Lovely beach near resort. Not for swimming. Better beaches in the area for that. Great sunsets…read more Also Hawaiian monk seals come here to do their thing.

What an incredibly beautiful and unique beach you'll find on the west end of Moloka'i. Sand is nice…read moreand soft and there are some interesting rocky locations. On a clear day, you can also see O'ahu's Makapu'u and Koko Head in the distance. Public beach parking available at the Kaluakoi Villas and Condominiums in the designated area.

Great area but it isn't always available to use. When it rains the water gets very brown. Water…read morealso pools at the front so you sometimes have to swim almost to even get to the beach or go around on a long hike. When you can get to it is is great! It is quite protected so it makes it accessible for little ones to play in the water. There is designated beach access and parking. As well as a port a potty and trash cans.

Also known as Kapukahehu Beach, this is one of the great West End beaches on the island of…read moreMoloka'i. Though it is such a long drive from any part of Central Moloka'i to get here, I think it is so worth it. This location is not as big as the neighboring Papohaku Beach, but it makes for some great scenic photography and also a wonderful place to catch the sunset. Parking is somewhat limited, though it is one of the more secluded beaches.

Gorgeous beach with limited swimming in winter, but we went, we bobbed, we drank in the scenery and…read moreloved every minute of it on our way to the other side of the island.

Long drive from Central Moloka'i to the East End, but Murphy's Beach is certainly one of those…read moremust-see locations. Parking is right next to beach right off the narrow road. It's located between Mile Markers 21 and 23. You can also see both Maui and Lana'i at the same time. The views of the beach are absolutely spectacular.

One of the highlights of my trip to Maui was coming to Black Rock Beach in Lahaina. Originally we…read morewere supposed to stay in Lahaina, but because of the rebuilding of the area, we stayed a little further south. I wish I did stay in the area because the whole area is a vibe. It's a little more touristy with resorts and shopping areas, but once you get on the beach you forget all that. Some of our group was already here and gave us specific instructions on where to park. We parked in a paid parking garage and had to walk between hotels to find the entrance to the beach. This particular stretch is in front of the Sheraton Maui Resort. This beach was awesome! Don't get confused like I did and think this was a black sand beach. Black Rock refers to the giant black lava rock going from the beach into the ocean. It's a very popular cliff diving area. In my opinion, you got to have some athletic ability to do the cliff diving. There's two ways to get to the peak of the rock to jump. There's a path from the shore, but you have to do a little climbing with a very sketch path to the top. The other option is to swim in the ocean towards the end of the rock where you have a little ladder to get you up, but you still have to get to the top of the rock. My friends and I decided to do the swim out which in itself was a challenge. One I got close, I decided to be the photographer in the water for when my friends jumped. We hung out in the water for awhile before swimming back to shore. The beach is perfect for lounging around, with soft white sand and crystal clear water. I brought my snorkel and goggles to really appreciate what's under the sea. We stayed out here way longer than we planned because time flies when you are having fun. On my next trip to Maui, I would totally consider staying right on this beach. I will most definitely be back!

Favorite beach in Maui. You can guarantee you will see 3+ turtles by the rocks on the right side…read moreevery time. And occasionally, a Hawaiian monk seal that comes up to bask in the sun during the day. Tourists here are the worst though! I have seen them crowding the turtles (10 ft distance is the law), standing on the swimming turtles to treat them like surf boards, and even approaching the monk seals or blocking their path back to the water (50+ ft is the law). Enjoy this beach responsibly and respect the beautiful wild life that frequent this beach.

Lanikai beach is by far one of the most beautiful hidden beaches on Oahu! It's a half-mile strip of…read morepowdery white sand and turquoise water on Oahu's windward coast in Kailua, Hawaii. The beach itself features iconic views of the twin Mokulua Islands. On a clear day you can actually see the sandy beaches on Mokulua Islands. The popular Lanikai Pillbox Hike sits right above the neighborhood for amazing panoramic coastal views. Please note: zero amenities exist directly at the beach (no public restrooms, showers, lifeguards, or trash cans). Fortunately, some of the locals have placed trash bins near the beach entry ways. Parking is easily accessible if you don't mind walking. Parking directly on Mokulua Drive and Aalapapa Drive is permanently banned. Visitors typically park at Kailua Beach Park (about 0.8 miles away) and walk or bike over. We found parking on a side road a few blocks away (didn't get towed) and we stayed for several hours.

Soft sand, warm water, turquoise water, and beautiful views…read more The only downsides are that there are no bathrooms and no dedicated parking. However, we were able to find street parking in the nearby neighborhood pretty easily. There is another beach close by with restrooms if you need to wash up and clean up afterward. I love how calm this beach is with no waves. Easy for weak or non swimmers.

