We finally came back to Kapalua Bay Beach after a few year break due to the bad wild fire tragedy. The bay is more beautiful than ever. However, now we have two kids and they loved playing in the sand and ocean waves. Maui ocean water is warm, so everyone stays warm while in the ocean or snorkeling. We take turns watching the kids while the other parent goes snorkeling. On several days, we saw lots of fish, turtles, and eels. On one snorkeling adventure, a more experienced snorkeler pointed out to me something near the rocks. When I first looked, I didn't see any fish and the person pointed again. THEN, I saw it! It was an octopus on the rocks! It was holding on to the rock and I could see it breathing. That's the only motion you could see. I watched it for several minutes, then the octopus started moving its tentacles and moved around the rock, then swam to another rock. That was sooooo coooooool! (Thank you fellow snorkeler!) Seeing the octopus was one of the highlights of my Maui vacation. There are showers and restrooms on one entrance to Kapalua Bay, so you can rinse off before heading to your car. For parking, there is a paid lot (pay through an app on your phone, but it's expensive). You can also find street parking and walk to the beach. Hope to be back in 2027!! Xie Xie!! read more

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This is the next bay over from our stay. From here you go thru pay parking and the tunnel to a wide expanse of nice sand. We found a spot by the steps below the rental hut. Lots of sealife , resting green turtles and a couple we have never seen. 60 foot plus vis, nice clear water. Today was warmer water. No reason way. We always wear Rashguard tops anyway. Nice Morning. read more

As beaches go, this was a nice day. Water not too cold, good place to snorkel, family had a good time. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Busy, strong waves, rocky entry. Not super kid friendly for swimming in my opinion. Grown adults were getting tossed in the surf. Snorkel shack had chairs, umbrellas, and everything else you'd need for a beach day or snorkeling for rental. The parking was easy and the walk down to the beach was nice. Restrooms and showers for rinsing sand are clutch. read more

Further north along the coast of Maui sits Kapalua Bay, a beautiful bay with a nice but small beach and decent snorkeling options. The journey to the beach was a bit long as parking is a bit of a walk out and even more so if you choose not to pay for parking (we are cheap so we didn't). The walk itself is pretty and the path is nice with a wash off area included at the entrance point where there are bathrooms as well. The beach itself is on the smaller side than others so finding a spot may take an early arrival or patience as a whole. The water is clear although when we went further out the visibility was not as good as it was the days prior at Black Rock Beach. As for snorkeling specifically, the fish variety was alright and the lower visibility, although not terrible, certainly didn't grant as much fun as we had hoped. Unfortunately as mentioned before, if the snorkeling isn't good then there isn't much else going for the beach as it is a bit smaller and crowded. If we had to label it as something we would call it more of a lounging beach, a relaxing place to enjoy the view and waves. We could have just had bad luck with snorkeling that day so that's something to note as others may have had a different experience. Nevertheless, it's a beach. Go out and enjoy the waves! read more

Kapalua Beach - view - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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We found the beach when walking the Kapalua Coastal Trail and my husband was determined to come back to snorkel. The beach was packed! Definitely a busy spot. We were able to snag a spot for two on the beach. My husband found the water here to be great for snorkeling. I didn't like the amount of rocks you have to navigate entering from the beach. It's definitely a well-maintained area though. Tons of rental options if you're looking for umbrellas or ocean gear. There is parking you can pay for nearby or try and find a space on the street. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beach! - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

Great beach, but the night lights that they have installed are all glass and they have been knocked over, spilling glass everywhere. Bad news for the barefoot keiki who love this beach!!!!! Come on Montage or Kapalua Bay whoever, please, replace the night lights with something that doesn't have breakable parts, especially glass!!!!! read more

Beautiful beach which is accessible from the walking path all along the resorts! If the weather was nice, this path way is awesome as well as those beach spots are just amazing!! For swimming, snorkeling, chilling or sunbathing! All are good in this beach! Highly recommended! ;) Cheers read more

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Even though there was limited parking in the lot, there was places to park along the road, which gave us easy access to the beach with a short walk. At the beach, there was plenty of snorkeling and a bountiful of fish. Saw all different kinds of species and was also able to see a lot of anemone and two sea turtles! Would come back to this beautiful beach. Also, if you're a parent with a toddler, this beach is great. The waves are minimal and there are shallow sections that won't totally destroy them. Have fun! read more

Kapalua Beach - Kapalua beach. It's accessible through the resort with limited parking. - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

Great mellow beach! Beautiful sand. Semi secluded alcove type shape. Turtles!! Lots of fish to see whilst snorkeling. And if you do it right you can find a shady spot on the north end (which by the way is where we saw the turtles). They have paddle board rentals and outdoor shower to clean off the sea water. Very easy to walk to from the parking lot. Here's the thing... if you don't come super early, it's quite difficult to find parking in the lot. We ended up parking a block or so south of the beach lot on the main drag. read more

