Aloha, this article is intended for use if you are going to Maui for leisure and want to explore several different beaches. It is not all-inclusive but rather highlights the West side of the island. This is intended for reference only. I will start on the north end of the west side and work my way southward:

Honolulu Bay:

This is one of four marine preserves on the island of Maui. It is located on the northern most tip of the island 6/10ths of a mile past mile marker 32 traveling north on Route 30 just past the Kapalua area. At 6/10ths of a mile past mile marker 32, you will see a narrow dirt road off to the left which takes you down to Honolulu Bay. The right side of the bay has a nice reef system with abundant coral formations where a lot of marine life can be viewed when snorkeling or diving. The left side of the bay features a lot of cracks and crevices in the lava finger good for exploring. This area seems to frequently be windy and is best in the summer months when the winds die down.

Kapalua Beach:

Not only do I give this beach two thumbs up, but it was also nominated by Sunset Magazine as the “world's nicest beach”. This one is a little tricky to find first time out. As you head northward on Route 30, turn off at the light just past Kapalua. There is a McDonald's roadside in the shopping center just before the light marking the way. You will find the public beach access between the Napili Kai and Kapalua Resorts. After you park in the paved parking area, you will see the restroom building. Access to the beach is to the right of this building down a flight a stairs and through a small tunnel. You will find fresh water showers on the south end of the beach and beach services on the north. This is a white sand beach with soft sand extending out about 5 feet into the ocean (depending on tide conditions). Beyond that, almost the entire bay is fairly shallow and is filled with coral reef making it an excellent sight for snorkeling. You can frequently see some of the locals using the black lava finger on the south end of this beach as a launching spot to go spear fishing. Be a little careful here as the bay looks calm and easy to swim but I found there to be a good current pulling seawards.

Kahekili Beach Park:

Also known as “ Old Airport Beach ”, this beach has all the necessary facilities such as picnic tables, showers and public restrooms. This beach is regarded as a nice beach for beginning snorkelers and divers because the reef starts in close to shore and extends out for a long distance. The long reef tends to help keep the surf down to manageable levels and offers a lot of coral and fish to view. I haven't seen one but am told that for divers, as you go further out on the reef here, one can sometimes see Eagle Rays cruising by if you remember to look up. If you are driving north on Route 30, you will find this beach by taking the northern-most entrance to the Kaanapali Resort area and looking for the public beach access signs and parking off to the right.

Black Rock:

Black Rock is located right in front of the Sheraton Hotel on Kaanapali Beach in the middle of the Kaanapali

Resort area. This area is highly regarded for it's excellent snorkeling and diving. There is an extensive lava formation here that breaks Maui 's longest stretch of beach. I would not recommend this area for the novice as there can be strong currents found here. However, the currents do seem to attract an abundance of marine life including the green Hawaiian sea turtle and the bright-red nudibranch known as the “Spanish Dancer”.

Wahikulu Park:

I found nothing distinctive about this beach but if you are staying near Lahaina, it's location is stellar. It is located slightly north of Lahaina Town just past the Mala Wharf . This park features good amenities with picnic tables, restrooms and showers. The beach is a nice white sand beach and parking is plentiful making access easy. Good for swimming, snorkeling and diving.

Olowalu:

A very popular beach area in Maui but not my personal favorite. Found a few miles south of Lahaina at mile marker 14 when traveling on Route 30. My knock on this beach is that I travel with children and found few amenities here and the parking is in the sand along the busy road side. Other than that, there is a long reef which houses a diverse marine population. At the northern end of the beach you can find large coral heads which are a nice break from the flat reefs and are fun to look around. This is a long beach and about in the middle is a channel through the reef where divers can find easy passage through the reef system. You can see a lot of locals here surfing as well.

Coral Gardens:

Traveling north on route 30 (Honoapilani Highway), as you leave Ma'alaea Harbor, you will pass through the only tunnel (Pali Tunnel) on Maui. You will find Coral Gardens on your left about ½ mile past the tunnel. Take the turn off, and go down the hill. Parking is not great here either as you must park on the side of the road at the bottom of the hill. Getting to the beach can be a bit of a challenge as well. The easiest access is found on the north end of the beach and can be recognized by the small white sand beach. Unfortunately, the better snorkeling and diving is found at the south end with the more difficult access. At the south end, you will see a black, rocky hill. Entry is found down an embankment to the right or north of this hill. The snorkeling on the reef just beyond the rocky hill is good with plenty of the more interesting marine life frequently showing up such as the green Hawaiian sea turtles, eels, and parrot fish.

South of the Coral Gardens spot, you will come to Ma'alaea Harbor. This is obviously a bad spot to swim, snorkel or dive due to high boat traffic. This is the location of the Maui Ocean Center which is a fantastic marine park. Well worth the money and a few hours of your time looking at the various marine life close up. Traveling Southward on Route 30, you come to a stop light at the harbor and you need to go South on Route 310. As you travel South on Route 310, you will come to another intersection and you will want to stay right onto Route 31. Traveling south on Route 31, you will pass a bird sanctuary on your right which has no beach access. Along route 31, you will find numerous turn offs which take you into the Kihei area. Travelling South of South Kihei Road you will find great tourist type shopping and a lot of fast food. A big shout out here for Shaka Pizza. Travelling south on South Kihei road will take you first to…..

Kamaole Parks I, II, & III:

Very nice all purpose type parks. The amenities are excellent with restrooms, fresh water and picnic tables. The white sand beaches are pretty and the swimming is good. The shore break at Kamaole I can be a bit harsh at times so always check out the signs before jumping in. I went boogie-boarding here and the waves had a tendency to disappear out from under the board dropping me straight onto the sand. The three beaches are broken up by lava fingers going out into the ocean creating some nice wave breaks and interesting tide pools to check out. From personal experience, I would advise staying away from the black sea urchins found in the tide pools – ouch! All in all, I found these parks to be nice, family oriented environments with life guards on duty. However, I found the snorkeling to be lacking as the reef systems are not very extensive with little pockets found near the lava fingers.

Next week, I will detail the rest of my snorkeling and beach swimming experiences in Maui, Hawaii. Stay tuned!

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