I often hijack reviews of parks to let some steam off, and this review of Kalama Park will be no different. I've found yelp and google maps to be the best canvas for getting out my pain and creative juices... alright enough yapping. Let me lock in. My family and I came to this beautiful park on Maui, as it was the location for my 100th grocery store rotisserie chicken review of the year, which also marks my semi-retirement. I'm tired of eating mid chickens, and I just want to do different things creatively, as dumb as that sounds. I know in my soul it's time to move on. As I got in the white mini van my Dad was driving to head to Foodland, my navy Banana Republic suit clinging to my body in the island humidity, I was ready to be hit with a wave of emotion. But it just didn't come. It felt like any other day at the office. Business trip. I stepped into Foodland, picked the bird up, and got back into the mini van to head to the park just down the road. Setting foot into Kalama Park must have been how the great Kobe Bryant felt walking into Staples Center for the last time. This was right when the emotion I was anticipating earlier began to creep into my prefrontal cortex. However, I fought it off. I just truly felt I needed to treat it like any other day. I'll celebrate after. Rest at the end not in the middle. I crouched on a little stoop maybe 8 feet from the water, set the tripod up, and got to work. Once I finished the review, I ran straight into the ocean and popped a bottle of Veuve my parents had bought for the occasion. I'm always hesitant to celebrate small wins, as the quote "if you sleep on a win you'll wake up with a loss" rings through my head, but this felt like something that must be celebrated. 100 of them things. Self pride is something I rarely feel. I'm my own worst critic, and I don't mean that in a cute, performative way. I mean it in a vicious, nasty way. If someone talked to me how I talk to myself, I'd have no choice but to put hands on them. It might sound a bit cocky or egotistical but when you know what you're capable of, it's hard to settle for anything less than a fully reached potential. Idk. I struggle with it everyday. All this to say, as dumb as this following sentence sounds, I am proud of this grocery store rotisserie chicken journey. Truly proud of myself. I legitimately cannot remember the last time I felt like this about something I did, and my God it feels GOOD. I created something from scratch, saw it through to the end, and made the best decisions I could at the time it was to make them. Success is in the effort, and I gave this everything I had. So yeah, I sit on this balcony in Hawaii, enjoying the hell out of this 3rd glass of Veuve Cliquot and 6mg Wintergreen Zyn. I have no idea what's next. Maybe it's all downhill from here. Maybe I peaked and will fade into obscurity, but god what a fun peak it was. I enjoyed every second of it. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo read more

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Such a great time biking around Kīhei beach . We rested in Kalama Park. The park is clean , walkway for outdoor stroll with amazing views of mountains, beach , trees and courteous locals. read more

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Beautiful park, lots of free parking by s Kihei road(but dont leave anything of value in your car while parked there). Has a skating rink that is used alot and a fun skateboard park. Huge baseball field and basketball courts that are used quite a bit. Lots of play equipment and covered tables to eat at. Park seems to have quite a few homeless around it so just be careful of your surroundings. read more

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This beach is equipped with a nice path with parks along the way and lovely places to swim. However, the surrounding homeless people and teens smoking weed really make this seem like a low-class area. I love beaches and of course it's beautiful but the environment seemed unsafe. It also took a while to find an open and unlocked bathroom. When I did, there was no soap sadly so bring sanitizer! I personally would opt for another beach if you're planning to bum it out on the sand for a while. read more

I mean is there such a thing as a bad beach? This was not our favorite. The parking lot is about 150 yards from the beach entrance by a narrow sidewalk. The entrance into the water is inconsistent with lava rocks below that you can't seed j saw at least two people lose their footing and get washed in by the waves and one person injured on a rock. They do have bathrooms and showers back at the parking lot. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beach - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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What a perfect place to bring my fresh poké to. We stopped at Tamura's for some fresh ahi bowls and sat at this park to watch the waves and the turtles as we ate. The shade from the trees was really nice and the benches right along the water were perfect for turtle watching. Such a cool and chill lunch time break. read more

Nice park with plenty of parking and bench. They teach and rent out surf boards. Nice walk along the beach read more

