ALOHA!
So you know that there are black sand beaches in Hawaii.
And you’re headed to Maui.
Can you see a black sand beach on Maui?!
The short answer: YES, you can see a black sand beach on Maui!
Maui is generally known as having one main black sand beach.
There are a couple more that are kind of known.
But as far as black sand beaches go, I might not consider them to be a super black black sand beach. But, if you’ve never seen a black sand beach before, they can be a sight to see!
After that, the black sand beaches on this list are ones that are pretty unknown to tourists. Some aren’t even listed on google maps, and I am not even sure of the names of the beaches, or if they even have names.
So Maui has a few black sand beaches, and then there are a bunch more black rock beaches. To me, there’s a difference!
Sometimes from far away it looks like it might be a black sand beach, but when you get closer, it seems like it just may be all black rocks, with not so much (if any) sand to be seen.
But, it’s possible that there’s black sand underneath these rocks and maybe they are seen at certain times!
You can come across these types of beaches more when driving the smaller coastal roads of Maui.
🌴
More photos/info below, but first...
Side note!
Most people do the Road to Hana as a day trip.
But you can stay overnight in Hana too so you can take your time exploring the lush and quiet East Maui!
Best places to stay in Hana:
- Waianapanapa State Park cabins (bring your own everything)
- Hyatt Hana Resort
It's very possible to do the Road to Hana on your own, but you can also leave the planning to someone else.
Road to Hana tours:
- Classic Road to Hana: Guided Road to Hana tour with lunch
- Road to Hana from above: Road to Hana helicopter and waterfalls tour
- Private luxury tour: Road to Hana private tour in luxury SUV
So…
Where to see a black sand beach in Maui
1. Waianapanapa State Park black sand beach
aka Honokalani Beach at Pailoa Bay (Road to Hana)
This is the most famous black sand beach on Maui, and it’s the most popular one too. You get to this by driving the popular Road to Hana.
This black sand beach is located at Waianapanapa State Park.
And if this is the only black sand beach you see in Hawaii, you won’t be disappointed! In terms of how black it is and how much you can see the black sand, this is a great black sand beach!
You can see it from above at the black sand beach overlook, and then you can walk down to it and get a closer look at the black sand!
Off to the side of the black sand beach, there’s also a little lava tube that opens up to the ocean.
There is also the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail (aka Piilani Trail) that goes in both directions from the black sand beach.
This will give you grand ocean views and you’ll see lava rock formations and sea arches along the way.
There’s even another black beach! Or maybe a black rock beach. I didn’t go down to it, but it is possible to do so. There seems to be trail access from directly behind this beach.
From the main black sand beach, you’ll take the trail that is off to the left of the beach as you’re facing the ocean. I think this is one of the best hikes on Maui, so it’s worth walking at least a little bit on the Waianapanapa Coastal Trail!
See how much time you want to spend at the black sand beach state park:
- What you can see with a 30 minute hike near the black sand beach
- What you can see with a 2+ hour hike near the black sand beach
If you want to spend an overnight on the Road to Hana, then there are overnight stays possible at Waianapanapa state park, including camping and cabins.
IMPORTANT!!! Starting in March 2021, you need to make a time slot reservation in order to visit Waianapanapa State Park if you’re not a Hawaii resident. And this costs money. This means that you need a permit of sorts in order to see Maui’s famous black sand beach. See Hawaii State Parks for updates.
See more about a visit to this Maui black sand beach:
2. Oneuli Beach
aka the black sand beach NOT on the Road to Hana (in South Maui)
Oneuli Beach is the South Maui beach that is sometimes mentioned as a black sand beach to visit as an alternative black sand beach if you don’t want to do the Road to Hana drive.
As far as super black colored black sand beaches in Hawaii go, Oneuli Beach isn’t all that black.
But if you’ve never seen anything close to a black sand beach before, then Oneuli Beach might be the most accessible beach to see black sand if you’d rather not go to the Road to Hana, and/or if you’re staying in the South Maui Wailea resort area. It is a fairly easy drive (about an hour) from the West Maui Kaanapali resort area.
This is a quiet beach that doesn’t get as many visitors, and it’s located right near a more famous South Maui beach that’s a part of the more visited section of the Makena State Park.
If you’re making a trip to this beach, see more things to do in South Maui!
See more about a visit to this Maui black sand beach and beyond:
3. Honomanu Bay beach
aka the “other” Road to Hana black sand beach
This is often listed as another black sand beach on the Road to Hana.
This is another quieter beach on Maui that doesn’t get as many visitors, and it’s also not the blackest black sand beach.
But it can be a nice quiet stop to make as you are driving the Hana Highway.
See more about a visit to this Maui black sand beach and beyond:
4. Alelele Beach
aka the black sand beach on the back road to Hana
I am not sure the name of this beach, but since it is right in front of Alelele Bridge, and it’s right near the start of the Alelele Falls trail, we will call it Alelele Beach!
This is on what’s considered the back road to Hana. This means that this will also be a quieter beach. It’s located right alongside the road.
Maybe because it’s wet sand it looks really black.
See more about a visit to this Maui black sand beach and beyond:
5. Waioka Beach
aka the black sand beach near the Venus Pool/Waioka Pond
I am also not sure of the name of this beach. It’s near the Venus Pool which is also called the Waioka Pond.
No matter the name, this is a hidden black sand beach!
As you are walking on the trail to the Venus pool, you’ll see a large field to the left.
Once you get to the point on the trail to go down towards the Venus pool to the right, you can just generally go in the direction to the left across a large field. This will take you to an area that overlooks a black sand beach!
I was not expecting to see this, so it felt like an even more magnificent sight to see!
And that’s a bit about black sand beaches in Maui!
To summarize?!
The most famous (and possibly the best) black sand beach on Maui is on the Road to Hana. There’s another kind of black sand beach on the main Road to Hana. There’s a hidden black sand beach further along on the Hana Highway. There’s yet another black sand beach on the back road to Hana. In Maui’s resort areas, there’s a kind of black sand beach in South Maui.
So… to see black sand beaches in Maui… Make sure you plan for a day on the Road to Hana! Aside from black colored beaches, there are other beaches on the Road to Hana, including a hidden red sand beach.
How about black sand beaches on other Hawaiian islands?
I think my favorite island for black sand beaches is the Big Island. There’s an area that you can drive like 30 minutes and stop and see 3 distinct (and very black) black sand beaches. It’s also a very scenic drive.
Maui’s black sand is a result of a volcano’s old lava flows eroding over time. Explore more of the famous Maui volcano:
- Hike across old lava flows
- Hike into a crater near the Haleakala volcano summit
- Things to do in Haleakala National Park
Explore more volcanic activity in Hawaii outside of Maui:
Explore even more volcanic activity outside of Hawaii:
Also see how to spend your days for a short trip to Maui!
HAPPY SEEING A BLACK SAND BEACH IN MAUI!
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