Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Known to locals as the Upper West Side (or up north), the beaches along this stretch in-
clude tropical, turquoise coves sandwiched between condos and luxurious homes. Napili
and Kapalua beaches are the most popular, but past the entrance to Kapalua, the shoreline
gets wilder and the crowds start to thin. The wind can howl in the afternoons and massive
surf crashes into the coastline October-April. Over the winter the shorebreak often grows
up to 10 feet or larger. If the surf is big on the Upper West Side, it's probably flat in La-
haina or Kihei.
Honokowai Beach Park
The farthest point south,
Honokowai Beach Park
is a narrow stretch of sand connected to
Kahekili Beach on the northern edge of Ka'anapali. While the beach here is far from being
the nicest on the island, there is a large, grassy park with a playground for small children
and a couple of shops across the street. This is a nice place to enjoy a picnic or comb the
shoreline for shells. Parking for Honokowai Beach Park is in the public lot about a half
mile down Lower Honoapi'ilani Road.
Pohaku Beach Park (S-Turns)
More of a surf break than a regular beach,
Pohaku Beach Park
still has some small
patches of sand, making it the most accessible beach in the area around Kahana. There is
a parking lot at the center of the beach park, and although there aren't any permanent re-
strooms, there are some showers and picnic tables set in the shade. On both ends of the
park are patches of sand passable for laying out a blanket, although the swimming here can
be marginal and murky. Nevertheless, this is a popular local hangout which is beautiful on
a calm day, and it's the hot spot for longboard surfing on the northwestern shore of the is-
land. To reach Pohaku Beach Park, turn at the junction of Akahele Street and Honoapi'ilani
Highway (Highway 30), and make a right on Lower Honoapi'ilani Road, driving until you
see the park on your left.
Napili Bay and Kapalua Bay
If you want to see a hot debate, ask which beach is better:
Napili Bay
or
Kapalua Bay.
The camps on each side are staunchly loyal. There are a couple of factors which distin-
