Hawaii Maui Beach Guide

About the Island of Maui Land of the sun

The demi-god Maui is a household name from Tonga to the Society Islands, to the Marquesas to Hawaii. Something of a trickster, Maui had a place in his heart for mortals and is celebrated throughout the Pacific for such feats as giving fire to humans (after stealing it from its supernatural guardians) and fishing the islands of the Pacific from out of their watery depths.

Geography

So great is his renown, in fact, that Maui is the only deity in Polynesia to currently have a major island named after him. ("Currently," because the Hawaiian island of Kaho'olawe was in earlier times named for the god Kanaloa). Formed by two giant shield volcanoes, when seen from above Maui even looks like the head and torso of a man. West Maui, the head, is the older portion of the island, and at one time the volcano that formed it was probably as large as Haleakala, the 10,023-foot-tall volcano whose flanks form the whole of East Maui's "body."

But time has done its part: Though it's estimated the volcano that formed Maui's head once had a crater some five miles across, eruptions, collapse and stream erosion so changed the landscape that Pu'u Kukui, the highest point in the West Maui mountains, now stands at 5,788 feet. The craggy landscape that replaced this once-massive volcano also helped give rise to Maui's nickname: "The Valley Isle."

Points of Interest

Over the millennia Maui's geography has changed even more drastically. Formed by six different volcanoes, the islands of Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe were once a single landmass known as Maui Nui ("Great Maui"). Rising sea levels eventually separated the islands, though they are still legally linked today — all are part of Maui County.

This varied landscape has led to an equally varied society: The central Maui town of Kahului/Wailuku is the island's business center; West Maui, with the sprawling beaches and upscale hotels of Ka'anapali and the historic whaling town of Lahaina, is one of Maui's major resort areas. South Maui is home to the island's other main resort district, Wailea; and while the tropical north shore of Maui does not offer hotels, visitors can choose from a collection of bed & breakfasts and rental homes.

What's More ... • The second largest of the populated Hawaiian Islands, Maui also boasts the second-largest population in the state, behind O'ahu (120,785 in 1998).

• Haleakala, whose name translates as "house of the sun," is the largest dormant volcano in the world. Not yet extinct, it is expected to erupt sometime in the next 200 years (it last erupted in 1790).

• The underwater valleys that once connected Maui, Molokai Lanai and Kaho'olawe are shallower than the surrounding ocean, providing shelter for an abundance of marine life — including the humpback whales that migrate to Hawaiian waters during winter months to give birth to their calves.

• Temperatures on Maui range from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, although the slopes of Haleakala Crater often see lows of 40 degrees. The lowest recorded temperature on Haleakala was 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Maui's official flower is the loke lani (pink cottage rose)

• Maui's official color is pink

Maui beaches are amongst the most popular in Hawaii and are noted for their excellent swimming and convenient resort settings, particularly along the sunny west coast resort areas of Kihei and north of Lahaina where long stretches of sand make for excellent strolling.

Maui has dozens of fabulous beaches to satisfy everyone's tastes. There are long, undeveloped sandy beaches, like Big Beach and Kealia, family-oriented beaches with lifeguards to protect you, like Kama'ole I, Kama'ole II, and Kama'ole III, as well as developed beaches with high-rise hotels right along the shore, like Ka'anapali Beach. Maui also is home to not one but two of the world's best windsurfing beaches, Kanaha Beach Park and Ho'okipa Beach Park.

Big BeachMaui has beaches for everyone, young and old, sunbathers to extreme sports enthusiasts. If you're planning a trip to Maui, it only makes sense to check out the beaches first, and plan your lodging accordingly. If you already have booked your trip, you can use this site to find out which beaches are most convenient to your accomodations.

You can use the search box at the bottom of each page find beaches that have certain features you want, or just look below to start browsing beaches by location!