Ka'anapali Beach Reviews

4.5


Reviews

Great beach, snorkeling gem

By ocInvestor2 |

Beautiful beach that ends at black rock, a great snorkeling spot. No public restrooms, but there are some at whalers village. You can also score free beach access parking at most of the resorts, but spots are limited.

Wonderful, full of renowned chain hotels šŸ‘

By ClƔudio D |

Long beach for walking, spectacular sea for swimming and with several pleasant restaurants in Beira Mar, including a MALL

Average and Accessible Beach

By FloatingRock |

It was a good beach with convenient access to shopping and multiple hotels. The beach was not large yet not crowded. It is right next to black rock, which is a prime diving spot and from which you can see an interesting and brief sunset ceremony.

So beautiful, but dangerous

By Maria V |

Beautiful beach. Silky soft sand and calm blue water. My only issue is the coral. You need to really watch your step when swimming. Unfortunately, i stepped on one, and my foot still hasn’t completely healed yet. I mean, i went there 9 months ago! Other than that, very nice.

Beautiful Beach

By Bill K |

This beach is very well-maintained and not too crowded. The sand gets very hot so make sure that you take sandals. Snorkeling is available in a small cove next to the black rock cliffs.

Nice, sandy beach conventent to resorts.

By 65oski |

Lots of room, some shady spots unter the trees. No surf to speak of, pretty good snorkeling. Drop off at shorebreak is steep, keep an eye on the kids.

Breathtaking beach

By Tim R |

Surfed, swam, walked and watched whales from the beach. Beautiful and very well maintained. Great effort by everyone to keep this beach clean and free of litter.

Beautiful

By TravelingAnnK |

Probably one of the best beaches in the United States. Beautiful views from the beach. The reason we came to Maui was to see the beaches. The snorkeling was great too.

First time

By 12tonyeh |

Not crowded, fantastic sunset views. Snorkelling was a lot of fun and even got to see a turtle up close!

Beautiful Beach

By Georgia C |

Plenty of room for everyone in February. Rented chairs and umbrella from Ka"anapali Beach Hotel. Took sunset cruise off beach to see whales with SeaMaui.

It a Very Popular long skinny beach.

By Robert P N |

Its a great beach and offers very nice sunsets. Just be aware it will be crowded. Best to rent a beach cabana and camp out. There are a ton of adventures you can sign up for and pay on the spot. have fun Aloha

Manicured beach fun week plus trip here

By jpuchar |

Pure sand and waves perfect for families. It felt like the beach had been combed. It was just perfect. We stayed a hundred yards off the beach and we were there every day. We saw Turtles most days. Waves were great to ride and boogie board. Chairs and some trees provide some sun relief. Loved staying here.

Beautiful Beach with Something for Everyone

By Alice C |

Ka'anapali Beach is a gem! The soft sand and clear water are perfect for swimming, snorkeling, or relaxing. It’s spacious, well-maintained, and the sunsets are breathtaking. With nearby resorts and restaurants, it’s easy to spend the whole day here. A must-visit in Maui!

Kaanapali Walking Path

By Christi S |

This review is written from a night trip along the trail that runs in front of the hotels. Kaanapali Walking path
The path is nice and well kept. However, at night it is dark and you should take a flashlight. Also, there is a colony of cats along the hedges. There are lots of cats and they are not afraid of humans. We used the trail at night to walk along the resorts.

Escape to paradise

By Deborah P |

Beautiful beach with stunning sunsets, whale watching in the winter and plentiful beach bars with live music. Food and beverages are a bit more speedy but that is the price of paradise

Very nice Beach in a highly developed part of the island

By Raffa |

The beach itself is very nice, perfectly fine sand, with the Black Rock lava formation on one side and various resorts in the back. You can walk to Whalers Village for dining and shopping, again an ice cream and come back to the beach.
The water was very warm and inviting, but it gets deep very quickly, so not great for little kids. little snorkeling or wildlife compared to other beaches in Hawaii

Beautiful Beach!

By Grands13 |

Loved this perfect view and great Sunset! You don’t need to pay for this beach and the beautiful beach views are priceless!

Boardwalk

By Sharyn M |

We always look forward to a boardwalk along the beach. Love the fact all the beaches in Hawaii are public so you can bring a blanket or chair and enjoy the view anywhere!

Relax and enjoy

By jldavis65 |

Lovely beach in late May / early June. We stayed at the Royal Lahaina Resort so access was easy. Not crowded at all. It was fun watching the efoilers on the water. Water was clear and plenty of beach to enjoy.

Clear water but rough terrain

By foote410 |

Beach was beautiful! Water was very clear but the terrain under the water is rough! Great for snorkeling but make sure you bring water shoes or something! Tons of fish, sea turtles, and sea urchins!

One of the best beaches in America

By Deb W |

This is a great beach. Other than a section that was washed out during a big storm in Sept there is a fantastic walkway that goes for miles. This area is beautiful. Many restaurants and shops as well.

