Best Things to do around Wailea, Maui
The most grand hotels in Maui were not built in the Wailea area for no reason. Many of the most beautiful beaches and ocean views can be found in this area. Wailea is located on the south end of Kihei or the southern most end of the stretch of south east Maui.
If you’re staying in one of the hotels in Wailea you already have some beautiful beaches right outside of your hotel room. The Grand Wailea, The Andaz, The Fairmont Kae Lani, and The Four Seasons all have great beaches for snorkeling, SUPing, boogie boarding, and canoeing. Do the water activities in the morning while the ocean is as still as a lake, after 10am the wind starts to come in and makes the water choppy.
If you aren’t staying at these hotels, theres plenty of ocean access parking and trails to these beaches. These beaches are called the Polo Beach Park, Wailea Beach, Ulua Beach Park, and Mokapu Beach Park.
Aside from hanging out at the crowded hotel beaches, here’s a list of some of the best things to do around this area.
1. Big Beach and Little Beach (Makena State Park) (Hiking, Snorkeling, Beaching)
Regarded as one of Maui’s top gems, Big beach lives up to its name as a true spectacle to be witnessed. The 3,300 feet long stretch of golden sand is a great place to lay out and enjoy the view. The water here can be dangerous as the waves break directly onshore, so its not the best place for the unexperienced to be boogie boarding or snorkeling. Over the hill on the north end of the beach you can check out a beautiful beach named little beach, be prepared to see nude patrons at this beach however, but if you can keep your head up its a beautiful beach to check out and theres some fun hiking in this area.
2. Lava Fields, La Perouse Bay, and the King’s Trail (Hiking, Snorkeling)
If you drive all the way south down the main Makena Road you’ll hit the Lava Fields, La Perouse Bay, and the King’s Trail. Here you’ll see spectacular views of the most recent Lava flow in Maui back in 1790 as you walk the King’s trail at the end of the drivable road. There’s also great snorkeling anywhere in this area since there’s not much sand and the water is usually pristine with plenty of ocean life including dolphins if you get lucky.
3. Makena Landing (Snorkeling, Scuba Diving)
If you waited too late in the day to snorkel and didn’t beat the wind there’s still hope for you. Makena landing has a small bay protected from the trade winds. Here you can snorkel or scuba dive along the north end of the bay and see many turtles, tropical fish, and coral. If its calm enough you can swim around the north corner and find some amazing coral fields and underwater lava formations, this is definitely one of the most popular snorkel and dive spots around.
4. Wailea Beach Path (Hiking)
The Wailea Beach path runs north from The Andaz all the way down south to the Fairmont Kea Lani. It is a paved path with amazing views of the beaches and coves along this coastline. This is a great morning or afternoon stroll activity. If you aren’t staying in one of these hotels you can enter from one of the beach access parking lots just as mentioned above.
5. The Shops at Wailea (Shopping, Dining)
If the outdoor activities aren’t your thing hopefully the Shops at Wailea can keep you occupied. There’s plenty of everything you’d expect to find at a mall in this Waikiki Style shopping plaza. Some of the best Restaurants in the mall are Cheeseburger Gille and Taproom and Longhis Italian Seafood.
That covers all the best things to do around Wailea aside from lounging at your hotel pool or in the spas. If you need assistance snorkeling, guiding, or hiking around be sure to rent a guide with Trek Maui, Mahalo.