Lahaina is located along the Hawaii Route 30. Lahaina was once considered the "Royal Capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom" and the city still maintains a sign with that proclaims the city as such. The city is the center of the global whaling industry with many sailing ships anchored in at its waterfront. According to the 2000 census, the city has a population of 9,118. During the tourist season, the population can reach 40,000 people.
The climate in Lahaina does not vary much during the year. The temperature remains pretty consistent throughout the year. During the summer the average temperature is of 85 degrees and remains throughout the year. During the winter time, the average temperature is of 78 degrees and also remains throughout the day. Sun exposure is intense and sun block is highly required.
Lahaina offers several water adventures for all ages. One of the main adventures is scuba diving and rafting. Hawaiian Rafting Adventures offers scuba diving on Lanai and Maui with Hawaiian Rafting. The adventure begins with a short boat ride to great diving sites. Hawaiian Rafting Adventures also offers classes for all skilled levels, certifications, and sales equipment. They are also involved with several research projects in Hawaii.
During the 1800’s Lahaina was considered a whaling town and continues to have signs of its heritage. The Whalers Village Museum provides a flash back into the past and helps others experience what an ordinary sailor would have seen during the 1800’s. The museum includes a whaling ship where 25 would have lived together during their sea voyages. Other exhibits include utensils and ornaments made out of whale bone.
Lahaina has 31 hotels listed in the iStayGreen directory of which 5 are listed as environmentally friendly lodging. Currently 3 hotels have completed the online Environmental Audit and earned the Green Eco-Leaf Rating while the other 2 properties are purported to be "Green" but have not yet shared their eco-initiatives with iStayGreen.org.
In Lahaina there are 26 properties where the environmentally friendliness is unknown and they have not yet verified their sustainability efforts with iStayGreen.org. In the state of Hawaii there is a total of 294 lodging properties listed in the iStayGreen.org directory of which 40 are represented as eco-friendly. Currently there are 14 lodging properties that have earned the Green Eco-Leaf Rating. Included in the properties working toward a more sustainable travel future are Lahaina hotels, Lahaina resorts, Lahaina bed & breakfasts, and Lahaina extended stay accommodations.
When planning your Lahaina vacation, or travel to Lahaina we encourage you, before you book, to check rates and availability of "Green" rated hotels and lodging. In most cases we have found eco-friendly Lahaina HI accommodations to be price competitive with the unrated Lahaina hotel room rates.You may even save money and at the same time be doing something good for our environment!