Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The undeveloped beaches of Central Maui are defined by wind, waves, and water sports.
You won't find any tiki bars or activities stands, but there are long stretches of undeveloped
beaches where the world's best watermen hang out.
MM
Kanaha Beach Park
Kanaha
is the best beach in Central Maui. You won't find it on any postcards, and the
swimming is poor, but this is an enjoyable place to spend the day. The early morning hours
at Kanaha offer dramatic views of the mountains before the midmorning clouds roll in.
There are a number of sandy beaches interspersed among various rocky points, which,
when strung together, make for the perfect morning stroll. Those who want to go for a
longer jog can head out on a paved path running from the last parking lot entrance all the
way to Stable Road and the town of Sprecklesville.
The large, grassy beach park has showers, restrooms, and lifeguards, and there are also
fields for playing Frisbee and one of the island's best beach volleyball courts. There's a
campground on western end of the park, although it's been known to attract more unsavory
characters and feral cats than actual law-abiding campers.
The beach area itself is broken up into two sections called Uppers and Lowers (Uppers
being the farthest to the right when facing the ocean), and there's a protected, roped-off
swimming area between the two that is popular with those wanting to wade. Morning
hours are popular for spearfishing when the water is calm and with longboard and stand-up
paddle surfers on days when there are waves. During the afternoon the trade winds pick up
and the beach becomes a frenzy of windsurfers. No windsurfing is allowed before 11am,
and by 5pm the wind has usually died down again, making the beach a mellow place to
spend the sunset hours. This is also a great place to kill a couple of hours if you've already
checked out of your hotel and have a late-afternoon flight, as the rental car return offices
are only about a half-mile from the park.
To reach Kanaha from Hana Highway, make a right at the stoplight for Hobron Avenue
and then another right onto Amala Place. Drive for about 1.5 miles, and although you'll
pass a number of parking lots for other beaches, the best ones for Kanaha Beach Park itself
are the last two entrances down at the dead end.
