Best West Maui Beaches
Updated: Dec 30, 2018
We’re covering the beaches on the West Side of the island, so this includes Lahaina, Kaanapali, Napili, Honokowai, and Kapalua area. It’s difficult to filter down to just a few beaches worth your time on the west side but here’s the standout Gems in our opinion.
1. Kaanapali Beach (Black Rock area)
The Kaanapali Beach is 3 miles of beautiful white sand beaches with clear water and beautiful views of Lanai in the distance. Once named America’s Best Beach you can’t go wrong here. The Area in the middle of the stretch at the “Black Rock” location is a particular favorite with a protected snorkeling area and a rock you can climb to take about a 12 foot plunge into the water.
2. Napili Bay
A smaller protected cove good for snorkeling, clean sand, and clear water this is a good gem to post up on. Since its protected from the wind this can be a good spot to putt around on a standup paddle board at. There is also good boogie boarding at this beach. It can get crowded here otherwise this might be number one, so get here early and claim a spot.
3. DT Fleming Beach
Voted America’s Best Beach in 2003, I better include it on this list. This beach is located a little north of the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. This beach usually has clean sand, good boogie board waves, and plenty of space on the beach for you to spread out on. There’s also a nice view of Moloka’i for you to stare off into while you relax.
4. Kapalua Bay Beach
Kapalua Bay Beach is a pretty beach just down the road from Napili Bay. Also tucked in a cove, it is a good protected area for stand up paddle boarding and snorkeling. There is beautiful white sand, clear water and a great reef for snorkeling. We recommend this beach on our list of best beginner snorkel beaches for the easy entry, calm water, great ocean life, and easy exit. This beach also gets very crowded so expect a lot of people sitting around you on the beach.
5. Slaughterhouse Beach (Mokule'ia)
Slaughterhouse beach is one of the most overlooked but beautiful gems on the west side. This beach is wedged between 2 cliffs right before Honolua Bay. It is a pretty spot to post up at and have a beach day, snorkel on calm days, and gaze at the big shore break on big swell days. The only downsides to this beach are the limited parking and no showers, but ultimately its a gorgeous beach worth checking out for sure!
If you’re going to spend time at a beach on Maui’s West side these are your best bets at using your time and effort to the fullest.