up First
We don’t eat large portions. Typically, a single restaurant-sized portion is enough for two meals. So, with that huge Loco Moco still sitting in our bellies, we hit another local spot to get some more local flavors- the 7-Eleven.
If you’ve never been to a 7-Eleven outside of your home state you’re missing out on the local ambiance. It is like going to the grocery stores in Europe, or the gas stations in Ireland or Iceland … they’re just different. Well, the 7-Eleven in Hawaii is like that, they just hit different. They are a ‘must try’ for local favorite flavors in ready made sandwiches and meals.
If you’re a Slurpee connoisseur the Hawaiian 7-Eleven is an essential stop due to their especially exotic local flavors. The flavor selection isn’t quite on par with the daiquiri bars in Vegas, but arguably the 7-Eleven flavors and … more flavorful? They’re certainly more locally delicious. Do yourself a favor and stop at a 7-Eleven when in Hawaii.
Plus, today it gives you a chance to top off that tank. No need to get stranded on the side of some windy road. So, so grab some 7-Eleven road snacks and get going! Don’t forget to start your GuideAlong app to make sure you get to hear all the commentary.
Finish With the Best Poke on Maui
Tamura’s Fine Wines and Liquors
Tamura’s Fine Wines and Liquors was recommended to us by the hotel bar tender. Not for the outstanding wine and liquor selection (it really was quite expansive) but for the poke bar! That’s right, inside this store was a legit poke bar with the most excellent poke we had on Maui. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful; the prices reasonable. From sea salt to more complex marinades, this poke bar had it all and it was fantastic! If you love poke this is the place for you.
Wanderlog Guide & More!
We maintain Guides for all our Trips over at our Wanderlog website profile page. You can find the guide for this trip, and others, on that page. If you want more about our travels in Hawaii, or other places we’ve been, click HERE.
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