Without question, our favorite thing to do on any given day on Maui is to take a sunset cocktail cruise. We’ve written this article to help you better understand what goes into a Maui sunset cruise, whether the Green Flash is real, why you may hear the call of a conch shell, and sunset times for this July.

There are several reasons to go on a Maui Sunset Cruise.  Here are a few:

• Warm breezes over the ocean and the calm of the water.
• Tropical cocktails (unlimited premium beverages)
• Delicious food to snack on
• Island Music
• and, of course, the sunset.  Sunsets over the water can’t be beat!

Call 1-877-867-7433 to reserve seats on the Leilani, departing from our convenient Maalaea Harbor. We love this vessel because of its upper viewing deck offering unobstructed views.

Is the Green Flash Real?

In short, YES!  We’ve seen it a dozen times now.  Keep in mind that we’ve seen thousands of sunsets on Maui.  SO, it doesn’t happen often.  Basically, if clouds or islands aren’t in the way of the sun as it dips into the ocean, you may see it.  It lasts a very short moment where the sun is about to vanish past the ocean horizon.  Sometimes it’s barely noticeable, other times it’s very obvious.

If you don’t believe us, tough.  We know it isn’t our imagination because there have been times where we’ve watched it at the park with 30-40 other people within earshot, all of whom yelled, “GREEN FLASH!!” at the same time.  That’s proof in our mind that we’re not crazy.

Blowing of the Conch Shell

Today, the conch (or Pū) is blown at sunset to say goodbye to the day and mahalo.  The roots of conch blowing goes back to ancient Polynesians and Hawaiians using it for multiple purposes.  Here are some of the original uses of conch shell blowing:

• To mark the beginning of a ceremony or event
• To communicate from a distance (sometimes from canoes moving towards land to signify their approach and gain approval.)
• To call upon the devine (Gods)

Today it is used primarily during important ceremonies as well as during sunset.  It’s always a pleasure hearing it blown correctly as the sun sinks into the ocean.

Best locations to watch the sunset

Watching sunset on Maui is best from a boat on the south or west side of Maui.  This way you can watch it from over the ocean.  You can watch the sunset from Central and North Maui, but it’ll be a bit shorter and over the West Maui Mountains. Watching it from Upcountry Maui can be pretty spectacular as well!