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Parking is limited. $29 a day! We parked across the street for $10 for 3 hours. Hubby dropped me off with the gear (chairs and umbrella & other stuff) while he went to park across the street at the tennis club. There are showers and bathrooms near the entrance of the beach path. Down the path you'll find a beautiful beach. read more

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We walked the Kapalua Bay trail which crosses flat volcanic rock. Majestic points and views. At one end we stopped by this beach. read more

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Beach is not closed great snorkel spot even when the snorkel report is not good. Went snorkeling when it was rated a 1/10 and saw turtles fish and an eel. Be safe and respect the ocean. read more

A few days ago, my party went on a snorkeling trip to lanai, ultimately the snorkeling out there didn't turn out to be very great. There didn't seem to be a large variety of fish, and the ocean that day was not very clear. So today, we thought we would find a random beach and try some more snorkeling. Boy did we pick right! Kapuloa beach was perfect. It's in a little cove so the waves aren't too crazy, allowing for snorkeling. The water was very clear, there were tons of fish, and we even saw three sea turtles! The beach itself is also quite nice. The sand itself wasn't actually sand. It was more like really thin gravel, made up of black, white, and sand colored rocks. It was beautiful Next time I come to Hawaii I'm going to skip the expensive boat trip and just come snorkeling here read more

Still love this beach 25 plus years later after getting Maui's on the point above the beach. Spent 3 of 6 days there middle of August. Still as beautiful, worth a trip or two. No sure why the closed notice...gaslighting??? read more

Kapalua beach is fantastic. So so with the snorkeling, awesome vibe. Parking is a bit of a hassle but manageable.

This beach hits several great marks. I think everyone should visit this beach at some point if you come to Maui!! -Snorkeling - decent number of fish, and my husband and I were able to see 2 sea turtles within the 20 mins we snorkeled!!! Amazing!!!! We were located in a cove, so the current was not very strong, and wind not strong either. Great conditions for snorkeling. However the water was quite cold in my opinion (we came in December), not an easy jump in the water if you know what I mean. -Beach - the beach is on the smaller side, felt a little crowded, but we were able to find a good spot on a Sunday, and we arrived around 10am. There were still lots of other spots available too. Sand is also very soft, and on the slightly damper side, so comfortable! The views were great too, with Merriman's restaurant on your left, nice palm trees to your right, and a nice modern 5 star hotel to your backside. It's a great place to relax, even if you're not into snorkeling. -Parking - they had a pretty convenient parking lot, which is $10/day, and you pay through a QR code. However, I guess Sundays are free, so take advantage of this! -Bathrooms - pretty close on site, and pretty clean considering. There was no soap in the dispenser, but I'd honestly rather have no soap than no toilet paper and liners!!! Overall beautiful beach, loved it, and you will too. read more

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This beach is wide and well maintained, and it's connected to few resorts. It's very convenient for travelers to go straight from room to beach, and the water is shallow and clear, good condition for swimming and snorkeling. read more

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My goal for Maui was to snorkel a bunch, and this was my favorite beach I found on this trip. Great variety of fish and depths, easily accessible from shore. I wouldn't call it the best family beach, for the same reason. More rock and coral than sandy. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

This was my first trip to Hawaii and I was impressed with the local beaches. There are so many beautiful places on the island of Maui, one of which is just off Kapalua. This beach has a rich marine world starting from the shore. Personally, that was a plus for me, as I'm pretty wary of the water and everything inside of it. But on Kapalua Beach, I felt at ease. The area itself looks nice and clean. They have some facilities that you can rent. It's a great addition to a good vacation! read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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One of the most beautiful beaches I've been able to experience while traveling. The sands are clean, the walk down to the beach is easy for all ages, and the view is just amazing. Be careful getting into the water as there are a lot of rocks and the tide can be strong. I would recommend this beach for anyone spending time in Maui. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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I have lots of love for Maui but this beach wasn't it for us. The cons: - the parking lot is tiny (only has 20 spots or so), always full, and everyone is circling waiting for someone to leave. you can try to find parking on the main road before the parking lot but those were all taken as well. you can park at the golf course across the street but they charge you $10 per car. if you come on a weekend or during peak hours, be prepared to add an extra 30 minutes of wasting your time looking for parking, actually parking, then walking over. - Unless you are staying in a hotel or condo nearby, it's difficult to get to. From the parking lot, you have to walk about 5-7 minutes to get to the start of the beach. Add more minutes, depending on where you want to settle down on the beach. Not convenient if you have young kids, strollers, or a ton of stuff to carry. - the beach barely has any shade so be prepared to bring your own umbrella and chairs. the sand gets hot in the sun. - there is no bathroom on the beach so make sure to pee before you head over. only a small bathroom at the entrance of the parking lot. It's a beach, nothing special. Would not return unless staying nearby. read more

