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!
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.
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, and that’s the focus of the list below.
For beaches in East Maui, there’s another Maui beach list for that! Those are the Road to Hana beaches you might want to stop as one of your Road to Hana stops!
And now, onwards with the list of best Maui beaches in West Maui and South 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
Side note!
Things to buy on Amazon for your adventures!
I am an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission.
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking shorts (comfortable shorts that are good for movement!)
- for women: hiking shorts | for men: hiking shorts
- Lightweight quick-dry hiking pants
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
- capris for women
- Some of the best outdoor travel brands:
- When you fly: If you have an iphone, you can put an airtag tracker in your luggage so you can better keep track of it! Buy just one, or buy a pack of 4. (Read the reviews!) This also makes a good travel gift!
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
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Top Maui tours
Read the reviews at partner website Viator!*
- Turtle town snorkeling tour (with photo and video)
- Lahaina ATV adventure tour
- Horseback riding tour with Hawaiian cowboys
Things you might want to pack for your Maui vacation
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- For women: Search for a rash guard for swimming and you won't have to worry as much about putting on sunscreen!
- Search for a rash guard for men
- Water shoes for snorkeling if you won't be wearing fins, or just generally for the beach!
- Cheapo waterproof phone case so you can capture pictures of colorful fishies swimming underwater!
- I always have a camera float attached to my phone case that I put around my wrist
- Snorkeling set: mask and fins
- Fins allow you to propel further faster (aka see more in less time and energy!)
- Go cheap if you accept that you need to come up for air frequently: regular swimming googles. They are not as fashionable but if you get swimming goggles, make them the clear kind so you won't be seeing dimmed colors of the colorful fishies!
- If you are able, I recommend trying out the mask at your local lake (in summer) or pool so you will be good to go in Hawaii when there's actually stuff to see!
- Travel-friendly turkish towel for the beach (lightweight compared to regular beach towels)
- For women: Teva walking sandals (one of the best sandal brands for the outdoors, perfect for lots of walking around outside - that's not a lava field!)
- For men: Teva sandals
- For women: Merrell hiking shoes (one of the best outdoor shoe brands, perfect for walking over rugged terrain like lava fields!)
- For men: Merrell hiking shoes
- Moisture-wicking tech t-shirt for women perfect for hiking and hot days when you'll be outside a lot sweating
- tech-t-shirt for men
- For more ideas, do a search for hiking clothes or swimming clothes!
*As a Viator partner and Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission.
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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 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 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 hikes on Maui
- Best Road to Hana stops
- Best things to do in 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!
