North Beaches:
There are many beaches in West Maui. They’re all different. We choose based on what we feel like doing that day. We’ve found that we like to go early, so we are through by noon or soon after. It gets hot out there after noon, and sometimes too crowded for our tastes. We like to eat lunch out, so we do that, and then do non-beach stuff in the afternoon. The first beach is less than 50 steps away.
Kahana Beach
Convenient. Nice for morning and evening walks and hanging around on the beach. The reef is quite a ways out where there is good snorkeling straight out from the south side of Valley Isle. Get on the ocean side of the reef. I’ve seen turtles, octopus, eels along with the usual reef fish. It’s shallow most of the way out there. During low tide you can scratch your tummy if you’re not careful. Also some nice coral formations if you can find them. For playing in the water, it’s best in front of the Kahana Sands, which is the next resort south. If you want to see turtles, and you will, go to the south end of the beach by the rocks, south of the little park.
Napili
Very nice sandy swimming beach for families and children. Good for playing in the waves in middle of beach. Calm for kids and more timid souls on north end by the restaurant. Fairly good snorkeling on both north and south edges of the bay. There is also a reef in the middle which is ok for snorkeling. Turtles out a little farther.
Kapalua Beach
Pretty white-sand crescent beach. Great for kids. One of the safest year round swimming spots north of Lahaina. Great snorkeling on both ends. You can also rent boards and stuff on the north end. We rented a see thru board, and I got Karen out in the water to see some of the things I do. (Karen doesn’t swim)
Best time to go is 9 or 10 in the morning. Sometimes have trouble finding a parking spot.
Fleming Beach on Honokahua Bay
This one is great for surfing, boogie boarding and body surfing. Shallow sandy bottom extends quite a ways out. Local surfers play on waves on north end which, when water is too calm for the surfers, is good for snorkeling. Besides being fun, the waves can be dangerous. I have been body slammed into the sand by the waves several times, and that is no fun. There have been numerous injuries here, so be careful!! There is a lifeguard. The Ritz Carlton has an outdoor restaurant on the south end. Karen and I sometimes have lunch here after we’re done playing in the waves.
Slaughter House on Mokuleia Bay
No, the waves don’t slaughter you here, there used to be a slaughter house on the ridge above the bay. After parking on the road (don’t leave anything valuable in your car) and a long walk down a stairway which used to be a rocky muddy path, you get down to the beach. It is beautiful and small. Usually good for body surfing and boogie boarding, or just hanging around. This is an excellent snorkeling spot, and you can even snorkel around the north end to Honolua bay which comes next. This beach can really change. On one trip Karen and I played on the sandy beach here, then went over to Molokai for four days. When we came back we didn’t think we were in the same place. There was no sand, only rocks and big boulders. The ocean took our nice sandy beach. So, there might be sand, and there might be only rocks and boulders.
Honolua Bay
Supreme snorkeling spot. No place for kids. Park on the road again or on the little mud turnoff. After a beautiful walk through a jungle canopy, pass the little local settlement and you come to a rocky bay. You can’t call this a beach. The only reason you are here is to snorkel. There is a little sand off to the left. Karen and I just find a spot on the rocks off to the right and park our stuff. Best places to get in and out are the boat ramp (if you want to call it that) and straight out from the sandy spot. It is not always easy getting in and out. If the stream is running after a rain or if it looks too murky from the shore because of high surf or storms, turn around and go back.
Snorkel boats come into the bay between 10 and 11, so we come early and leave when it gets too crowded. I have seen turtles, eels, the full array of reef fish and even dolphins. The corals and urchins and all of that other stuff are beautiful.
We’ve gone about as far north as we can go!
South Beaches:
Alii Kahekili Nui Ahumanu or Old Airport Beach
Nice long beach, stretches North from Black Rock to the Embassy Suites, seems like a couple of miles. The park where you park has showers and changing rooms. Beginning divers take their underwater classes just about every day at this beach. There is good snorkeling from the park north for a city block or more until the reef runs out. You can see Eagle Rays, turtles, eels, octopus and plenty of reef fish. I have also seen some very large game fish and barracuda here. The list goes on if you’re diving.
