At the Beach
*Before going into the water, be sure to check the conditions. See the flag meanings below. The currents and rip tides can be very strong in Hawai’i so it is important to always have respect for the ocean.
*Never go swimming after a storm when the water is murky. There is greater shark activity at these times.
South Maui – Kihei & Wailea
Ulua Beach – The closest beach to the condo. Access road is next to the Andaz Hotel. Great beach for boogie boarding or just spending a relaxing day at the beach.
Keawakapu Beach – Turn left at the bottom of the s-curve before the road turns to head to Kihei. Another great beach for boogie boarding or relaxing.
Wailea Beach – right in front of the Four Seasons. Great bay/beach for paddleboarding or just relaxing.
Po’olenalena Beach – further down the road from the luxury hotels. Marked on the road by a green beach sign.
Makena (Big Beach & Little Beach) – gorgeous long beach with soft sand. The waves can get very big here breaking close to shore making it too rough to boogie board or swim at these times. Little Beach is a nude beach. Sunday nights you can sometimes find fire dancers and drummers here.
Kama’ole I, II & III – right along South Kihei Road in central Kihei. Tend to be busier than the Wailea beaches.
Charley Young Beach –From S. Kihei Rd., turn onto Kaiau’ St., just north of Kama’ole I. This secluded 3-acre park at the north end of Kam I sits off the main drag in a residential area. The sand is soft and smooth, with a gentle slope into the ocean. A cloister of lava rocks shelters the beach from heavy afternoon winds, making this a mellow spot to laze around. The usually gentle waves make for good swimming, and you’ll find good snorkeling along the rocks on the north end. Portable toilets are on-site.
West Maui
Slaughterhouse Beach. – Mile marker 32 on Rte. 30 past Kapalua The island’s northernmost beach is part of the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District. “Slaughterhouse” is the surfers’ nickname for what is officially Mokuleia. When the weather permits, this is a great place for bodysurfing and sunbathing.
DT Fleming Beach – Rte. 30, 1 mi north of Kapalua. the current can be quite strong, this charming, mile-long sandy cove is better for sunbathing than for swimming or water sports. Still it’s one of the island’s most popular beaches. Part of the beach runs along the front of the Ritz-Carlton’s Beachhouse Bar & Grill — a good place to grab a cocktail and enjoy the view.
Napili Beach – 5900 Lower Honoapi’ilani Hwy., look for Napili Pl. or Hui Dr. Surrounded by sleepy condos, this round bay is a turtle-filled pool lined with a sparkling white crescent of sand. Sunbathers love this beach. The shorebreak is steep but gentle and it’s easy to keep an eye on kids here as the entire bay is visible from any point in the water. The beach is right outside the Napili Kai Beach Club, a popular little resort for honeymooners, only a few miles south of Kapalua. It’s also a terrific sunset spot.
South East Maui
Wai’anapanapa State Park – Hana Hwy. near mile marker 32 Small but rarely crowded, this beach will remain in your memory long after visiting. Fingers of white foam rush onto a black volcanic pebble beach fringed with green beach vines and palms. Swimming here is both relaxing and invigorating: strong currents bump smooth stones up against your ankles while seabirds flit above a black, jagged sea arch draped with vines. At the edge of the parking lot, a sign tells you the sad story of a doomed Hawaiian princess. Stairs lead through a tunnel of interlocking Polynesian hau branches to an icy cave pool — the secret hiding place of the ancient princess. You can swim in this pool, but be wary of mosquitoes! In the other direction, a 3-mi, dramatic coastal path continues beyond the campground, past sea arches, blowholes, and cultural sites all the way to Hana town.
