Maui has a natural outdoor playground, an abundance of fresh, local foods, and a culture that embraces health and wellness, so it’s the perfect place to go for an unplugged vacation that keeps you healthy and active. From keeping fit with an SUP session to refreshing yourself with a fresh-pressed juice, to letting go of stress with a restorative massage, try these ideas for an active and healthy Maui getaway.

Get Out on the Water

Whether you love windsurfing, kite boarding, or paddling, Maui is a water sports paradise. No matter your experience or ability level, you can take your workout offshore with Hawaiian Paddle Sports. The company’s whale watch option lets visitors enjoy Maui’s spectacular beauty and marine life from a kayak or outrigger canoe for a healthy tour that’s environmentally friendly. For a full-body workout, try surfing or stand-up paddleboarding -- SUP lessons have you skimming over a coral reef with views of colorful tropical fish and the occasional turtle, with guides offering information on what you’re seeing in addition to providing instruction on your paddling form.

Experienced paddlers or endurance athletes can try the Molokini Outrigger Challenge, a three-hour, eight-mile round-trip in an outrigger canoe to Molokini Crater, a crescent-shaped offshore islet and marine life conservation district. The tour includes a chance for a quick dip or snorkel, as well as whale watching in the winter months. Guides do beach clean-ups and provide reef safe sunscreen on all tours and lessons, and follow “Dolphin SMART” guidelines for safe and responsible viewing of dolphins and other wildlife.

Run a Marathon

With a course that traces the stunning West Maui coastline, with ocean views for 18 of its 26 miles, the Maui Marathon is known among runners as one of the most scenic destination marathons in the country. It’s also one of the oldest, marking its 50th anniversary in 2020.

Held each year in October, the race starts in Kahului at the historic Puunene sugar mill, and crosses the central valley to Maalaea, following Honoapiilani Highway up the coast to Lahaina and the Kaanapali finish line. Less experienced runners can get in on the action with half-marathon, 10K, and 5K races, all based on the West Maui portion of the course.

With around 1900 finishers for all races in 2019, the Maui Marathon is an intimate event where runners can challenge themselves on a scenic course without the crowds of a big-city marathon. Other events include a two-day expo at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa featuring vendors with local products and running merchandise.

Relax with a Massage

Located on a secluded, woodland property in rural Piiholo, Ho‘omana Spa offers a variety of massage modalities and other treatments grounded in traditional Native Hawaiian healing practices. Founded by Jeana Naluai, an expert practitioner and teacher of lomilomi, the spa makes the products used in its treatments on site, often from products grown in its herbal garden.

To relax and recharge, try the Aloha Spa Ritual, a two-and-half hour experience that starts with a house-made passionfruit and hibiscus tea, followed by a bath of coconut milk, honey, and awa root, a traditional plant known to induce relaxation in the nervous system and muscles. You’ll then get an exfoliating body scrub and a 50-minute full-body lomilomi treatment, which includes a rosemary-coconut scalp massage and hot-stone foot massage.

Eat Healthy 

When it’s time to replenish your body with a healthy meal, head to Mana Foods in the north shore town of Paia. Founded in 1983, this beloved local grocer and health food store stocks an abundance of natural and organic products, and supports island businesses, with around 50% of its produce grown by local farmers.

Check out Mana’s deli department for well-stocked salad and hot-food bars, as well as made-to-order sandwiches, and baked goods — all packaged in biodegradable take-out containers. Specialty items like fresh pasta, sauces, and salad dressings are made in-house, and you can pick up smoothies, breakfast bowls, espresso, and locally brewed kombucha at the Maka juice bar near the front of the store.

To find natural beauty products, reef-safe sunscreen, herbal supplements, and a variety of holistic personal-care products from incense to ear candles, browse through the store’s eclectic Vitamin Room.

Take a Retreat 

If you’re ready to unplug and take your wellness vacation to the next level, consider a retreat at Lumeria Maui. Located on the peaceful slopes of Haleakala in Maui’s Upcountry region, this retreat center offers a variety of classes and programs, from yoga, qi gong, and salsa dance, to Hawaiian language, sound healing, and crystal bowl meditation. Healing spa treatments include traditional lomilomi and deep tissue massage, as well as a CBD-oil massage, and a crystal massage that uses gemstones and flower aromatherapy.

Dining on site at The Wooden Crate features healthy dishes like kale salad, grilled fish with vegetables in coconut curry sauce, and a papaya-lime dessert topped with coconut cream — all made with ingredients grown in Lumeria’s lush garden.

Go for a Hike 

Lace up your hiking shoes and hit one of Maui’s scenic trails to take in the island’s spectacular natural beauty while working up a sweat. Escape the heat by heading to the Makawao Forest Reserve, a cool, leafy escape about 10 minutes from quaint Makawao town. The reserve boasts more than 20 miles of multi-use trails that attract hikers, mountain bikers, and even local equestrians. Or for an intense workout with stunning views, check out the Waihee Ridge Trail. Climbing 1500 feet over 2.5 miles, the trail zig-zags through leafy forests and knife-edge ridges to reach a 2,563-foot peak that looks out over lush valleys and the spectacular north shore coastline.