Wailea beach, Hawaii

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Wailea Beach

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Sunbathe like a celebrity at this sparkling strand, which fronts the swish Grand Wailea and ever-posh Four Seasons resorts and offers a full menu of water activities. The beach slopes gradually, making it a good swimming spot. When it’s calm, there’s decent snorkeling around the rocky point on the southern end. Most afternoons there’s a gentle shorebreak suitable for bodysurfing. Divers entering the water at Wailea Beach can follow an offshore reef that runs down to Polo Beach.

The beach access road, with a parking lot, is between the Grand Wailea and Four Seasons resorts.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

2. Polo Beach

0.5 MILES

In front of the Fairmont Kea Lani resort, Polo Beach is seldom crowded. When there’s wave action, boogie boarders and bodysurfers usually find good…

3. Ulua Beach

0.59 MILES

Snorkelers should head straight for Ulua, to the south of the point. The coral at the rocky outcrop on the right side of the beach offers Wailea’s best…

4. Mokapu & Ulua Beaches

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With the opening of the Andaz Maui resort, the scene has gotten busier at these two beaches, which are a few steps away from the resort. The lovely Mokapu…

5. Mokapu Beach

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The lovely Mokapu Beach is behind the Andaz Maui resort, on the northern side of a small point.

6. Poʻolenalena Beach

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This long and lovely crescent-shaped beach, south of the resorts, is a favorite of local families on weekends. It's rarely crowded though, and the shallow…

7. Keawakapu Beach

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From break of day to twilight, this sparkling stretch of sand is a showstopper. Extending from south Kihei to Wailea’s Mokapu Beach, Keawakapu is set back…

8. Makena Bay

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Want to kayak along the coast? Then drop into this pretty bay. There’s no better place on Maui for kayaking – as you might surmise from the collection of…