Slaughterhouse Beach

Other Names for This Beach

Every Hawaiian beach name tells a story, and this one is no exception — though it is not the story you might expect from such a beautiful place. A cattle slaughterhouse once operated on the hillside above this bay during the ranching era of Maui's history. The facility is long gone, demolished decades ago, but the name stuck in local usage and eventually found its way into guidebooks and maps.

The official Hawaiian name, Mokuleʻia, paints a very different picture. It translates roughly to "district of abundance" — fitting for a bay that teems with marine life and sits along one of Maui's most scenic coastlines.

The bay is located just past Kapalua on Maui's northwest coast, accessible via a steep concrete staircase from the highway. It sits along the Kapalua Coastal Trail, which connects D.T. Fleming Beach Park to Mokuleʻia Bay. Both Honolua Bay (famous for surfing) and Mokuleʻia Bay are part of a Marine Life Conservation District, meaning no fishing or coral collection is allowed.

Mokuleʻia Bay has generally good water quality with low bacteria risk. The northwest Maui coast is drier than the east side, and there are no major stream mouths feeding into the bay. The Marine Life Conservation District status means the area receives some additional environmental oversight.

The bay is well-suited for snorkeling during calm conditions, with the protected Marine Life Conservation District supporting healthy coral and fish populations. During winter months, north swells can create significant surf and strong currents in the bay. There are no lifeguards.