Beautiful beach

By Yuly S |

Excellent, quiet beach. Sunset it’s beautiful to look at, waters are calm and transparent. Definitely a beautiful beach to relax.

Great beach but careful around the rocks

By rcfromkc |

The beach is great and they're trying to restore and preserve it in various ways, some more successful than others. We saw some erosion while there and less than effective ways some areas tried to stop that. I'd recommend water shoes as the rock is sharp and combined with big waves can lead to some injuries. Kids and adults alike will love it though and it was one of the better beaches we visited for swimming and lounging.

Amazing Beaches!

By V R |

Amazing beaches!! No sun before 9am, which is good for those who are sun sensitive! you can walk about one hour and a half on the beach. There is a boardwalk as well for those who run.

Best beach in this area

By Nancy R |

Best beach we found during our stay in Maui. Lots of sand, few rocks and clear water. Lots of beach to walk. Not a lot of people so wasn’t crowded. People were surfing, swimming and snorkeling. Wish we had had our snorkels with us during this trip! Facilities (just bathrooms) and place to wash off.

georgeous

By mauriciotorey |

this is definitely one of the most beautiful beaches in Maui, near the Alli resort, Marriott and Westin. clean

Nice beaches, reasonably calm waters when wind is usually easterly.

By Wilton W |

We were there while there were westerly winds during the first part of our stay. That created waves, and a current flowing southeast along the shore, making it problematic to simply float in the water in an air tube without blowing down the shore.

Great beach - bring snorkel gear

By Aaron W |

It’s a great beach. Lots of sand and awesome sunsets- however this is a snorkeling beach. Lots and lots of coral reef- it’s not a place for boogie boards - etc.

Calm, great snorkeling, less people

By Kelly T |

Our Hotel was just steps away. Could always find a spot. If you walk down to middle you will see where all the snorkelers are and jump right in middle of it. FYI, sand is thick and gets everywhere not powder like. Just be prepared. Loved it. Can watch the whales all day long right from beach.

Beautiful!

By Nancy L |

Beautiful beach, parking, grassy areas to sit. Great walking trail above the beach to see all the resorts, restaurants etc. Good facilities, restrooms are clean.

A perfect beach experience

By Shon |

We visited Ka’anapali Beach in December, the weather was perfect ( mid 80s ). We utilized several of the many free access parking areas where it was a short walk to access the beach. The sand was perfect and the beach was incredibly clean and large enough for folks to spread out giving you the feel that you had the beach to yourself at times. The water was very clear for snorkeling and checking out the many corral combinations, we swam with the sea turtles everyday. Ka’anapali beach was a daily stop for us - a must do on any trip to Maui. Remember to bring some swimming shoes or flippers as the corral can be very sharp

Great beach

By bostonfamilydoc |

This beach is rated one of the top in the US most years. It is long enough to go on a nice walk and has good areas for snorkling. If you are lucky enough you can see a seal.

Does not disapoint!

By Hannah |

Now is the time to go! Just got back from Maui and this beach was definitely a highlight of our trip :) It says 2-3 hours, but if you want to really enjoy it...4 hours is not wasted time: snorkeling along the rocks, the beach was expansive and not overly crowded (mid-beach find a palm tree to lie under - so peaceful!), the weather was near perfect, and the food was pretty tasty beachside with live Hawaiian music! Stock up on sunblock and water shoes (for the rocks if snorkeling).

As beautiful as this area is...the contrast driving there was heartbreaking as you can't miss the utter loss and damage of the recent fires. When you see it you will realize that these words are a gross understatement and the people who live and work here are amazing. The service, hospitality we received here couldn't be beat and such a beautiful place to visit!

A soft sandy beach in Maui with sunset

By LEDBO |

One of Hawaii’s most beautiful beaches with a miles-long boardwalk between the best hotels and restaurants

Steep beach with little shore.

By Jacquie P |

The beach that runs along Ka'anapali is very steep and not very wide. It makes it uncomfortable for walking as you are always on a slant. Sugar beach in Kihei is much wider, flat and way less crowed. The condos and hotels are not as luxurious as those in Ka'anapali, but if you rather have a more private experience and not spend your whole time by the crowed pool, I suggest looking at other locations on the island. Ka'anapali.

can't ask for much more

By cub74 |

beautiful beach to walk. perfect spot to watch the beginner surfers, turtles and the whales. lots of coral/rocks, so water shoes are recommended.

Very Developed but Still a Beautiful Beach with Stunning Sunsets and Great Snorkeling

By TravelingSoccerLoon |

Beautiful sandy beach along the west coast of Maui. Terrific snorkeling on the northern end of the beach near Black Rock especially if you swim into the cove just to the right of the rocks. Whales can easily be spotted right from the beach and hotels located here and not far offshore during the season. Even cooler was hearing the whale sounds underwater reverberating off Black Rock when I was snorkeling. This was surreal. Although the beach remains beautiful, it is quite developed with resort hotels and the touristy Whaler's Village shopping and dining complex. Although it is a long beach, it surprisingly isn't very wide, and it certainly gets busy during the day. Nevertheless, it is still beautiful and the sunsets here are stunning.

