What to expect: Guests enter a wrought-iron gate and pass tall tropical trees to check in with the residential manager at Puunoa Beach Estates' on-site office. Overlooking the secluded Baby Beach, a half-mile from historic Lahaina Town attractions, these vacation rentals are popular with families, couples, and leisure travelers.

Amenity highlights: In addition to snorkeling and swimming at the adjacent beach, guests enjoy an outdoor splash pool and spa tub and a small fitness center with saunas. Complimentary high-speed Internet access is available on a computer in the office.

Insider tip: Seventeen miles away, at the northern tip of West Maui, a half-mile hike leads to views of the blowhole at Nakalele Point. Water from the ocean is forced through a hole in the lava shelf, creating a geyser-like effect that can reach up to 100 feet, depending on tide and surf conditions.

What to expect: For residential-style accommodations—with the recreation, spa, dining, and shopping of a luxury resort next door—golfers, families, and long-term visitors seek out this 1,600-acre resort on the beach in west Maui.

The condo-style villas do not have their own restaurant or lounge, but guests can charge meals, spa services, and shopping at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton Kapalua and Kapalua Bay Hotel to their room account.

Amenity highlights: The Kapalua Villas Maui Resort is situated on three white-sand beaches on Kapalua Bay. Two of its three golf courses were designed by Arnold Palmer, and the 10 tennis courts are lighted for complimentary play day or night.

Through adjacent hotels, guests can dine in more than a dozen restaurants; they also enjoy the spa services of the Ritz-Carlton for an additional fee.

A complimentary shuttle is available by request for transportation between all points on the resort and the West Maui Kapalua Airport.

Insider tip: Kapalua is home to ancient Honokahua burial grounds discovered during the construction of the Ritz-Carlton hotel adjacent to the Villas. In 1992, the resort's parent company also donated Pu'u Kukui, an 8,661-acre forest with rare and native plants and animals, to the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. The resort's 1,600-acre grounds also include the Catholic Sacred Hearts Church and Kumulani Chapel for weddings.