# Rainy Day on Maui? 7 Things Worth Doing Anyway
It rains on Maui. Not often on the west and south shores, but it happens, and when it does, visitors panic. Do not. Some of our favorite island days have been rainy ones, because the rain pushes you into the parts of Maui most tourists never see. Here is what to do when the beach is a washout.
## 1. Iao Valley State Monument
When it rains, go where the rain belongs. Iao Valley, in the West Maui Mountains, is one of the wettest and greenest places in Hawaii, and it is stunning in the rain. The mist hangs on the emerald peaks, the streams run high, and the crowds vanish. Note that out-of-state visitors now need a reservation to enter, so check before you drive out. Bring a rain jacket and shoes that can handle mud.
## 2. Maui Ocean Center
The aquarium at Maalaea is the easy, obvious, excellent choice. It is genuinely world-class, with a walk-through tunnel surrounded by sharks and rays, and you could happily spend half a day there. Kids love it, adults love it, and nobody cares about the weather outside.
## 3. Wander Makawao Town
Upcountry Maui has its own weather, and it is often just misty when the beaches are pouring. Makawao is a paniolo (cowboy) town with galleries, boutiques, and great coffee. It is the kind of place where you duck into one shop to avoid a sprinkle and come out an hour later with a story. Komoda Store's cream puffs are worth the trip alone, but go early, they sell out.
## 4. Kula and the Upcountry Farm Stands
Keep driving up the hill to Kula. The farms and gardens up here are beautiful in soft rain, and the farm stands are full of whatever is in season: strawberries, citrus, fresh flowers. The views down to the ocean, when the clouds break, are unreal. This is also lavender and protea country, and several farms welcome visitors.
## 5. Bailey House Museum in Wailuku
If you want to understand the Maui underneath the resorts, spend an hour at the Bailey House Museum. It is a small missionary-era house packed with Hawaiian artifacts, koa furniture, and island history. Pair it with a walk around Wailuku town, which has a growing food and small-shop scene that most visitors drive right past.
## 6. Take a Distillery Tour
Rainy afternoons were made for tastings. Haliimaile Distilling offers tours and tastings of their spirits made with local ingredients, and Ocean Vodka's organic farm and distillery up in Kula does tours with some of the best views on the island. Check schedules ahead of time, since tour days vary.
## 7. Book the Spa Day
This is permission, not a suggestion. Many of the resort spas offer day passes, and a rainy day is the one day you will not feel guilty spending indoors. Massage, sauna, steam room, then a long lunch. You are on vacation. Act like it.
## The Silver Lining
Rain on Maui rarely lasts all day, and it almost never covers the whole island. Check the weather for the other side: if it is pouring in Kaanapali, Kihei might be sunny. The island's microclimates are your friend. And when the rain clears, everything is greener, the waterfalls are running, and the rainbows show up on schedule.
## Make the Most of It
A change of plans calls for a change of gear. Stop by the shop for the rainy-day kit: light rain layers, quick-dry pieces, and the lifestyle goods that make a slow upcountry afternoon feel like the plan all along. We live here, we know the drill, and we have got you covered whatever the sky is doing.
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