Best Beaches on Maui

One of my favorite activities to do in Maui is to frolic on many of the best beaches on Maui. The Maui beaches are covered in clean golden soft powder sand and the crystal clear blue water is incredibly warm. The water is so clear you can actually see the sandy bottom and all the life that lives in the water! You won’t have to swim very far or take a boat just see Sea Turtles.

Each Maui beach is unique in its own quirky way. If you’re a snorkeler, boogie boarder, swimmer, diver, surfer or just a simple sun bather, there’s a perfect Maui Beach just for you.

Kapalua Bay Beach – Best Family Beach in Maui

This beach is perfect for everyone in the family from babies to adults. Kapalua Bay Beach is a protected bay making the waters very calm and the drop off is slow and steady which is great for kids or just wading in the water. If you snorkel 150 ft out towards the middle, you’ll see large corral reefs with Sea Turtles napping. Snorkeling is pretty good here with lots of colorful reef fishes to discover without having to venture too far. If the conditions are calm and you’re a strong swimmer, swim around the point on the right side into neighboring Namalu Bay.

Parking: There’s a very small parking lot that fills up quickly. If full, find street parking on Lower Honoapiilani Road
Facilities: Restrooms, showers and water fountain

Black Rock at Kaanapali Beach – Best Beach for Snorkeling in Maui

To access The Black Rock, you have to enter from Kaanapali Beach in front of the Sheraton resort. The Black Rock is a large lava rock that separate the 2 halves of Kaanapali Beach. The best snorkeling is literally 20ft to 30ft out near the rock. As you snorkel around the coral encrusted lava rock you’ll see many colorful fishes and coral. There’s a few sea turtles that like to hang out near the rock too. The Black Rock is popular place for local teenagers and thriller seekers to cliff jump, so stay away from their landing paths. For the best condition and visibility go in the mornings to early afternoon. The Black Rock is a very popular snorkel and dive spot because of the variety of marine life, sandy bottoms and clear waters. So you might be swimming in human soup.

Parking: It’s going to be tough you’re not staying in one of the many resorts along Kaanapali Beach. But you have several options.
- Beach access parking in the Sheraton parking garage, expect to pay $12 to $20
- Beach access parking lot by the Westin and has about 20-25 spots, Drive past the Westin and before the Sheraton, there is a small alley lot. Drive all the way past reserved parking
- Pay to park at Whalers village and can get up to 3 hours of validation if you purchase $15+ at one of their stores
Facilities: none at the beach, unless you’re staying at the Sheraton

Napili Bay Beach – Best Beach for Sea Turtles in Maui

Napaili Bay Beach is just south of Kapalua Bay Beach. If you want to see Sea Turtles without getting in the water, this is the beach. Go towards the left of the beach where the lava rock formation is and you can watch Turtles swimming near the rocks. Snorkeling is pretty decent here with plenty of fish to see, just go in the mornings or early afternoons. This small beach is accessed by many of the condo guests in the surrounding area so it can get populated but not too crowded. There’s still plenty of room to spread your towel and sunbathe. Like Kapalua, Napili is also great for families with small children. Public access is on Hui Drive.

Parking: Street parking on Hui Drive and surrounding neighborhood
Facilities: none, just single shower head at the public access

Kaanapali Beach – Best Beach for Lounging in Maui

This one was hard to pick because there are so many awesome beaches in Maui to hangout at. But Kaanapali Beach takes the spot and here’s why!

Kaanapali Beach is one of Maui’s finest beaches because of its golden powder sand and clear waters that stretch for 3 miles long. You literally have 3 miles of beach to pick from to find your perfect spot. If you want to mingle with the crowd head towards the Black Rock and Sheraton Resort. If you want peace and quiet, anywhere else except for in front of The Whalers Village.
If you want to take a dip, you have 3 miles of beach access!. The bottom is sandy and the water is super clear here
There’s a concrete pathway parallel to the beach which gives you easy access to explore the beach and surrounding resorts and shops.
If you want to take a break from sunbathing just walk over to Whaler’s Village for some food or shopping.
You can watch people to learn to surf in front of the Marriott and Hyatt.

Parking: It’s going to be tough if you’re not staying in one of the many resorts along Kaanapali Beach. But you have several options.
- Beach access parking in the Sheraton parking garage, expect to pay $12 to $20
- Beach access parking lot by the Westin and has about 20-25 spots, Drive past the Westin and before the Sheraton, there is a small alley lot. Drive all the way past reserved parking
- Pay to park at Whalers village and can get up to 3 hours of validation if you purchase $15+ at one of their stores
Facilities: none at the beach

Kamaole Beach III – Best Beach for Boogie Boarding in Maui

Kamaole Beach III is located on the south side of Maui in Kihei. Overall this beach is amazing. It has a little something for everyone, great for swimming, snorkeling, families, sunbathing and especially boogie boarding! There are actually 3 Kamaole Beaches but #3 is the one that tends to be most reliable at producing waves for boogie boarding and the most popular. The sand is super soft and the waves are not too rough even for kids to try it out. As an added bonus there is a lifeguard on duty! If you need to rent a boogie board, down the street is Boss Frog’s dive and surf shop and can rent a boogie board for just a few bucks a person

Parking – parking lot and street parking
Facilities – restrooms, showers, playground, picnic tables, and BBQ pits

Hookipa Beach – Best Beach for Windsurfing in Maui

Hookipa Beach is located just north of the town of Paia. It’s a popular spot to stop at on the way to the Road to Hana. Here you’ll find pros doing all sorts of extreme water sports such as surfing, kite boarding and windsurfing. Many professional windsurfing competitions are held here as well. I wouldn’t recommend swimming here as the water conditions are rough. But you can certainly use Hookipa Beach as a great backdrop for some photos ops. There’s a short trail that leads to higher elevations where you can get 180 view of everything.