Not what we expected

By Chris |

The beach in Ka'anapali seems to have partially disappeared, at least there wasn't much beach left in front of some of the resorts. Further north it was much better, but not as outstanding as we expected. If this is the most beautiful beach on Maui, well, so be it.

No beach now....crowded

By David V |

Resort row. Lots of people. Beach completely washed away due to storm. Would head north to Kapalua...better beaches less people.

Beauty Beach

By Fireweed25 |

Loved Kaanapali Beach north of Black Rock. The beach was quieter and swimming and snorkelling were still good. We stayed at the Maui Eldorado so spent a few days at this beach. Without even snorkelling, saw turtles swim by every day as well as a monk seal.

The water was warm and clear and the sand soft; beach was clean. Nice views. There was enough wave action most days for body surfing or boogie boarding. It did get deep quickly and even in gentle waves they would take you out a bit so you couldn’t touch bottom. My teens were fine but keep a close eye on small children here.

Dreamy Deep Blue Sea

By Debran R |

Ka’anapali Beach is fabulous. Easy access, beautiful white sands, pristine waters with lots of sea life. It’s a must see.

How can we rate one of the most beautiful beaches a 4/5?

By MNice |

We love this beach. We were unable to get out in the water for a couple days due to high surf, but today it was gorgeous and the whales were giving a spectacular show. You can hear them talking under the water by ducking your head under the water. So why not rate this beach 100%? It’s not the water, the sand, the whales or obnoxious beach goers. It’s the Hawaiians themselves who have let half the most beautiful beaches in the world become places for vagrants to live in giant piles of trash. We left Oahu hoping to get away from this scourge which brings a sore on the landscape everywhere. It’s not as bad on Maui, but definitely the government fails to make this a concern throughout the islands. The water is beautiful, you don’t need wet shoes, the place is gorgeous; come and enjoy and try not to look behind you at the locals disrespect for the environment.

Lovely beach though a little crowded

By Julieta G |

Very nice and long beach though a bit crowded as it's in front of many hoteles. Easy to get there by bus.

Nice and clean beach!

By Dawn W |

Nice beach! Clean and not too crowded! It was better than I thought it would be! Exceeded our expectations and would recommend!

Noteworthy

By Massassin |

Can’t go wrong with this beach. It’s not too packed but note that it’s not the widest beach neither. The sand is good but not as good as Atlantic Ocean beaches

Something for everyone!

By Melissa B |

Beautiful beach that is perfect for a family with teenagers. Cliff jumping, snorkeling, beach volleyball and plenty of space to relax!

Beautiful Beach

By Chassity Cannon |

Beach is clean. The water is clear, blue and beautiful! The sand is fine and silky. Many gorgeous palms everywhere and was not over crowded.

Great Family Beach Day

By SethAZ |

Our family had a great day at Ka'anapali Beach. To our surprise, there was ample free public parking available when we arrived ~10am on our weekday visit, and plenty of space on the beach within 100 yards of the main park/restrooms. COVID-times surely contributing to the reduced traffic. Good snorkeling from shore in a number of spots. Good beach sand that was perfect for burying our 9-year-old daughter in up to her neck. A bit windy as to be expected...it's the beach! We enjoyed walking along the boardwalk/sidewalk and seeing all of the resorts. Plenty of resort restaurants to grab lunch at, from ultra-casual food trucks to high-end restaurants.

Best beach on Maui!

By Gerry L |

The whale watching is incredible! Beautiful beaches that aren't crowded. The perfect choice for a stay in Maui!

Beautiful!

By Robin A |

We stayed in a location overlooking Ka'anapali Beach and thoroughly enjoyed walking the beach and watching sea turtles feeding.

Customer Service

By Ken K |

HEADS UP, FOLKS. Never book a stay at Ka'anapali Beach Hotel. We were just screwed out of our first night there at a cost of $500 all because our flight from the mainland was cancelled. The hotel manager was not in the least bit concerned that we were not able to arrive on time.

Gorgeous Beach

By MR |

It is a great beach, just a lot smaller than we anticipated. The water is beautiful and clear waiting for you to jump right in,

Pure Heaven

By bil2cg |

Pure heaven, fabulous views and delicious waters with unreal sunsets! It was one of our best beach experience ever. In fact, this year we will be back again even if we are coming from very far away, from Switzerland:)

Great beach

By Krystal C |

This was my daughters' favorite beach to hang out at. Although the shore is not as wide as it was before the major swells.

