Maui, Hawaii: Island of Volcanoes

The island of Maui, in Hawaii, is the second-largest island in the string of islands that make up the fiftieth state in the United States. Maui contains only 138,000 people, which is fewer people than smaller cities in the U.S., but is enough people to provide a wonderful tourist trade on the island, as travelers come to explore the plynesian island and to see what maui has to offer with its rich history.

The word "Maui" is actually the name of a Tahitian demigod, who--according to legend--raised the Hawaiian islands from the sea using volcanoes. The island contains two volcanoes, in fact, and the volcanoes provide amazing opportunities for travelers to visit and explore the natural wonders of the island.

Explorers from the Marquesas islands and Tahiti were the first to settle in Maui, back in the 800s AD. Western Europe first learned of Hawaii and Maui in the 1700s, when Captain James Cook explored the south Pacific. Although Cook never landed on Maui, he returned to Europe with tales of what he saw, and future European explorers returned to the area to land on Maui and begin settlements there.

Maui is the perfect getaway for your vacation, just as it was a perfect settlement for whaling and logging in the 1700s and 1800s when Europeans discovered the rich wonders of the island. A Maui Hawaii vacation rental offers all of the comforts of home, plus a beautiful tropical island with breath taking views and heart racing activities. There are an array of rental choices available, each with different features and amenities. In addition, Maui historical sites stretch from the 800s to World War II, when the island was used as a major launching site for U.S. troops and operations during WWII.