ALOHA!
If you’re looking for the best beaches in Hawaii, the island of Maui is often said to be one of the best for beaches!
Although really, if it’s your first trip to Hawaii, you will likely NOT be disappointed no matter which Hawaiian island you choose to visit!
There are worthy beaches on each of the islands.
But, Maui DOES offer a lot of choices when it comes to beaches!
And there’s even a Maui beach that has been named one of the best beaches in America!
👆 According to the beach scientist known as Dr. Beach, a Maui beach is one of the best beaches in America!
And when it comes to choice of the best beaches, the areas of West Maui and South Maui can both offer you many beaches that you’ll likely be quite happy to visit.
And, it’s the areas of West Maui and South Maui that the vast majority of hotels and resorts on Maui are located.
More below about the best Maui beaches in West Maui and South Maui!
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Side note!
Here's some info on Maui trip prep!
- One of the most popular Maui activities: Haleakala sunrise tour at 10,000 ft
- Best shoes for hiking in Hawaii
- The perfect type of shirt for swimming in Hawaii
- THE top things to pack for Hawaii
There are affiliate links on this page.
You can read reviews for the best Maui tours.
I have a lot of 30-90 second Maui outdoor travel videos. A few of them might be on this page. If you can't see the video directly above, save the Maui video playlist to watch on youtube later!
MAUI TOP 3
- Haleakala summit on your own OR Haleakala sunrise tour
- Molokini + turtle town snorkeling tour OR Maui snorkeling on your own
- Road to Hana on your own OR Road to Hana tour OR Road to Hana helicopter
The big list: 50+ things to do on Maui (mostly free + outdoors!)
IMPORTANT!!! If you wanted to see the famous Iao Valley in the West Maui Mountains, unfortunately that won't be possible from August 2022 and the rest of the year. Check the Hawaii State Parks website to confirm.
Best Maui beaches for your first trip to Hawaii
As it goes in Hawaii, (almost) all beaches in Hawaii are public.
So basically all beaches on Maui are public.
And as an FYI, even if a beach is public, that does not necessarily mean that there is a public trail to the beach.
But for the purposes of this list, that doesn’t matter, because all of the beaches on this list have public access.
There are many Maui beaches that have beachfront resorts (oceanfront resorts!), and some of these are on the list below.
Being public beaches, it means that you can go to them even if you’re not staying at a resort that’s right in front of that beach.
This also means that you won’t find any beachfront resorts with a private beach on Maui.
1. Kaanapali Beach
Kaanapali Beach is one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) beaches in West Maui.
Along here you will find many beachfront hotels and resorts, including:
- Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa
- Kaanapali Beach Hotel
- Aston at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach
- Kaanapali Alii Resort
- Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club
- Hyatt Residence Club Maui, Kaanapali Beach
- Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
2. Napili Bay
This is a beach located at the southern end of Kapalua.
Napili Bay may be a spot to see if you can find turtles swimming in the ocean.
3. Kapalua Bay
Kapalua is a smaller resort area in West Maui, and this is one of the beaches in the area. This is considered to be a good snorkeling spot on Maui.
Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Kapalua Bay
4. Ironwoods Beach
Ironwood Beach is a quieter beach in Kapalua.
See more about this Maui beach: Ironwoods Beach
5. DT Fleming Beach
This is a pretty popular beach in Kapalua, and it’s known for being good for boogie boarding.
You can buy boogie boards when you get to Maui, for example at the ABC store (convenience store) in Kaanapali or at Walmart.
You can go for an oceanfront lunch or snack at the Burger Shack that’s located pretty much at the beach.
See more about this Maui beach: DT Fleming Beach
Where to stay if you want to be right near DT Fleming Beach
That covers some of the great West Maui beaches. Be sure to see the best of West Maui to see if you’d like to spend more time there.
Now we are moving on to South Maui beaches.
6. Mokapu Beach
Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Mokapu Beach
7. Ulua Beach
This is also a top Maui snorkeling spot.
Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Ulua Beach
8. Wailea Beach
One of the famous beaches in Wailea, called Wailea Beach!
Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Wailea Beach
9. Polo Beach
Another great beach in South Maui.
Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Polo Beach
More places to stay if you want to be along the Wailea Beach Path
10. Maluaka Beach
The area of Maluaka Beach is also known as turtle town, and this means that this is among the top snorkeling spots on Maui.
You have a chance at swimming with turtles!
See more about this Maui beach: Maluaka Beach
11. Makena Beach aka Big Beach
This is a wide and expansive beach. It’s a popular beach that’s a part of Makena State Park.
It’s the “big” beach compared to the “little” beach.
12. Makena Cove
Makena Cove is also called “Secret Cove.”
It’s not so much of a secret anymore, but if you didn’t know about it, you may just drive right past it!
So in that sense, you could say it’s a bit of a “secret” path… hidden in plain sight!
This is a smaller beach that’s likely to also be a quieter beach.
See more about this Maui beach: Makena Cove
That covers some of the great South Maui beaches. Be sure to see the best of South Maui to see if you’d like to spend more time there.
And those are some of the best beaches on Maui!
There are also some beaches on the Road to Hana that you may want to explore:
More for planning your Maui vacation:
- Best of hiking on Maui
- Best of the Road to Hana
- Best of Haleakala National Park
- The best of Maui in 3 days
- The big list of things to do in Maui
Looking to split your time in Hawaii on another island?
HAPPY MAUI BEACH VACATION!

More of the best things to do in Hawaii:
- Things to do in Maui
- Things to do in Haleakala National Park
- Things to do in Lanai
- Best things to do in Oahu
- Things to do in Kona
- Things to do on the Big Island
- Things to do in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- How a cheapo waterproof phone case works
- Why wear water shoes for the beach
- Why a personal swim buoy is an essential for snorkeling and swimming in the ocean
- Essentials to pack for Maui
- Best shoes for Maui
There are affiliate links on this page. Among other partners, as an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from this.