Keawakapu Beach — Attraction in Maui

Summary: .7 mile long sandy beach, runs to the end of Kihei, where the road departs from the shoreline. Good for swimming, laying out, boogie boarding, snorkeling or just lazing in the sun.

Details: The shoreline is fully developed here, including impressive beach houses, hotels, condos and restaurants. Much of the development has been kept a tasteful distance from the beach – keeping the majority distinctly separate; the beach refreshingly non-commercialized.

Keawakapu Beach, Manakai end

One translation of the name is “forbidden cove.” Hawaiian place names often reveal multiple threads of meaning – one reason this cove might have been kapu may have been to prevent Hawaiians from settling on this section of shoreline; large Kona storms can hit here particularly hard. In fact, this normally idyllic section of shoreline is increasingly exposed and becomes unprotected when a series of storms hit, with the majority of sand vanishing into the ocean and anything too close to the margins of the beach can be destroyed. (Fortunately , over the months that follow the ocean politely returns the borrowed sand as good as new.)

Over the years there have been many attempts to tame nature and protect development; the sea wall along the southern half of the beach is one of them.

Keawakapu Beach

On the north end there are exceptionally alive tidepools (check them out at night – during a full moon if you have the chance) and good snorkeling around the outcropping. The southern end of this beach also has a small pocket of good snorkeling. Swimming is good and serious swimmers will enjoy doing laps along the entire length of the beach.

The Mana Kai hotel at the north end rents stand up paddle boards, kayaks, beach gear, snorkel...

My wife and I travelled to Maui for 7 days the first week of December 2023. This was the last of 6 different beaches we spent time on for swimming/snorkeling and relaxing. It was by FAR the BEST beach on this shoreline between Kihei and Wailea. Long walks, 3-4 spots where volcanic rocks allow for fantastic snorkeling and great access to parking. I preferred the parking location at "Keawakapu Wailea-Ekahi Public Beach Access". Before 9am, there is ample parking, bathrooms and spot to wash salt water off. From this parking lot, you are 25 ft from beach so easy to make trips to vehicle for chairs, coolers, supplies. After 9-10 AM, it will be packed for this time of year. Using this parking area seemed to split the long beach in half for walking north or south. Saw turtles multiple times, fish around rocks while snorkeling and was never crowded. My memories of Maui beaching will always be...

Keawakapu Beach is traced by a plush residential community, but, as with all Hawaiian beaches, the shore is public and open to all.

What keeps visitor numbers down is that those mansions screen the beach from the South Kihei Road road, making it easy to miss.

When you do make it to Keawakapu Beach what will greet you is a long strip of soft white sand affording the sumptuous views you expect from Maui’s South Shore. Facilities are scant, and there are no lifeguards here.

The surf is mostly calm and safe, but the beach is not protected from the ocean by a coral reef, so there will be times, especially in winter, when the high swells will keep swimmers out of the water.

Keawakapu Beach is also a diving destination, for an artificial reef deposited around 800 metres offshore to prevent coastal erosion...