Maui is known to be a tropical paradise with stunning beaches all over the island – from white, golden, and red to black sand beaches. Considering how different they are from one another, it can be hard to choose the BEST ones to visit. In this blog, you’ll learn all about Maui’s most picture-worthy beaches.
This list summarizes the absolute best and most beautiful & picturesque beaches that you definitely don’t want to miss on your next trip to Maui!
Going to Oahu instead?
Check out Oahu’s Best Beaches!
Why Maui?
Hawaii is known for its breathtaking nature and tropical beaches with clear waters, soft sand, and stunning scenery. The beaches are knowingly great for snorkeling or diving due to the abundant marine life. Surfing is another awesome activity because of the perfect waves (depending on the season).
The island of Maui especially is known for its diversity in beaches (different colors of sand & scenery), making it a destination you definitely don’t want to miss.
Maui actually has over 80 accessible beaches all over the island, so it’s the perfect travel destination for anyone who loves exploring new beaches, going snorkeling, doing water sports, or just tanning.
Since Maui’s beaches are usually well maintained, they come with parking options, restrooms, showers, picnic areas, and depending on the location plenty of dining options or little shops to stroll around in.
It really is one of the best places to head to on your next tropical vacation!
Now, of course, “best” beach is a rather subjective term and different to everyone – I’ll be listing a collection of picturesque, unique, or tan & swim-friendly beaches that are worth a visit.
Beach Tips
Before heading to Maui’s stunning beaches, it’s important to keep a few things in mind regarding your own safety, the island & culture, and of course just useful tips in general.
Hawaiian Beaches | Must-Knows
Beach Activities
Beach Bag Essentials
Get the full Beach Packing List here! (FREE)Maui’s Most Picture-Worthy Beaches
Map of All the Beaches
South Maui
Makena Beach
Consisting of Big and Little Beach, this beautiful golden sand beach is definitely one of Maui’s best! Big Beach stretches over 1.5 miles along the southwest shore of the island. Aside from breathtaking views, it’s a great snorkeling location.
Wailea Beach
This luxurious beach is great for couples and families. Waters here are usually calm and clear. If you are super lucky, Wailea is one of the few beaches where you can spot Hawaiian green sea turtles.
West Maui
Kā’anapali Beach
Kā’anapali is famous for its stunning sunsets and calm waters. Its location right next to a shopping center makes it very popular among tourists and doesn’t come without any difficulties finding parking. The daily cliff diving ceremony off of Pu’u Keka’a aka Black Rock makes this place special.
Napili Beach
Another stunning family-friendly beach on the northwest side of Maui. Its giant tide pool makes it great for snorkeling & exploring the sea during low tide.
Kapalua Bay Beach
Kapalua Bay is one of Maui’s most picturesque beaches and is great for snorkeling and swimming. Since this beach is in a bay, the waters are very calm and make it a popular spot for sea turtles to hang around!
Oneloa Beach
The perfect beach if you love the more secluded feel on a big & wide beach. Because most people stop at Kapalua or the other beaches further down on the west shore, Oneloa doesn’t get as much attention – making it a hidden gem. This beach is actually connected to Kapalua Bay by a scenic 1.76-mile trail by the beach – we loved taking pictures here!
North Shore
Baldwin Beach
One of the best beaches on the North Shore. Its proximity to the historic town of Pā’ia makes it a great place if you also want to go shopping or eat after. The beach itself is very wide with lots of room for beach activities. The waters here are usually choppy & rough.
Ho’okipa Beach
If you’re traveling to Maui in the winter, make sure to plan a stop at this beach – the likelihood of seeing Hawaiian green sea turtles here is very high! It’s also a unique spot to watch the sunset. The waters here are similar to Baldwin Beach and are actually very popular among experienced surfers.
East Maui
All of the beaches on the Eastside are rather far from any towns and shops, thus making a visit here a bit inconvenient. This doesn’t mean they aren’t worth seeing though! Some of the most unique and stunning beaches are on this side of the island.
Your best option is to combine all these beach visits into one day while taking the Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is basically a road trip to the east coast along many great waterfalls, beaches, hikes, and more
– read more about it here.
Black Sand Beach aka Honokalani Beach
Probably the best beach on Maui if you want to experience something new & unique. Wai’ānapanapa State Park consists of the main Black Sand Beach, a freshwater/volcanic cave, a scenic hiking trail, and other smaller rocky black beaches. It’s not the best for swimming due to the rocks and choppy waves; a fantastic place for taking pictures though! Thus, this can easily be crowned one of Maui’s most picture-worthy beaches.
Learn more about Wai’ānapanapa here.
Red Sand Beach aka Kaihalulu Beach
A rather controversial beach; and yes, the sand is really red! This beach is argued to be on private property and dangerous to get to. You can however look at it from afar (still on private property). Swimming is not recommended due to the very rough waters and rocks everywhere.
I haven’t visited Kaihalulu myself, yet wanted to include it to show how diverse Maui’s nature can get.
Koki Beach
This beach is a great alternative if going to Red Sand Beach is too risky for you. It’s easily accessible and features a big red cliff with views of nearby islands. The waves here can get strong and are not the best for swimming.
Hamoa Beach
Even though Hamoa is only a short drive away from Koki, its scenery is totally different – luscious tropical views in a secluded setting will await you here. Swimming conditions are the same as Koki’s due to the strong surf.
And that sums up all the best beaches in Maui, Hawaii that you definitely don’t want to miss!
Regardless of what you were looking for, I’m sure you found THE beach for you in this list.
Even if you don’t have time to see them all, choose at least one favorite and plan your visit – you won’t regret it!
My personal recommendation, if I had to pick the top 3 beaches, would be:
- Black Sand Beach at Wai’ānapanapa State Park
- Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina
- Oneuli Beach in Kahului
BONUS
A “Beach Day Essentials”-Checklist with all the necessities & tips you wouldn’t think of!
↓ Make sure to download it for FREE ↓
The Ultimate Packing List for the Beach
Share your favorite beaches in the comments or let me know which Maui beach you liked the most! 🙂
Still looking for more travel tips? Check out Oahu:
Oahu’s Best Beaches || Best Hikes & Lookouts || Vegan Food Guide
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Every one of these beaches is gorgeous! I love the black sand beach but they all look inviting. I like visiting travel blogs because I live vicariously through you guys, haha. Thank you for sharing with us!
I’ve never been to Hawaii before but your posts are really tempting me! Gorgeous photos of perfect beaches in Maui. What more could you want?
I knew Hawaii would be beautiful but I didn’t know there was so much variety of coastal scenery. Honokalani Beach stands out to me, I love the rugged beauty.
First time reader, really enjoyed this post. Looking forward to browsing more of your posts.
Beautiful photos . I visited Maui a long time ago. Time to revisit one day!!
Oneloa Beach looks stunning! Gorgeous photos, thanks for the detailed guide!
With so many beautiful beaches it’s hard to choose the best – I think I would be happy on any one of them. The black volcanic beaches remind me of the ones in the Canary Islands and Iceland. Very dramatic!
Your photos are so beautiful!! thanks for such a thorough guide, I haven’t been to visit Hawaii yet but I’ll definitely be referring to this post when I do 🙂