Kaanapali Beach
Basically stretches from Black Rock on the north to the Hyatt on the south. The beach is a long stretch of sand with some pretty fancy resort complexes. The best swimming spot is near Black Rock where it is protected. We usually see lots of people lazing around on the beach. You can rent umbrellas and nice chairs if you plan to stay for a long time. You can arrange for parasailing and other activities toward the middle just out from the Whaler shopping center. There are some nice outdoor restaurants, where Karen and I have lunch after spending the morning on the beach. Black Rock is a very good snorkeling spot, especially for beginners. I have seen Eagle Rays, octopus, turtles and a wide variety of reef fish here. Best is right out at the tip. Lots of snorkelers though. The parking is difficult. Talk to someone about where to park before going here. And, go early. Another fun thing to do here is walk along the paved beach walk in the evening and watch the night life.
Hanakaoo or Canoe Beach
This is the beach park just south of the Hyatt. It is called canoe beach because they have Hawaiian canoe races here periodically. They’re fun to watch for awhile. I have never been swimming here, but the good snorkeling is on the far southern end. As you go north you run into Kaanapali Beach at the Hyatt. Good snorkeling straight out from the Hyatt, but sometimes rough. Also nice restaurants and bar on the beach at the Hyatt.
Olowalu
This is at mile post 14 south of Lahaina. This is a long stretch of sand and kiawe trees close to the highway. It doesn’t appeal to us because it is so close to the highway. The water is quite calm and shallow and the snorkeling is good. Beginning divers also practice here. Be careful of kiawe thorns. They’re hard on your feet. The best snorkeling is way out. It’s like an aquarium out there. It is also fun navigating through the shallows to get out there.
Kihei Beaches
Sorry, we have a prejudice against Kihei beaches. There’s plenty of em and they’re supposedly nice, but we’ve never been to them, and probably never will.
Ulua Beach
A neat little beach between the Aston Wailea and the Renaissance Wailea. Snorkeling is great when water is calm, and body surfing is great when the surf is up. Sometimes when it’s rough up north, it is calmer down here, but you never know. Small public parking lot, but if it’s full, you can probably sneak into one of the resorts lots. Don’t tell anybody I told you.
Wailea Beach
We have never been here, but hear that it is the largest and widest of Wailea’s beaches with good swimming.
Kaawakapu Beach
North of Ulua, this beach is a nice place to play in the water, snorkel or boogie board when the waves are up. Continue on lower Kihei road when road turns up toward Wailea. Go to end of road where there is a small parking lot which is usually full. We park on the street before the lot. You’ll see. We really like this beach which is normally not too crowded. There is a nice outdoor restaurant for lunch a fair walk south on the beach.
Polo Beach & Palauea Beach
Two nice, hard to find, beaches just beyond the Fairmont Kea Lani. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been here and there has been a lot of construction in the area. We used to call Palauea Beach “Chicken Beach” because of the roaming chickens. The new construction took over some of this beach since we last were here. We loved the sand and you could walk out quite a ways in the calm waters.
Makena (Big Beach) or Oneloa
A huge sweep of glistening sand, great for swimming, surfing and boogie boarding. Last time we were there you couldn’t see any development from the beach. Just like old Hawaii. Gets crowded though. Lots of locals, who sometimes may be aggressive. Don’t leave any valuables in your car.
Makena (Little Beach) or Puu Olai
Hidden by a rocky outcrop that juts out from Puu Olai, the cinder cone that marks the north end of Big Beach. A trail over the rock links them. This beach fronts a sandy cove that usually has a gentle shore break which is ideal for body surfing and boogie boarding. Snorkeling is good along the rocky point. You might see some people in the buff here. It’s a popular nudist spot.
Secret Beach
Is in this area somewhere. Maybe you can find it.
La Perouse Bay
The paved road ends just before La Perouse Bay. At least it did the last time we were there. You can continue on the lava gravel road until you can’t drive any more. There are places to park here and there. There is no beach. You can walk along the high water line behind some houses and find a spot to go in and snorkel. This is a good starting point for a hike along the coast. Karen and I have done this, and we found several places to snorkel along the way. We found nothing spectacular though. The walk is interesting with lots of old Hawaiian lava rock foundations. You can spend a whole day on this walk, so take water and food. I wonder what it looked like a couple of hundred years ago. Awesome…. The authorities have recently closed some of this area off. Check it out.
We’ve gone about as far south as we can go!