Visited alone and explored the area, did not feel comfortable going into the pools as I was the…read moreonly one there. Went back the next day with niece and boyfriend. The steep hike seemed easier but longer and steeper. The pools were teeming with fish and crabs, high tide was about and hour off. Looked around and dove into the deeper of the pools, the water was cool and the salt seemed filtered away. We hung out until the waves started cresting the outer walls. Very beautiful, please be respectful if you go; leave it a better, cleaner place than when you arrived.

We came here to potentially get in the pools, but after reading some of the warnings online and…read moreseeing the pools, which were magnificent, we opted out. We also had our kids with us so that was a game changer. Parking was easy at the trailhead and there weren't a lot of people here. There is a sign at the beginning honoring a man who died here and asking people not to go in the pools. It is about a 5 minute walk to the cliff where you can first see the pools. If you choose to walk down, it is probably another 10 minutes and the terrain isn't too terrible. The pools are indeed right on the ocean, with water from the ocean splashing into them and then pulling back out. It did not too violent when we were there and there were about 10 people swimming and diving into them, so they must be pretty deep. We stood and watched and took in the view for about 15 minutes and then went on our way.

A beautiful no resort-y style beach. FYI: No lifeguards. We witnessed a medical emergency and no…read morelifeguard was hard. Limited parking - but it's still busy as there are a ton of condo's/motels on the beach. There are a few restaurants overlooking it, so easy to escape for a meal or a drink. When we were there for spring break, we were coming off a storm and it was quite rough. Some surfers catching some great barrels which was fun to watch. Other days it was calmer. A ton of snorkelers - I guess there is a few reefs full of fish. It's also adjacent to a sea turtle cove, so you can catch some sea turtles on their way. Overall, a great beach. I'd come again to the area.

Napili Bay a relaxing beach in Maui. The water is usually calm and crystal clear, making it perfect…read morefor families and kids to swim and snorkel safely. We saw plenty of fish close to shore, and if you go early in the morning, there's a good chance you'll spot sea turtles cruising through the bay. The beach itself is clean with soft sand, and the cove shape keeps things feeling peaceful compared to some of the busier spots on the island. It's the kind of place where you can easily spend the entire day just unwinding. Parking can be a little tricky, so getting there early is worth it. A great tip is to pair your visit with breakfast or brunch at The Gazebo Restaurant right next door. It's super convenient and makes your morning really efficient--grab a meal, then walk straight onto the beach and enjoy the rest of your day. Whether you're swimming, snorkeling, or just laying out and taking in the view, Napili Bay has that classic Maui magic.

I think it's a pretty cool beach to hang around if you are in the area. You get a good view of…read moreWaikiki and Diamond Head. I personally stop by here when I run for a break to chill and watch the waves. Definitely a cool beach to chill. There's a lot of tourists at this location - just a forewarning which is why I don't like to stay too long. Wherever there's tourists I absolutely cannot - but definitely if you happen to be in the area and you see it along the way it's worth a moment to stop and enjoy the views.

Nice to see the monk seals. At least they moved around a bit before the sunset. No rain so just…read morecool trade wind. Glad I found parking. Seals will be here a few weeks.

Thanks to a local recommendation, I too can vouch for this sweet little beach especially those…read moretraveling with children or novice ocean & snorkelers. Very calm waters with plenty of reefs near and while we didn't see thousands of variety of fish we saw enough to leave happy and with good stories... My son saw a turtle! and we saw lots of Dori's family members and tons of Reef Tigerfish which also known as the Hawaiian State fish! There is a golden time to do snorkeling or swimming without the bigger waves rolling in. We got there around 11 and stayed until 1pm or so because the waters began to feel more forceful. Also a telling sign was the surfers started showing up another telling sign the tides were shifting. Have a great time, and be ready to see a lot of beach chickens too! Oh lastly, it's a very short walk if you want to grab something to eat at a cool indoor mall with a few food truck style options and if you need to shop for things (Safeway, Longs drugs, ABC, novelties).

Pros: This beach is great for kids being able to play at the beach without having to worry about…read morewaves knocking them down. There is coral with fish which is great for little toddlers to see if you bring some goggles. And parking is easy and free. Downsides: There is so much glass on the beach. If you are going with little kids bring water shoes. I was taking small and big pieces of fresh broken glass -- not sea glass-- out of the sand and water. There are homeless people. We went early in the morning and a person was swimming close to us and he pooped in the water. A huge human turd floated by us and it was disgusting. It's sad because the water was clear and the coral made it such a fun place for the kids but that incident made it so gross, I had to shower immediately. But because the area was so shallow we stayed anyways.... The shaded area smells like pee. So not sure how clean it is.