Rating: In a nutshell: A long, beautiful sandy crescent set back from the wind. Minuses: Development. Sound-bite: “Is that Paul Blart?” Details: White Rock is also known as Palauea Beach. This is a nice, wide, uncrowded and lesser-known beach. You won’t see very many tourists here – mostly populated by a few local folks and fishermen, on weekends family and …
Rating: In a nutshell: A dramatic cliff-framed beach and bay. Minuses: Beach can vanish and surf can become dangerous in winter. Sound-bite: “Will we get Slaughtered surfing here?” DETAILS: The name “Slaughterhouse Beach” comes from the Honolua Ranch slaughterhouse and tanning/storage shed that were (oh, so conveniently) located on the cliff’s edge above the ocean. The buildings were torn down …
Rating: In a nutshell: Quarter-mile long pocket of sandy beach fronting the Andaz Wailea Hotel. Minuses: Parking can fill up early. Sound-bite: “Sir, you must be a guest of the hotel to use the beach chairs.” QUICK SUMMARY: Good swimming, boogie boarding and excellent snorkeling around the rocky outcrop to the south. Fronting the recently opened Andaz Wailea Hotel, the …
Rating: In a nutshell: Quarter-mile long pocket of sandy beach; great snorkeling. Minuses: Parking sometimes fills up early. Sound-bite: [Children playing] QUICK SUMMARY: Good swimming, boogie boarding and excellent beginner to intermediate snorkeling around the rocky outcrop on the north end of the beach. Ulua Beach is more crowded that its neighbor to the north, Mokapu Beach – here you …
Rating: In a nutshell: A long, often uncrowded sandy beach. Minuses: Has become more popular in recent years. Sound-bite: “You may now kiss the bride!” Details: Also known as Paipu Beach, Po’olenalena is a nice, long sandy beach, that until recent years was mostly known only by locals. Because it has spectacular sunset views, and often becomes uncrowded late in …
Rating: In a nutshell: Little Beach is where you go on Maui if you want to get nude with a bunch of other people on a beautiful beach. Minuses: It gets crowded and it is on a lot of visitor’s bucket lists. Sound-bite: “oowwwww…I forgot to apply sunscreen…” DETAILS: The draw for most visitors here is nudity. While public nudity …
Rating: In a nutshell: 1/4 Mile long, sandy and uncrowded beach next to Kapalua resort. Minuses: Can become very windy in afternoons. Sound-bite: “Where is everyone?” QUICK SUMMARY: This is a beautiful 1/4 Mile long, sandy and uncrowded beach next to the Ritz Carlton and Kapalua Resort. It lies roughly midway along a 1.76 mile boardwalk/trail called the Kapalua Coastal …
Rating: In a nutshell: Long, narrow beach with shallow offshore reef. This is a good destination for snorkeling. Minuses: Kiawe thorns & beach is marginal. Sound-bite: “Don’t step on the reef!” This article is scheduled for further development. There are multiple beaches in this area, and this is a more general summary. Summary: This is a go-to for snorkeling, possibly …
Rating: In a nutshell: Paia Bay is a destination if you are an accomplished bodyboarder. A long, nice beach with an excellent near-shore surf break. Minuses: The park and bathroom areas can be dirty, and sometimes attract vagrant types. Sound-bite: “Shreddin’ `em!” DETAILS: Paia Bay is a favorite for bodyboarders and bodysurfers. The break is generally just a bit off …
Rating: In a nutshell: Two mile stretch of rough/raw beaches and tidepools. Frequently used by fishermen and windsurfers. Minuses: Directly in flight path of Kahului Airport. Attracts some “iffy-characters.” Sound-bite: [Roar of jet engines] DETAILS: Actually more than one beach, “Spreckelsville Beach” is the historic name for a two mile stretch of beaches from Baby Beach in Spreckelsville to Kanaha …
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Baldwin Beach is a wonderful, long, wide, sandy beach park just outside of Paia. Fully equipped with lifeguards, bathrooms, showers, barbecues, picnic tables and a covered pavilion. During winter months, the main stretch of beach can have fairly large and regular shorebreak, so it becomes a popular destination for more experienced boogie-boarders (chiropractor’s tip: don’t try and cut your teeth …
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