Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To reach Maluaka Beach there are two different entrances. On the north side, coming
in on Makena Alanui, you make a right on Honoiki Street, then a left onto Makena Road,
and a public parking lot is across from Keawala'i Church. For the south entrance, contin-
ue on Makena Alanui until you pass the entrance for the Makena Beach and Golf Resort,
continue past the turnoff for the golf and tennis club. As the road bends around to the right,
you'll see another sign for Makena Road on your right. Make a right, and follow it all the
way to the parking area.
MM
Makena State Park
Makena isn't short on shore. Despite the number of sandy getaways, however, one beach
in particular will forever define the rugged beauty carefree spirit of Makena:
Big Beach,
also known by its Hawaiian name, Oneloa. If locals tells their friends they're going to
“Makena,” they mean this largest of the two beaches within Makena State Park.
In the early 1970s, Makena State Park was an internationally famous hippie commune
where hundreds of draft-dodgers, nudists, and societal dropouts gathered in a grove tucked
back in the kiawe trees. Drugs were rampant, nudity was the norm, and a growing com-
munity of sun-seeking hippies lived out an existence that defined free love. The more con-
servative South Maui community didn't take kindly to the “freeloaders” squatting in the
bushes, and Big Beach was the site of some heated social tensions.
Although Big Beach visitors have since put their pants on, the same can't be said for
neighboring
Little Beach
(
www.littlebeachmaui.com
)
. A short 30-foot walk over the bluff
from the north end of Big Beach will bring you to a stretch of sand where there isn't a tan
line in sight. An anachronistic aura permeates Little Beach. The bluff that separates the
two beaches seems made not from stone, but from 40 years of compressed time; moving
from one side to the other transports you back to an era when it was hip to be free.
In addition to the undeveloped beauty, one of the biggest reasons locals visit Big Beach
is for a shorebreak unlike anywhere else on the island. This is the most popular beach on
the island for local bodyboarders. This is not the place for casual boogie boarding unless
you are a professional. During times of big surf the rip currents can be strong, so unless
it's completely flat, think twice before entering the water.
To reach Big Beach and Makena State Park, travel on Makena Alanui road for a mile
past the entrance to the Makena Beach and Golf Resort. There are three different access
points to the beach, conveniently known as First Entrance, Second Entrance, and Third En-
trance. The first two have large parking areas, but Third Entrance (0.5 mile south of First
Entrance) is just a dirt area on the side of the road. If you plan on going to Little Beach, the