Kaanapali Beach by the Westin Ocean Resort Villas

By Meow Island girls |

Beach tends to be crowded from 10-4, but water is nice and calm, ocean was murky for snorkeling when we were there, saw some turtles and definitely spotted some whales 🐳 spouts in the distance.

Kaanapali is the Best Ocean Beach in the World

By RonnyC2723 |

Kaanapali Beach is the most beautiful in the world.I have explored beaches almost throughout the world and have found none better. The sands are beautiful and the sunsets are gorgeous. Taking a cruise offers breathtaking rainbows and a chance to outrun porpoises or watching whales in the winter. It is always fun simply to see an occasional storm blanketing the high mountain ranges in the mornings or evenings. Amazingly there are no trash or litter. God help you if you are caught littering. No one does however. I’m also amazing that though there are crowds, it’s never crowded. Solitude is available everywhere. Come watch the Black Rock diver jump from Black Rock located directly behind the Sheraton Hotel. Have a romantic dinner at the Hula Grill or Monkepod. Shopping at whalers Village is fun, especially during the early evenings,

Beautiful

By MBre |

Beautiful and gorgeous with lots of activities to enjoy for the whole family. Lots of room to enjoy the beach.

Clean

By JB |

Clean beach with soft sand. Small areas to gather. Nice area to snorkel. A family of turtles. No beach chairs - bring your own.

GREAT EXPERIENCE.

By Shawn S |

Everything was great! So clean and tidy. Large room and bathroom. Comfy bed. Perfect location, right on a calm and peaceful beach. As soon as you walk out of the accommodation, you see this wonderful beach.

Clear water

By SLF830 |

The beach is gorgeous, the views are amazing, we saw so many whales breaching we lost count, and the water is crystal clear! You can see everything that you were about to step up :)

Beautiful water and clean beach

By JcDub |

This beach is absolutely beautiful. The sand is clean and the water is turquoise and clear. It was a bit crowded but we found an area closer to the Sheraton that was pretty open. I imagine the snorkeling is amazing.

The Best

By Michael and Deb... T |

This is a beautiful beach and location. Right on the boardwalk to all of the resorts here. Lots of rocks and coral for the sealife to be viewed.

Great snorkeling

By Johnny M |

Stayed on the north side of Blackrock at the Westin and the snorkeling was best here. Sometimes tricky to dodge the coral getting in and out but scout the sand entries before going. Coral is sloooowly coming back so make sure to use "reef safe" sunscreen while you visit any of the Hawaiian islands.

My heaven

By nanaof1boy3girls |

We would walk along this beach in the morning and watch the waves come in and people watch. Very relaxing to me

Can't park!

By ChandlerAzBeachBum |

The beach is beautiful, clear, nice sand, and the beach walk that runs thru the area is awesome. Big problem is there is very little parking. All beaches are open to the public but the hotels own 99% of the parking lots. They tout public parking in a couple of places and once you get there, good luck. There might be a total of 10 spots and of course they're all taken.

Great beach. Amazing views. Sunset!!! Things to do.

By Scott B |

Such an amazing beach. Great views of Lanai and Molokai. One of the best places to see the sunset.

While it can get crowded, the beach is really wide so you can find enough room for a spot to put down your blankets.

There’s lots to do. Whalers village, shops and restaurants. Can rent gear. Snorkeling and rock jumping at Black Rock. Water is warm year round. Some boat excursions pick up from here right on the beach.

I’d recommend staying at one of the hotels or resorts right on the beach. They say parking is really hard to find and expensive.

Lovely white sand beach, watch out for rough seas and riptides

By robert-not-home |

Expansive white sand beach, beware of rip currents, etc. as it can get rough. One hotel did post red flag warnings but most did not. Didn't see any lifeguards when I was walking the beach so you need to exercise caution as with the steep drop off it is easy to get sucked out to sea.

Warnings aside it was a nice beach to walk along, many hotels, shops, etc. boarding the beach so if you want a snack or meal places to do that.

near drowing

By BETSY M |

I have been scubadiving/ diving /night diving/ for 30+ years. ALMOST DROWNED-
at Black Rocks. We entered the water by the Sheraton Hotel. Swam against the
current going out- unfortunately we rounded the corner of the rocks- that was a big mistake. We swam for about 30 min.- decided to turn around- just starting to get to far. The current had changed- we were swimming again against the current.
My mask started fogging- mistakely took it off temporarily to de-fog it . gulped in some water... was about 50 yards from the turning point back in- but couldnt get around- and couldnt see anyone to yell to. fortunately , there was an outrigger I yelled to - and they came to pick me up. but not before i had the thought " I'm not gonna make it". i had hyperventilated, i could no longer float- because of that, and i had tired out my arms and legs, I REALLY thought i was done!!! NO MATTER how comfortable you are in the water ( I am ), I was not prepared for the sudden wind change, the ferocious current, and relentless waves. THANKYOU TO
the outrigger that saved my life - my kids would have NEVER believed that i would drown.