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An enormous park with multiple tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields, and baseball diamonds, also including a public restroom. Great for families, picnics, and dog-walking. There's also a paved road for scooters, skateboarders, bikes, and general jogging and walking that overlooks the ocean beside a row of flat rocks to sit or stand on. It's absolutely perfect for stunning sunset pictures, fishing, or simply gazing out into the water. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Sunset - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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It's across from the Kalama village with are a bunch of markets in a parking lot. The beach by here is mostly rocks. It's dark and not so conducive for a night walk much. Commemorative mosaic on the bathroom building at the park. read more

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Kalama Beach Park is the crown jewel of South Maui. Located in the middle of Kihei, this park has something for everybody. Are you into team sports? There are basketball and tennis courts, baseball, softball and soccer fields and sand volleyball courts. The skate park is currently closed; looks like the halfpipe is under repair. Keep your skateboard ready for it to re-open. There is a skating rink nearby, too. I'm looking forward to the return of roller derby! Would you like to try surfing or stand-up paddle board? Shallow water and gentle waves are great for newbies to learn. There's several companies in the parking lot or across the street that will rent boards and provide instructors. Showers are also available, to rinse off afterwards. Prefer to meet family & friends for picnicking? There are 2 huge pavilions for big or small gatherings. Large, open areas are (or were) often used for festivals and concerts. Can't wait for events like the Whale Festival to return. A gazebo is useful for smaller performances. I've enjoyed seeing Hulu girls practice there. The kids can enjoy a terrific playground with a great assortment of equipment to keep them happy. An impressive cover was recently added to provide shade, so nobody gets overheated. There's lots of parking available in 2 lots and restrooms are located in the park, too. Did I leave anything out? I guess I should add that Kalama Beach Park is also a great walking or biking destination just to chill out. read more

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I realized that my very short trip is coming to close and I haven't even seen a sunset yet. We very quickly tried to rectify that by turning the wheel towards any beach and we drove parallel to the coast until we could find an easy spot to pull over, park and watch the sunset. KALAMA BEACH PARK was super easy! The entrance is right there on the street and opens up directly into the super large and free parking lot which is only steps away from the beach. We knew we picked a winner when, as it got closer to sunset, the beach got more and more people until it looked like a scene from "City of Angels". read more

Very convenient Surf Shop across the street from this park. It was fun to watch the Surfers as well as all of the pickup volleyball going on from early morning. Relaxing park with easy access. Also a great spot to watch the sunset in the winter time! read more

Great for both morning and sunset walks. Beautiful views. Skate park, skating rink, playground, sports field, fishing, water activities. Lots of parking. There is not really a beach front if you're looking to lay in the sand, more so a spot to hang out and do activities. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Sunset - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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We stopped by here in the evening just after sunset. It's an active park with a small beach, kid's playground, sand volleyball courts, and a nice walking trail to take in the scenery read more

Stay away from here on the weekends. ZERO parking and a MESS with tourists and transients. If not for the parking and traffic, it's a pretty cool park by the beach. There are bathrooms, a skate park, a playground area for the kids and then the beach. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Great place to watch sunset. No actual beach. There are some benches along the water and usually not too crowded. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Sunset. No beach, just huge rocks. - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Always worth a visit at sunset. Worth a stroll m across the street afterwards for a drink or bite to eat. Benches and grassy areas are a plenty read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Clean, spacious park with great views of the water. Plenty for kids to do here, including a playground and swings. The playground had a springy rubber surface which is great for children to run around on. They also have a large gazebo, skate park, and restroom facilities. Plenty of sunshine and shade. Tons of little crabs scurrying on the lava rocks along the path and ocean spray from breaking waves to keep you cool. Spotty WiFi and a few questionable encampments on the edge of the park though. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