One of my favorite beaches on Maui. The snorkeling here is great and you can snorkel right off the beach. There is a snorkel gear rental or you can bring your own. There are often times sea turtles here as well. I didn't see any this time around, but the last trip I took here I saw them almost immediately. The parking fills up quickly. My husband and I arrived at 8am and there was still plenty of parking, but the longer you wait the harder it will be. The beach also gets quite busy and it can be difficult to find a spot away from others especially the later you come. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

Beautiful area to swim, snorkel, and enjoy the beach in Maui. Parking is difficult but you can try the parking lot or park on the street if you get lucky. There are lots of things to see if you are snorkeling, especially fish and reefs. A great place to enjoy what you came to Maui for - sun, sand and fun! read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Such a hidden gem for snorkelers. I was so glad that the employee at Auntie Snorkel recommended this spot. The waters here are calm and protected since it is in a cove. Such a perfect spot. 20 parking spots, means less people on the beach! Not really. Everyone staying nearby and parking along the golf course tends to draw lots of people to this lovely cove. Everyone is respectful of the space since there isn't much shoreline. I brought my own equipment, but they have a tent for rentals. read more

Nice little beach with restrooms. In a cove so the waves were not bad. Many people snorkeling. Rental shark had anything you could want on the beach to rent. wonderful walking trail to "dragons tooth" read more

Kapalua Beach - Trail - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Probably my favorite of Maui's westside beaches. The sand is soft and the water is calm and family friendly. Lots of snorkeling opportunities here! The sunset views could be one of the best on the westside here. Cons: Small free parking lot for its popularity. Main road parking is available (depending on timing) or you can pay $10 in an adjacent lot for convenience. Some areas are a bit rocky at the shoreline. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

One of my favorite beaches in Maui! If you're not staying within the Kapalua Resort good luck finding parking. The small parking lot was full at 7am on a Tuesday in July.Thankfully we were able to take the shuttle to and from so we never had to fight traffic. The beach can get smaller depending on the tide and some people camp out in the grass in front of the Montage. It's very rocky so be careful getting in and out of the water. Once you're in the water it's like a whole new world. There is such much sea life under water! We saw turtles everyday for a week. Small turtles, big turtles, swimming turtles, turtles on the beach. They were everywhere. read more

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Fantastic beginner snorkeling! Lots of colorful fish and multiple sea turtle encounters. Parking isn't bad if you get there early (before 830 or so). Free parking just past the Merrimans pay parking, or can park on the street. Napili Bay is literally next door through the napili kai resort, same parking. Super easy coral to navigate. Loved the accessibility and wasn't super crowded while we were here. Public bathrooms available at the parking lot and also the access the coastal trail is there too read more

The shop, Aqualani, warrants attention from city officials or the government due to concerns about the perceived sneakiness in their profit-making strategies. The beach is beautiful, with a great atmosphere perfect for spending time with my family. We enjoyed six hours on the beach and even spotted turtles. However, at a small shop, there were individuals, possibly from nearby hotels, charging a whopping 75 dollars for an umbrella and two chairs. There were no signs or displayed prices, so be cautious as these people might take advantage of unsuspecting tourists and engage in dishonest pricing for rentals. Despite this, I did meet some wonderful people in Hawaii, but it's important to stay alert to avoid potential rip-offs read more

Kapalua Bay is one of the easier areas to snorkel on Maui IMO. If the ocean is calm (like early morning) other than a few rocks, entry is easy and the bay is protected. We almost always see turtles and an eel or two. Other than snorkeling I don't find it to be a beach I like to spend time at; too rocky. I like to walk the Kapalua trail, snorkel at Kapalua, then head on over the Napili Bay for a beach day. But for snorkeling Kapulua wins hands down. read more

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Nice place to swim A real family place lots of young family's Parking is free in some areas but there is $10 Parking as well 5 min walk too that bay read more

Kapalua Beach - The Bay to swim - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

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Kapalua beach is a nice sandy beach situated in a small tight bay, almost a cove. The waves break just out past the mouth of the bay making getting in snd out of the water pretty easy. After just a few feet of sand you are right away into reef with fish to see while snorkeling however the real treasure comes by swimming out a bit and along the right side of the bay. A virtual reef garden with even quite a bit of live coral to see and hundreds of fish. Nice visibility and pretty shallow. Had a few turtle encounters as well. This is a nice beach and an easy snorkeling spot sure to delight. There was a bit of a surge, not bad at all and not a deterrent. Parking around the beach access is not plentiful and fills up fast so plan to show up early. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

