10+ best beaches in Maui (views!) 🌴 + swimming, snorkeling, beach resorts 🌴 Hawaii travel blog

HAWAII TRAVEL TIPS

 

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!

 

 

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
• Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Resort
• 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

• Montage Kapalua Bay

 

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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

• Ritz Carlton Kapalua

 

 

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

• Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort (Hyatt)

 

 

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

• Wailea Elua Village

 

 

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

• Grand Wailea Maui (Waldorf Astoria)
• Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

 

 

9. Polo Beach

 

Another great beach in South Maui.

 

Where to stay if you want to be right in front of Polo Beach

• Fairmont Kea Lani Maui
• Polo Beach Club Maui

 

More places to stay if you want to be along the Wailea Beach Path

• Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott)
• Wailea Beach Villas

 

 

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:

• The famous black sand beach on Maui
• Road to Hana beaches

 

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?

• Best beaches on Oahu
• Best beaches on the Big Island

 

HAPPY MAUI BEACH VACATION!