Discovering Paradise

By Beth H |

Ka'anapali Beach embodies paradise. Its golden shores, pristine waters, and breathtaking vistas create an idyllic tropical setting. Whether you're soaking up the sun, exploring vibrant coral reefs while snorkeling, or taking a leisurely walk at sunset, this beach offers a complete experience. Embrace the beauty and tranquility of Ka'anapali Beach—it's an opportunity not to be missed.

beautiful view

By Brigitte J |

the beach has a amazing view, the water changes colors and is very impressive, best part of my the worst trip

Amazing snorkeling, with convenient amenities

By Tony R |

A quick walk from many hotel options, the beach at Ka'anapali (old airport beach in particular) is an amazing attraction for first time snorkelers. We saw multiple sea turtles, octopi, eels and an amazing array of tropical fish.

Great beach.

By Gregory S |

This is one of the best beaches in Maui. Great places to eat/drink. Near Black Rock for snorkeling and swimming. No shade so bring it rent some. That sun is no joke.

It's a different beach

By Georgia B |

The beach is not what we remember. Evidently a large swell in May or June took out a big portion of the beach. Upended boat remains in the front of the Marriott property. No longer the nice sidewalk that went from Hyatt to Black Rock. Walk on the sand or back up through the hotels to the street. There was also a fire in the West Maui Mountain raining ash into Lahaina.
Nature is relentless.

Vacation getaway

By LIV4ADVENTURE |

We stayed on this beach and it was fantastic. A walkway to visit all the resorts for lots of meal options. Nearby is Whalers Village for shopping. The beach itself is beautiful and very clean. The thrill seekers can jump off Black Rock and there are turtles in the cove. Would definitely recommend.

Tropical fish, turtles, and whales… ocean waves and the best of Sunsets.

By LifeaslaurieL |

This is such a beautiful beach… there is ample sand and grass to sit on and really great snorkeling… there is one downside, getting in and out of the water to go snorkeling is very difficult. The waves on shore will toss you like a rag if you don’t watch for the right moment.

The fish and turtles are plentiful… it feels really safe to go out far. The whales jumping in the distance is a wonderful way to just sit on shore and relax.

Parking can be tricky, this beach is nestled between two hotels and they don’t offer many beach parking spots.

Overall, this is my favorite beach in the area.

Okay, semi-artificial paradise

By tonypusa |

The beach is very developed, with lots of resort hotels covering its scope. Which means lots of manmade features and lots of people. I personally found that it detracted from some of its natural beauty, which is indeed excellent ... think swarms of sea turtles swimming close to the sandy shore .

Whale watching area

By Marc N |

Great sand when you were in areas not protected for restoration. We had to walk from our beach side resort to access open areas. Note we did see several whales from the shore.

A Monk seal turns up everytime im at this beach

By DiamondStylz317 |

I don't care where I stay in Hawaii.I'm coming to this beach every time.It's right next to the hyatt .....it's perfect...and monk seal swim with me everytime i visit..... Sometimes it's busy and sometimes it's not but the water's always perfect.

I must be dreaming!

By Lisa Y |

My favorite place is by the ocean, and I do believe Ka'anapali Beach has just become my all time FAVORITE place by the ocean - it's crystal clear blue/green waters with the mountains as the backdrop can NOT be beat!

Gorgeous beach

By Jennifer P |

The beach is beautiful and serene. It extends for miles and is a very peaceful setting with a lot of marine life and views of different islands.

Perfect beach for families

By Eric D |

Beautiful beach that is great for families. Snorkeling and any other beach activity is possible. Clean and walkable anytime of day or night.

Walkway on the beach

By joaniemaria |

We parked at Whalers Village ramp and walked the beach walkway for awhile. There is a lot to see. Hotels, restaurants, beach. Lots of activity. I recommend a visit. Parking is free for 3 hours if you get your parking voucher validated with a purchase. We made our purchase at ABC store. Be sure to see the whale bones in Whalers Village.

Great beach for walking!

By Moondoggie1957 |

We spent a couple of afternoons at Ka'anapali beach during our recent trip to Maui.

We enjoyed walking the beach and wave jumping. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Enjoyed seeing the whales and turtles close to the beach.

By Ellen H |

Kaanapali Beach is wonderful. About 1 hour from the airport. Lots of hotels and condos to choose from. Also, near Whaler Village for shopping, restaurants and activities.

Kaanapali

By beachbum49785 |

Day of relaxing , enjoying watching whales, lunch at hula grill. Current can be strong, no lifeguards,

Good snorkeling

By Kathy L |

Beautiful beach with bathrooms. Good snorkeling. Lots of cool fish. Restaurants nearby. Nice boardwalk down the beach.

Beautiful Beach

By Daniel |

The widest section of the beach is in front of the Sheraton. This also happens to be where black rock is located. I highly recommend snorkeling around black rock and if your feeling adventurous jumping off black rock. I saw 2 sea turtles and multiple tropical fish. There are many ocean activities and adventures at this beach: surf lessons, paddle boarding, sunset cruises, etc..