Great place to snorkel with lots of colorful fish and a few turtles! Go early in the morning, before 8am to beat the crowds. There's a small parking lot with free parking and street parking near the tennis courts. They have bathrooms, showers, and a rental booth. The right side has more fish and the far end on the right side has the best reef. read more

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In A Nutshell: -Kapalua Beach is okay due to the fact that it's very small & it can get very crowded fast. -It's highly recommended that you stake out a spot on the beach very early, like 8am or even earlier. -I enjoyed walking the trail along the water. -There are plenty of grass areas to do some HIIT workouts or burpees. -There is a small bathroom available, in addition to showers by the beach to rinse off. -Parking will be tough & you may need to pay $15 at Merriman's parking lot or the golf course parking lot across the road. Overall, this is a good place go to early in the morning to get some steps & exercise in while enjoying the beautiful view. read more

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Best placed to get "Maui'D" at Kapalua Bay... beautiful beach and views are breath taken! can't wait to go visit again! Aloha!! read more

Kapalua Beach - When we said yes to forever... - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii

Speechless! The view is spectacular and great for snorkeling to see the sea turtles. Often a beautiful rainbow over the sea. Must visit! read more

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This beach was our favorite in all of Maui. Reefs are close to the beach (you can see tons of fish and turtles) and the beach is enclosed on both sides (so there isn't many high waves). Sand was very fine and wonderful. The only downside is really parking. Highly recommended for you to come here early in the morning. read more

To be fair, I rate beaches on the five things I look for in a "perfect beach"...because let's be honest, any beach is a "good beach". 1. Parking/Walking Distance-There is a dedicated parking lot immediately after the entrance to Merriman's. The parking lot is small and it is shared by both beach-goers and trail hikers/walkers. If you wait too late into the morning, you likely won't find a spot and will have to try for somewhere on the road. It usually picks up around 10:30-11, so GET. THERE. EARLY. The walk to the beach is easy and short. Hop down a few stairs, go through the "tunnel" and there you are at the south end of the bay. (.5 point) 2. The Beach-There's a decent amount of "beach", but the area isn't very wide, which is a plus because there's not much chance of someone sitting in front of you blocking your view. But when there are 15-20 families sprawled out all over the place, the available space diminishes quickly...especially during "normal" times when the Montage has their guests chairs out as well. The sand is very soft, but does have a lot of debris (sticks, leaves, etc.) which is ultimately personal preference, but I don't particularly enjoy dodging them when walking to the water.(0 point) 3. Shoreline Entry/Exit-Because of the reef that fills most of the bay, the shoreline is typically calm and shore break isn't a problem. However, there are a lot of rocks spanning the entire area so it's best to choose to enter/exit the water where there's a sand patch. It can still be hard to get in and out safely due to the combo of soft sand and slippery rock. It's not dangerous, but not quite effortless either. (.5 point) 4. Activities-The bay offers some of the best snorkeling on the West Side. Because the reef doesn't drop off until the cove meets the ocean (which you can spot by the breaking waves), the water is typically flat. There are plenty of different types fish, some eels, always turtles...and if you're lucky, you may see one of the resident reef sharks that calls the bay "home". Enter the water on the north end and swim along the rocky edge for the best visibility. It's a safe and well protected area for swimming laps as well and, when the conditions allow for it, is an easy place to put in a SUP. (1 point) 5. Amenities-Are there restrooms and/or showers? Yep, both. Restrooms are clean and well maintained. The main shower (at the parking lot) has great pressure and is properly elevated for drainage (unlike some other area showers). There's also an additional shower at the south end of the beach if you need a quick rinse and don't want to walk up to the lot. (1 point) Overall, Kapalua Bay is a beautiful area offering great views of Moloka'i, excellent snorkeling, and clean amenities. With that said, this isn't a "beach day" beach. Between the small area of beach to sit and the abundance of people, it can be a little hectic. If you're not on the West Side, this is not the beach I would drive over for, but if you're in/near Kapalua then grab your gear, snorkel with the honu and humu's, then head next door to Napili with your chair to kick back and relax. Happy beachin'! read more

This was such a pretty beach to visit! Parking is a bit limited, so be warned. A lot of people were parking on the street. We went a bit later to catch the sunset, so I was able to get a spot on their lot as some people were already leaving. The current was pretty strong so we opted not to swim in the beach, but it was still a very pretty view! There's a hotel right by this and there's a walkway taking you to a grassy area up on top. It was super peaceful and the perfect spot to watch the sunset. read more

Kapalua Beach - Beaches Near Me - Lahaina, Hawaii