Pros: Fishing spikes along the rock walls for dunking, a walkable path for bikes and dog walking, benches and some trees to lay down a picnic blanket. No parking issue the couple of times I visited. The homeless groups were kind but generally kept to themselves. One person was kind enough to point me towards the public restrooms. Too bad it was closed. Cons: Smells of urine by one of the benches, with the smell becoming more potent as the sun rays hit through the day. Didn't find any open restrooms so I chose to leave instead of spending more time at the park. Trash cans were filled to the brim and overflowing. I was able to talk story with an uncle about the fishing scene after he saw my group come up short. My group came too late in the day so Uncle suggested better times for us to try in the future. It's always a nice opportunity to make friendly connections over fishing! read more

Nice. Sports facilities and right next to the beach. Then cross the street and there's food and drink. Paradise revisited

We visited this park almost every day on our 10 day trip. Awesome park with lots of different activities, tons of similar aged local children to play with, and a canopy covering the park with that soft ground material in case the kids fall. You should definitely take your kids here if you're looking for something safe for them to do. read more

If you want to go to the beach, you're probably looking to lay out on sand. Here that isn't really an option. There is a little part down the way, but it's a small strip of beach. As another reviewer earlier said, there are a lot of bums and drunks. With that said there were a lot of families both local and tourist. I would be fine taking kids there, just keep an eye on them and your possessions. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Grass to lay out on. - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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This large, clean and safe park is close to our Air B&B. With its nice grass area and lots of swings and slices, it is the perfect place to let kids enjoy. Kihei besides the beaches. Parking is easy and the restrooms are clean. There is a skate park. If you time your visit right, it's a great place to watch a beautiful sunset. read more

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This is a great multi-use park in the center of the busy area of town. A great place for a walk, for watching the waves, surfers and sunset, for the kids to play, to stretch out on the grass, or to play some sports. Nice and clean, and it feels very safe. People tend to chat with strangers here and it feels like it happens naturally by design of a well curated park. Kudos. read more

Kalama Park is more of an oceanfront park rather than a true beach. About 95% of the park has no sandy beach and is lined with boulders instead. Great for fishing, not for swimming. It's a spacious area that stretches for about 4 blocks and sports lighted tennis & basketball courts and ball fields, an outdoor skating rink, a skateboard park, playground, covered pavilions, restrooms, showers, and an oceanfront jogging sidewalk from end to end. There are lots of areas to picnic and still have a little privacy. Parking is paved and adequate. A ton of restaurants, markets and shops are just across the street. Patrons can be a little shady especially in the pavilions. Cleanliness is not the greatest. read more

* No lifeguards * Restrooms * Telephones * Picnic tables and pavilions * Showers * BBQ grills * Grassy area * Rocky shoreline * Sports areas for volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer and tennis There is street parking and it is across the street from restaurants aand shops in Kalama Village. When we were there if you take a good look at the pictures winds were up pretty high and there was a sand storm.This area feels less Hawaiian than other areas and beaches on Maui. Most of the employees of the hotels that we met from the mainland who now lived on Maui live in Kihei. There are many restaurants in the area right across the street from the beaches. It is a little honky tonk.Think Sea Side Heights on the Jersey shore. That's my take on it. Still for some bargains on souvenirs and inexpensive dining, it's a fun area to check out and the beaches are public and free. read more

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Stellar people watching. You will see it all here. Fun to watch the new surfers and SUP students. Great walking path and picnic areas. Parking a plenty and sunsets are remarkable. It is not swim friendly. I have taken a dip in sheer desperation whilst at a festival, but I recommend going south for a full on beach day. read more

Great spot on Maui to take the kids to play. The playground was great, lots of play structures, lots of space to run around. A TON of grassy area to just run, trees to climb, etc. Small, free parking lot, but I never had trouble finding a space. Close to the water, but no real beach from what I saw, more like a sea wall. There are quite a few picnic talbes under a shade structure thing, which was nice also. Shady spot to sit while the kids run and play. There was also a skate park that we didn't utilize, but cool that it was there. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