Beautiful Beach

By SooZQ |

Water is wonderfully clear. Fantastic snorkeling at Black rock.
Turtles will sometimes swim right past you. The beach itself can be crowded so that is the one downfall.

One of the World's Best Beaches.

By Chuck M |

There its a reason why Ka'anapali Beach was once the "playground" for Hawai'i's royalty and Ali'i. This area of Maui is stunningly beautiful, and is rich in the history and heritage of Hawai'i.
The beaches are great! Wide open and safe. The resorts are also first-rate.
Ka'anapali offers something for nearly everyone, but beach lovers will truly love this area. Swimming, snorkeling and cliff diving are top attractions at Ka'anapali Beach. However, at least on my visits over the last 30 years, there is not much in the way of surfing here. Surfers are better off traveling further up the westside of Maui (Kapalua, for example) for waves.
Granted that Ka'anapali Beach can get crowded from time to time, but that shouldn't set you back too much. Just plan your visit carefully, and try to avoid "prime time."
There are plenty of places to dine, shop and drink in the Ka'anapali Beach area. Although some of these places are on the expensive side, don't worry about it. Its only a 10-15 drive down to Lahaina town.
In sum, there is really no downsides to Ka'anapali Beach or the local resorts. If you are planning to visit Maui, this is a wonderful area in which to base your vacation out of.
Aloha & have fun in the "place of kings and queens!"

Swam with green turtles

By PAT D |

This beach lived up to the ratings I had read about prior.

We originally parked our butts down on the sand a few hundred metres from the black tock cliffs and had a great time. However, not many fish to see though as no rock or coral in the area. But seeing how many swimmers and snorkellers their were by the cliffs, we decided to venture that way and glad we did.

Once there, I donned my mask and snorkel and decided to check out the area by the cliffs where the majority of snorkeling was happening. My decision to move down the beach proved wise as there were all kinds of fish to look at. And better yet, a turtle swims into my area, about five feet below me. And then while I am (and many others are) watching this one turtle, a second one joins the first. What an Incredible sight and even if I am never so lucky to experience it again, this will be one I will never forget.

And if swimming with turtles is not enough for you, there is a great cliff at this same spot you can jump off.

If on Maui, this is a must do beach for sure.

Beach

By GAFoodie1 |

The beach is beautiful. The ocean was much stronger than expected, the undertow was very strong. Be aware with children and older folks. The sunsets are breathtaking!

The place to stay on Maui!

By Sally |

This is the place to stay on Maui! It is a beautiful beach and they have a long paved beach walk. Whalers village is here and lots of restaurants and shops. It is near Lahaina and the airport is a short drive.

Great beach..better w fins

By drmader |

Some reef by shore and black rock
Is great for snorkeling. I feel better w fins on as there is a pull down the beach and it’s not nothing to swim back in if you go out a ways. I feel more confident w fins . Beautiful clean Sand bottom and crystal waters .. if you stay under you can hear the whales.several
Spots to catch surf lessons or a snorkel/whale watch boat ..closer to whalers village or down by Marriott . Bring your own towels /chairs because the rents
Sell out by 8/9am

Great and large beach

By jkzoo |

Lovely beach with nice sand and big enough that even with the large crowds you could still spread out. Black Rock at the one end and the boardwalk were highlights.

Soft Sand and Great Views!

By Zach |

The sand at this beach is silky soft and a beautiful yellow. To get to the beach you have to park in the commercial parking garage and then lug your stuff through the mall which wasn’t ideal but once you’re there it’s well worth it! If you spend more than $10 at one of the shops they’ll validate your parking. Otherwise you can spend up to $40 on parking if you’re there all day.

Researched ocean quality at Kaanapali

By getaways |

The County of Maui is facing a fine by the EPA for their discharged wastewater containing sewer.
This is concentrated at theKaanapali Kahekeli Beach Park and drifts North.
If you are immune compromised or concerned, then Google for updates.
Such a beautiful beach, just use the beach section South of Kahekeli.

Still a nice beach

By Rexngail |

Nice beach, there were protest on the beach...I agree with the locals, locals need a place to live when they lost their homes due to the Lahaina Fires. I pray for Maui and Lahaina.

Beautiful Beach

By Steve G |

Love Ka'anapali Beach, what an amazing beach, highly recommend... Rented chairs, umbrella. Had several great days just relaxing on the beach enjoying the gorgeous views.

