Data-driven beach plan with water quality checks
| Duration | 3 day |
| Island | Maui |
| Beaches | 4 beaches covered |
| Best For | All experience levels |
Start with West Maui’s premier resort beach. Three miles of sand with excellent swimming and snorkeling at Black Rock (north end). Sea turtles cruise the lava wall, and visibility can exceed 50 feet on calm mornings. The beach walk connects all the resorts, and Whalers Village has shopping and dining. Plan to snorkel early and explore Lahaina town in the afternoon.
Drive 45 minutes to South Maui for a different coastline. Start at Wailea Beach (calm, sheltered), then walk the Wailea Beach Path south to Polo Beach (quieter) and north to Ulua Beach (reef snorkeling at the rocky point). This coast is drier and sunnier than Kaʻanapali. Continue south to Makena (Big Beach) for a stunning half-mile stretch of golden sand — but be cautious of the powerful shore break there.
Use your third day for exploration. In summer, drive to Kapalua Bay or Napili Bay for calm snorkeling among turtles (30 min from Kaʻanapali). In winter, these bays stay calmer when the west coast has surf. For adventure, the Road to Hana has Hamoa Beach (powerful surf, for strong swimmers only) and numerous waterfall stops. Note: the full Hana drive takes all day (each way is 2.5 hours with stops).
Water quality note: Check Kaʻanapali, Wailea, and Kapalua Bay pages for conditions. South Maui is driest; north coast can be impacted by rain runoff.
| Kaʻanapali to Wailea | 45 min via HI-30 through Maʻalaea |
| Kaʻanapali to Kapalua | 15 min north on Lower Honoapiilani Rd |
| Kaʻanapali to Hana | 2.5–3 hours each way. Leave by 7 AM. Not recommended as a day trip unless you plan to stay in Hana overnight |
| Best schedule | Day 1: Kaʻanapali AM, Lahaina PM. Day 2: Wailea/Makena all day. Day 3: Kapalua/Napili or Hana adventure |
| From airport (OGG) | 50 min to Kaʻanapali, 30 min to Wailea, 2+ hours to Hana |
After heavy rain, wait at least 72 hours before entering the ocean. Check each beach’s water quality page for live advisory status.
5-7 days to see west and south Maui plus Road to Hana
Start in West Maui (Kaʻanapali/Kapalua), then South Maui (Wailea/Makena), save Road to Hana for a full day
Rain alternatives on Maui: Maui Ocean Center, Lahaina shops, Iao Valley (rain makes the waterfall better), upcountry farms. Also check our brown water advisory guide — avoid the ocean for 72 hours after heavy rain.
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Free alerts when advisories change at your beach.
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
Safe to Swim Hawaii is an independent passion project — it is not affiliated with the Hawaii Department of Health, any entity mentioned on this page, or any government agency or hotel brand. Water quality ratings on this site are estimates based on publicly available testing data and geographic analysis. They are not real-time measurements and may not reflect current conditions.
Always verify current water quality conditions with the Hawaii Department of Health Clean Water Branch before entering the water. This site is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole basis for any swimming decisions.
This site does not recommend or advise anyone to swim at any beach. We share government data and geographic analysis so you can make your own informed decisions. By using this site you accept full responsibility for your own safety. See our Terms of Use for full details.
When in doubt, donʻt go out. 🤙