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Explore Maui
Every beach on this list is one we send our own guests to. Sugar Beach is across the street; the rest are ranked by how often we drive there ourselves.
Maui has more than 80 beaches, and most visitors see three. This guide is the shortlist we give guests at check-in: the twelve stretches of sand that earn repeat visits, from Sugar Beach right outside the bungalows to the wide-open sweep of Big Beach in Makena.
South-shore beaches are calmest in the morning before the trade winds arrive, and winter brings both whales offshore and shorebreak worth respecting. Wherever you land, take the local rule with you: never turn your back on the ocean.
01
Our home beach, directly across the street from the bungalows: the longest continuous ribbon of sand on Maui, running roughly three miles from the old Kihei wharf to Ma’alaea. Empty at sunrise, calm all morning, windy and wild by mid-afternoon.
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The biggest of Kihei's three sister beaches: the longest run of open sand, a daily lifeguard, and a quieter corner at the north end that most visitors never find.
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The middle of Kihei's three sister beaches, and for many regulars the best of them: a wide crescent of soft sand, easy swimming, and rocky points at both ends that keep the snorkelers busy.
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The southernmost of Kihei's three sister beaches and the one built for a full family day: a huge grass lawn, the best playground on the strip, barbecue grills and sand that ends in a snorkelable rocky point.
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The shaded north corner of Kamaole I that most visitors never notice — which is exactly why the locals love it.
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The long, soft-sand beach where Kihei hands off to Wailea — a locals' favorite for morning snorkels, barefoot miles and the most dependable sunset walk in South Maui.
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The resort row's showpiece crescent — and thanks to Hawai’i law, it belongs to everyone. Here is how to do Wailea on a public-parking budget.
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A calm golden crescent in Makena with the famous Turtle Town reef off its south end. Easy entry, easy parking, and the best turtle odds you can get from shore.
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Oneloa, the biggest undeveloped sweep of sand on the island — glorious for walking and watching, famous for a shorebreak that deserves your full respect.
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A small, calm, condo-lined crescent on the northwest shore with sandy-bottom swimming and turtle-rich snorkeling off both points. Worth the drive, if you beat the parking.
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Three miles of resort sand with a paved beachwalk behind it and Black Rock at the north end — morning snorkeling, evening torches, and the cliff dive at sunset.
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The north shore’s arena: world-famous windsurfing over a live reef, winter waves worth a road trip, and green sea turtles asleep on the sand by late afternoon.
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Four beachside bungalows in North Kihei, hosted by Megan & Bryan since 2012. 4.9 stars across 421 reviews.