31 Yelps Review Challenge: 16/31 This park is one of those places that make you feel right at home. Thanks to our hotel's complimentary bike rentals-we were able to not only eat breakfast here, but also came back and biked around for about an hour. During that time, we were able to watch part of a baseball game, dip our toes into the water (careful, those waves are high), and watch a cute little boy play in the water with his mom. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Great playground, skate park, two small beaches, volley ball courts, and room to roam for the kiddos. Play groups a few days a week for the 1-4 age groups, and free skate nights at the roller rink. Great family friendly park. The reason I give it three stars is two fold. One is the overall dirtiness of the park. Sadly many people leave to go containers, blankets, food, bottles, cans, caps, broken glass, and more laying around. This can be tough with younger kids who like to pick everything up and play or taste it. There are groups of moms working to improve and clean up the park, but only so much we can do. Reason two is the homeless population. Whom I do feel for, and wish they had a place to go. But it is tough when a drink/high person yells at us for being too loud. At 8 a.m., in a public park, in a play ground, scaring my son. Or camping out in the bushes, which also scared my young son. (When they suddenly come out looking haggard and moaning, not the general sleeping part) read more

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Great place to watch a sunset and walk your dog. Lot of fun stuff to do with the family

My son is just learning to walk and this playground was a great place to get his wiggles out a few times for the week we were here. That being said, there's a fair amount of people who live here and/or deal drugs here and my MIL who is a little weary to this type of activity did not feel safe. We are from the Bay Area so I'm fairly used to seeing crackheads screaming at each other (someone broke the pipe, dang), but you know, keep an eye on your things and your child if you come here. read more

Not a snorkeling area. I just wanted to work on my tan quickly and take a quick dip before drying off at the condo (it's walking distance). I laughed at a Canadian family saying they saw a tire in there and lots of rocks. I cannot imagine planning a trip just go come out to this beach unless someone in your party is getting a surf lesson or wants to use the skate ramp. The park itself is cool in that there is a skate ramp, a playground, BBQ grills, and areas for sports. If you are there for the beach itself why? According to my Maui Revealed book most of the beaches starting at Cove Park going north (in South Maui anyway) are dirty hence the tires. I guess what is cool about this area is the location. You can grab something to eat across the street and eat it here. read more

Dirty, dirty, dirty, especially after the tsunami I've heard. I came back from the park w/ my kids with red Maui dirt all over the back my shorts. However, the variety of activities offered at the park (skateboard park, bbqs, playground, tennis/volleyball/basketball courts, lots of open space) & the long walking path along the water redeem the filthiness. And, when you're all tired & sweaty from all that you can hop across the street to Local Boy for a nice, cool shave ice. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Paved long trail along the ocean with beautiful views. Huge playground. Many tables, benches, and trash cans. Very clean. read more

Kalama Beach Park - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Such a Awesome experience!!! Wow a skating rink on the ocean !!! The views are RIDICULOUS!!! and it's just a really good time with the family and a good way to enjoy some memories with the family well staying in Maui. read more

Kalama Beach Park - RAINBOW SKYS!!! - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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This is nice beach park to walk through. They also have a roller rink where they play inline hockey! Crazy! Didn't think that Hawaii would have that. There is a several baseball fields as well. There isn't actually a sandy beach it's all rocky and a nice place to sit or fish. Some parkours have taken this spot to practice their skills in their floppy weird looking pants. read more

Really clean beach. Perfect for a picnic, surfing, walking and running. It has a playground for the kiddies to run around. A lot of shaded trees for you to take a nap under. Good parking as well. Across from the park, there's many shops and good places to eat! Definitely come to this park if you want some relaxation, getting some thinking done, a little fitness, or just talk stories with your friends and family! Any day is beautiful here! read more

Kalama Beach Park - Hawaiian Style Surf in action - Beaches Near Me - Kihei, Hawaii

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Excellent playground for the kids and shady tables for the family. Not too crowded. We had a great Sunday afternoon picnic. Bathrooms nearby were very clean. read more

Nice park across the street from Kihei Cafe. There is a soccer field, baseball, skate park, beachfront, volleyball and restrooms. The big Kahuna truck was in the parking lot providing surf lessons, for a fee. The Maui beach boys truck was also there providing rentals. read more