I’ve written about the best beaches on Maui here, but if you’re staying in West Maui and looking for the best places to wile away the days on that part of the island, this post is for you!

Best Beaches in West Maui

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Ironwoods

Ironwoods Beach, also known as Oneloa Beach, is a hidden gem tucked away in the Kapalua resort area.

This beach usually gets overlooked in favor of nearby Kapalua Beach and Napili Beach, but it’s worth the effort to come here. Ironwoods is a dramatic, wild beach with golden sand framed by rugged cliffs surrounded by lush greenery.

This beach’s secluded, unspoiled experience is due mostly to the fact that there’s very little parking here. There’s a small lot with about 15 spaces on Lower Honoapiilani Road and Kapalua Pl.

But other than that, access is limited to people staying at the condos and houses within walking distance and people passing through on the Kapalua Coastal Trail.

Kapalua Beach

Awarded “America’s Best Beach” in 2018, Kapalua Beach is definitely one of Maui’s treasures.

It’s a bay so the snorkeling is decent (two reefs protect the bay) and the conditions are usually perfect for paddleboarding.

There’s a gear rental stand at the far end of the beach that will hook you up.

During whale season, it’s not uncommon to spot whales breeching in the distance in the channel between Maui and Molokai.

This is also the start of the Kapalua Coastal Trail which is one of my favorite hikes on Maui. Start at Kapalua Beach and walk north all the way to DT Fleming Beach.

There’s a parking lot at Kapalua Beach but it’s not very big and fill up fast so unless you get there early, you’ll end up having to park on the street and walk or pay to park at the tennis club. Kapalua has restrooms and outdoor showers.

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Napili Beach

One of Maui’s most popular beaches, Napili Beach is a picturesque little protected bay with great snorkeling (it’s a sea turtle hang out) and tide pools for exploring during low tide.

The crescent shaped beach slopes down to the calm turquoise waters, making it an excellent swimming beach.

The downside to Napili is that it can feel a little crowded with all the guests from the condos and small hotels that are built up around it, and there’s not much public parking. The best parking option is actually the Kapalua Beach parking lot. It’s a pretty short walk from there.

I like to get to Napili Bay early to have breakfast at the Gazebo or Seahouse and then walk on the beach, but if I’m setting up for a full beach day, I usually go to Kapalua.

Ka’anapali Beach

Kaanapali Beach is Maui’s most iconic beach. Stretching for about three miles, the beach is known for its golden sand, clear turquoise waters, and stunning views of the neighboring islands of Lanai and Molokai.

Kaanapali is a great blend of natural beauty and resort amenities. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, from snorkeling and whale watching to parasailing and simply lounging under the sun.

The beach is also home to the famous Black Rock, a popular spot for cliff diving and snorkeling.

Ka’anapali has a pretty strong shore break (the waves break shallow right on the sand) so be careful when entering and exiting the water.

There is some free parking for beach access in some of the resort parking garages, but it’s limited and first come first serve. I usually try for a spot in the Sheraton’s parking garage (it has its own entrance off the main street – it’s not where you enter the paid garage). There are about 20 parking spots in that garage and I like it best because it’s closest to Black Rock. The Marriott Maui Ocean Club has 30 or so spots and the Hyatt Regency has about 70, but it’s at the opposite end of the beach so it’s quite a walk.

You can also pay to park at Whalers Village or the Sheraton (and they’ll validate parking to a point with a purchase).

Launiupoko Beach

Located south of Lahaina, Launiupoko is more of a local’s beach mostly because it’s a great surf spot. There’s a decent parking lot but on busy days you may have to park across the street. The facilities here are good (showers, bathrooms, picnic tables, etc.) and there’s a protected little cove that’s a perfect place for the kids to play.

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Olowalu Beach

You’ll find Olowalu right across from Leoda’s Pie Shop (south of Lahaina), but this whole stretch has great beaches that you can see right from the road. The snorkeling is amazing in this area but you won’t find many amenities. You can pull your car right up to the beach though which is convenient and you’ll have the beautiful West Maui Mountains directly behind you.

DT Fleming Beach

DT Fleming is a favorite beach with both locals and visitors because of its golden sand, dramatic coastal views, and big waves. The beach is lined with shade trees, and there’s plenty of parking and good facilities so it’s an attractive option over some of the other more crowded beaches in the area like Napili and Kapalua.

DT Fleming Beach is also the northern end of the Kapalua Coastal Trail and it’s often easier to park here than at Kapalua.

Also, if you’re looking for a lunch spot with a view, stop by the Burger Shack at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. It overlooks DT Fleming Beach and they have great milk shakes!

P.S. One of the reasons I’m able to travel to Hawaii so often is because I get free flights with my Southwest credit card AND I can fly someone with me for free with my Companion Pass.

I have this Southwest Premier Rapid Rewards Visa card through Chase. The current sign up offer is 50,000 points. Depending on where you live and fly from, that’s at least one completely FREE ticket to Hawaii and it could be two depending on the time of year (or more if you catch a crazy sale).

But the real pro travel hack is getting the Southwest Companion Pass.

If you acquire a certain amount of annual points with Southwest (either through flying or credit card spend), you get a companion pass where you can bring someone with you on every flight you take FOR FREE for the entire year. I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I save using this every year.

What makes this doable is that the sign up bonuses from Southwest credit cards goes towards the point requirement.

By far the quickest way to qualify for the companion pass is by signing up for a personal AND business card through Southwest.

**Besides being a business owner, if you’re self-employed, a freelancer or contractor, a gig economy worker, if you own rental properties, etc…you qualify for a business card.

And you’ll be most of the way towards qualifying for a Companion Pass PLUS you’ll have 110K points to book flights to Hawaii. That’s enough points to book 3-4 flights to Hawaii! AND you can take someone with you for FREE.

P.P.S. Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…

You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!

Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii and a lot of state and national parks have instituted reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to help manage the crowds and make things a little more sustainable.

That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.

I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )

But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.
Get that info >> HERE