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.

This is a great hidden treasure in Maui. Look for the walkway between the rock fences. The beach is…read moresmall but beautiful, and there is a little area that you can wade out into. Walking onto the beach can be a challenge for anyone who isn't too mobile. There are only a few parking places, so you sometimes need to get creative.

The most picturesque beach we went to in Maui. Soft yellow sand, ultra clear blue water, swaying…read morepalm trees, and black lava rocks with tidepools. You won't be the only one here but it's much less crowded than Makena Beach to the North. We went during "peak" time in late afternoon and at 9 am and both times there were other people there. It's very easy to find, google maps will lead to it accurately. You'll be in a residential neighborhood trying to find a break in the black stone wall but most likely you won't be able to spot it because cars will be around the entrance. The cove you walk into is part of the secret, you can go exploring north and south to find more though the only entrance we could find was through the black stone wall.

This place is truly breathtaking and a must stop on the Road to Hana. I took my wife here and she…read morewas blown away about being that close to turtles. They are much bigger in person! We thought we might be able to see some that day but there were a whole group of them. The surfers were out that day and the waves were huge, so I wasn't planning on getting in the water but took tons of photos. Highly, Highly recommend

If you are looking for turtles and want to watch surfers catching some waves, this is the place to…read morebe! Please come and create your own adventure.

Wailea beach is a beautiful beach and they have a nice walking path along the shoreline. If you are…read morelucky enough to find parking it is a nice beach stop. There are some high end hotels along the beach path so if you get hungry there are nice places to grab a bite. There is also a beach shack where you can grab a quick bite and enjoy it on the beach.

Wailea Beach is a public beach offering views of the ocean and has activities like sunbathing,…read moreswimming, snorkeling, and paddleboarding. It's located within walking distance from luxury resorts like the Four Seasons and Grand Wailea. It's also minutes away from The Shops at Wailea shopping mall. It's a popular spot in a busy area so there are lots of people but the water is very blue. They have complimentary parking in the lot nearby and also have public restrooms. If you're lucky you might be able to spot sea turtles in the water.

The perfect beach for a peaceful late-morning swim. It's clean, calm, and never feels too crowded…read moreeven when plenty of people are around. There are a few benches, but they're set back from the water, so definitely bring a chair if you'd rather not sit in the sand. Lots of nice shaded spots earlier in the day, which makes it an easy place to spend a few hours without baking in the sun.

Allowing easy access to the neighboring Chang's Beach, Poolenalena beach is much larger, providing…read moreplentiful options for shade and is a short walk from the parking area (the next stop from where Google Maps shows this beach), which can fit about 30 cars comfortably if you create your own lane in the middle and fill it to capacity. Be aware that the entrance does have a few potholes. If you want to use Chang's Beach for turtle watching, you can probably park at this beach and walk down to Chang's Beach, given the latter didn't have accessible parking at the time of this review. There aren't any rinse areas here, and bathrooms are limited to two port-o-potties. The foliage and general greenery isn't as nice as other beaches, but it does seem less crowded and quieter.

update 2026 We came back to enjoy a afternoon shade day…read more Brought the books. The park is still free of homeless , many families here today The cove might be good to snorkel in the morning. Very clear water from the bluff view.

This beach is fantastic. Especially during the sunsets.. in fact any beach on this road are…read moreamazing. Very clean and enjoyable at any given time. Even have restrooms just off the beach They do not use soap in Hawaii to help protect the environment - so it's best to take a sanitizer along with you

Love everything about this spot! Whether I'm packing up for a full beach day, hanging out while…read morefishing, or scouting locations for a photo shoot, Kanaha always delivers. It has the perfect mix of park space, shade, and open coast. 10/10 recommend spending an afternoon here. Until next time, XOXO, ChelsieFletcher

Free park with a small parking lot. Just 5 minutes from the…read moreairport. We didnt walk the whole beach, just looked for a place to eat our lunch and came across the perfect picnic table in the shade with view of the ocean. Lots of flies so be aware. We saw some lifeguards on duty. Overall a calm park.

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.

This is a really cool stop off the side of the road in West Maui…read more It's a short walk off of the side of the road. It's a little steep and definitely rocky. There are signs warning you not to go any further way earlier than it actually gets unsafe. People swim in the pools which is said to be dangerous due to changing tides and waves. The pools are very pretty even if you don't swim (which we didn't). It's fun to watch the waves splash in as well. It can be a quick stop and is worth doing if you're in the area.