Long, picturesque powdery sand resort beach

By roderick M |

We entered onto the long, golden, sandy beach at Kahekili Beach Park, where there are public restrooms, at the Westin Kaanipali Ocean Resort in the northern reaches of Lahaina. The soft, powdery sand beach here provides excellent swimming and snorkelling opportunities. There is a nice long reef to snorkel, a short distance off the shore here and also further to the south at Black Rock. The beach slopes off nicely to the sandy surf entries. There is a boardwalk along the beach in both directions for a nice long walk. The shade trees line the shore about 50 feet or more behind the beachfront. A great place for kids and elders as the surf usually is relatively quiet as the beach faces west. The beach is in a long line of top end resorts so can get quite busy but there is lots of room to spread out along the Kaanapali Beach shoreline.

Beach Review

By Susan R |

Beautiful stretch of beach. Clean, calm water, beautiful views. We love that it’s never too crowded. Black Rock is a short walk away and it’s fun to see people jump from it!!!! Snorkeling is great. The sunsets are to die for !!!! Go. Now!!!!!!

Ka’anapali and Maui are Amazing!

By James Y |

We love Maui. This was our second time to stay in Kaā€anapali. It is a wonderful location about an hour from the airport and about an hour from Wailea. We spent 10 days there on this trip. The waves were unusually large for that time of year, it is usually much calmer during May. We were able to go out snorkeling and enjoyed a few days at the beach. One of our favorite finds was Pa’ako Beach. The waterfalls and hike at Haiku are a must! I highly recommend a vacation here.

Best beach in Maui period!!!

By Jay C |

Best beach in Maui. Has wide sand covered beach area, best snorkeling area near Black Rock. There is a s a reason all resorts and hotels are here.

Knowledgeable

By Howard R |

Gina Schur the concierge at the Kaanapali shores was very friendly knowledgeable and helpful in planning our excursions. Had planned nothing prior to getting to Maui and she went above and beyond to get us everything we wanted to do. Even to those events that were full at the time we got there. Very good at what she does

Great Beach Day

By Travel25346533585 |

We quite enjoy Ka'anapali Beach. We always go early so we get a great spot away from the crowds. It is a quite nice beach indeed.

Perfect for families

By G. Bui |

Great for snorkeling ( sea turtles) and whale watching (check season for whales migrate in December- Feb) are not as crazy as Makena Beach, Jaws, etc. Perfect for families…pretty clean and close to Whaler’s Village (Tommy Bahama, Johnny Was, Billabong, Lullulemon, etc.) and restaurants such as Hula Grill, Leilani’s and Huihui. I took off a star only because it can get crowded with tourists - lol!

Great place to stay... and Black Rock end of the beach is beautiful!

By Angie L |

We stayed at the Kaanapali Hotel Beach and loved our north end of the beach! The sand and the water in near Black Rock were great for hanging out and for swimming. And I enjoyed walking the trail from the north end down all the way to the public beaches past the Hyatt everyday! Lot's of people... but if you like people watching it is fun! And Whalers Village has a couple good eating spots (Can we say "Monkeypod"!!!) and shops.

Paradise

By Michelle K |

Gorgeous beaches for miles. The boardwalk is great. Lots of great restaurants and shops along the way.

Beautiful beach with something for everyone.

By ksandvoss |

Beautiful beach with something for everyone. Great for surfing, walking, sailing, and cliff jumping.

Heavy breakwater

By Dorothy |

Strong undertow. Hard to get in and out of the water without getting slammed to the ground. (But we are older). Great beach walking. Water clear. Beautiful sunsets. Not too crowded.

Nice beach that offers magnificent sunset views.

By Munir D |

The Kaanapali Beach connects many hotels and resorts in Maui. The beach has many areas for safe swimming but one has to be very careful with children due to water currents and a sudden incline when swimming.

I swam in low tide and the water became deep abruptly after about four or five steps in the water. Children have therefore to be supervised at all times.

The Whalers Village near the Whalers Report is a nice place on the beach to buy breakfast, lunch or dinner along with some necessity shopping.

This beach offers a great sunset view without having to take a sunset cruise.

I have withheld one star because the beach is not as good as the crystal white beaches in Tanzania including Zanxibar.

Munir Daya

Try going in the morning!

By roseofsilvr |

It was hard to relax at this beach. Waves wore us all out as they constantly rammed us back into the beach shore! Probably related to us going in the afternoon and high winds the whole week in Maui. We later figured out that Maui wind (and subsequently waves) pick up jn the afternoon, so I would try going here in the morning. Go to The Snorkel Store website and sign up for daily snorkel/swim reports so you will know conditions before you go!

Beach wise Kaanapali is really beautiful. We didn't get to go down to Black Rock to see if the water was any calmer.

This beach connects to Whalers Village with easy parking there.

Beautiful Island & people

By digitaldazey |

My dad talked about Hawaii & and its people. After he passed, I wanted to visit some places he talked about. It was more than I ever expected. The people are lovely, and the island is spectacular.

Windy but relaxing

By Cindy P |

Spent the afternoon lunching and nature watching. Several whale breeches, a bird that looked like a roadrunner (probably a plover). numerous roosters and hens scratching around the picnic tables. This was a wayside park that was on the beach. Very high winds that day. Watched windsurfers and wave surfers.

