How to choose the right South Maui beach for your day

Early mornings on the South Maui coast have a special kind of quiet. The waters off Kihei and Wailea are known to be clear enough to see your toes, the beach parking is wide open, and the trade winds haven’t picked up yet. By lunchtime that can change, with whitecaps rolling across Maʻalaea Bay.

Picking a beach here works best with a little bit of planning on who’s coming, what you want to do in the water, and what the ocean is doing right now.

Check the ocean before you pick the beach

Before you load the car, look at HawaiiBeachSafety.com, which updates lifeguarded-beach conditions through the day from National Weather Service forecasts.

The ocean in South Maui follows a few patterns. Mornings are calmest, and the trades usually build toward midday, blowing hardest in North Kihei. Summer brings south swells, which can turn a flat winter beach into a pounding shore break.

In South Maui, only the three Kamaʻole beach parks and Big Beach at Mākena State Park have lifeguard towers. If the guards have warning flags up, stay out, and remember the flags come down when they go off duty. For a refresher on reading the water, see our 11 Hawaiian ocean safety rules.

With toddlers and little swimmers

Kalepolepo Beach Park in North Kihei is our first pick for the smallest swimmers. The stone walls of Kōʻieʻie, a traditional Hawaiian fishpond dating to around the 1400s, enclose shallow, protected water just off the sand. In calm conditions, it can be a good spot for small children to wade and swim. Facilities are basic and there’s no lifeguard, so stay within arm’s reach.

For a lifeguard in the tower and proper restrooms, head to Kamaʻole Beach Park II, which usually has the gentlest shore break of the three “Kam” beaches. Lifeguards are on duty daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Kam III next door has the playground and big lawn, though its shorebreak runs stronger, better suited to older kids with body boards.

For first-time snorkelers

 

Ulua Beach in Wailea is where many local dive shops bring beginners. The reef starts close to shore along the rocky north end, and there are restrooms and showers near the lot, which fills early.

in Mākena sits along the stretch of coast locals call Turtle Town. Enter from the sandy south end and follow the reef to your left. The north parking lot, across from the historic Keawalaʻi Church, has restrooms and showers.

Neither beach has a lifeguard. Go early, before the wind chops up the surface and clouds the water.

If you’re hoping to see honu (turtles)

Mākena Landing, just north of Maluaka, is a calm bay where kayak and snorkel tours launch, and green sea turtles feed along the reef toward Nahuna Point. The swim out to the point is longer than it looks, so bring a flotation device and stay clear of the kayak launch lane. Aim to be in the water before about 10 am, when the wind tends to pick up.

Wherever you find honu, give them at least 10 feet of space and never touch, feed or chase them. They’re protected under state and federal law.

When you’re chasing a classic Maui sunset

Poʻolenalena Beach (Chang’s Beach, to many locals) faces southwest, with Molokini and Kahoʻolawe on the horizon. On most evenings you’ll share it with a sunset wedding. There’s no lifeguard.

Kamaʻole Beach Park III is the easygoing alternative, with its lawn full of families picnicking into the evening. The lifeguards leave at 4:30pm, so take extra care with an evening swim.

For long walks and big scenery

Sugar Beach runs for miles along Maʻalaea Bay, and on an early morning you may have long stretches to yourself. By afternoon the trades funneling through the bay blow hard enough to bring out the kiteboarders.

Big Beach (Oneloa) at Mākena State Park is the quintessence of Hawaiian beaches: a wide, golden mile with nothing built behind it. Its shorebreak hits directly on the sand, and it has recorded some of the highest numbers of spinal injuries in the state, usually at its worst during summer south swells. Walk it, photograph it, go in only when the lifeguards say it’s reasonable, and keep kids out of the surf zone.

When the ocean says stay dry

Some days call for staying out of the water: high surf warnings, whitecaps across the bay, or brown water after heavy rain. The paved Wailea Beach Path and the boardwalk at Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge let you enjoy the coast from dry land.

Molokini works the other way around. The crater’s crescent shelters the water inside, but boats cross an open channel to get there, and south swells can cancel or reroute trips. Book a morning departure and save it for a calm day.