Tidal Surge

By srobby |

This is a wonderful beach with breathtaking sunsets. It is usually a great place to snorkel but we had a week of high surging tides that made it to enter the water much less snorkel. Still 8-12 surf tides are pretty amazing to watch by themselves.

such a great beach, 10 ft away from tropical fish

By cwgl1968 |

We spent a few days here on this beach, so clean, not rocky (no need to wear water shoes) and 10 ft away from tropical fish, great to go snorkeling here! This beach was conveniently located right by our resort, such a pretty place, lots of families come here. I got a floatie to use and that was awesome just floating around.

Excellent.

By Nancy M |

The ambiance is trendy yet comfortable, making it ideal for intimate dinners and lively gatherings. This restaurant exceeded all my expectations.

Continuously Well-Rated Beach Lives Up to Hype

By Greg Skipton, Independent Travel Agent |

We were blessed with a week long stay on the Kaanapali Beach at the Westin May 23-29, 2021. The beach was everything we could have hoped for and more. Clean, great sand, gentle waves but with enough places to still enjoy them either body surfing or watching others on boards, crystal clear waters, and plenty of space to walk up and down the beach enjoying the views of Lanai and Molokai. Hotels are doing a good job of limiting chairs and umbrellas currently, so this kept space open and enjoyable, but the place is definitely getting more busy :). Sunsets were gorgeous over the water and the islands, and morning sunrise walks were pure bliss.

Worth a visit!

By Lady76Bug |

I was staying in Lahaina and decided to take a Lyft over to Ka'anapali Beach....it was definitely worth it. Great for people watching, beautiful sand, excellent water temps. Worth a visit when in Maui!

Just gorgeous!

By Brandi T |

The is a fabulous area of Maui! The beaches are clean and quiet! Very family friendly! Tons of resorts line this beach!

Beachy Bestest Beach on Maui

By Amy H |

Love this beach on Maui- our fav at hotel where we always stay and play - gorgeous views - soft warm sand and just the best beach

Expansive beach

By tubasteve |

Great place for a walk. The beach seems to go on forever. Lots of good options nearby for food and drinks as well, but it can be very busy.

Building sandcastles and this cute turtle photobombed us!

By Sandy P |

Family friendly! Great place to bring children of all ages, and let them play in the small waves, make sand castles, and possibly see a turtle.

Turtles!

By Moochie-La-La |

This is a great beach to snorkel at because it’s gentle with waves and there’s lots to see: turtles, coral, fish… many people climb the black lava rocks in front of the Sheraton and jump/dive into the water. Bring an umbrella for shade and enjoy the long beach walk. Watch the sun set from this beach!

My new favorite beach šŸ–ļø

By HELEN DLR |

We came for the Hawaii Wildlife Discovery Center. I saw this beautiful beach from the 3rd floor where the center is located. So we decided to check it out. ę—¢ę„ä¹‹ļ¼Œåˆ™å®‰ä¹‹ć€‚

Turned out to be one of the best beaches everyone in my family finds the niche they like.

My teenagers love riding waves- 🌊, it has the perfect sized waves, not too wild not too tepid, close enough from shore where parents feel kids are within reach if unexpected urgency occurs. The emergency rescue equipment is right there by the beach. Kids had a half day fun there.

My husband loves beach and people watching. The hustling sailboats, ā›µļø, waves 🌊and kids wife in the water kept him busy šŸ˜‚

I love snorkeling. The long stretches of rocks near the beach attracted variety of fish 🐟 🐠 to float along with. It’s amazing that I’m able to watch kids riding waves 🌊 by the shore while snorkeling not far from them. Put it another way, kids are absolutely safely sandwiched with me watching from ocean side and my husband from beach side 🤩. Now the snorkeling me feel very safe too: there are 6 or 7 sail boats šŸ›„ļø 🚤 further out in the ocean, lol, I can snorkel all I want without worrying about my safety. It’s almost a paradise like situation as I’m not an adventurous traveler such that I do treasure safety while having fun.

The peace of mind knowing everyone can safely enjoy the ocean is priceless. Hence it’s now my favorite beach in Hawaii islands.

One of if not nicest beach on Maui

By Woo111 |

One of the nicest beaches there is on earth. Great boardwalk that spans a very long area provides by the hotels. Very nice restrooms. Public parking

Awesome beach!

By michelleshanksbrown |

Watch out for the rocks. Beautiful place to go play in the waves! The beach is really long with plenty of places to put your stuff.

I would stay here again

By Gloryy |

Very beautiful beach…golden and soft sand.
High presence of surfers.
Accessible to all as it is public.
When we were there, the sea wasn't exactly calm so I can't tell you if you have to walk a lot to get to where the high water is.
If you go by car, be aware that there is only one car park which costs $10/h but does not exceed $50 per day so if you spend more than 5 hours you will always pay $50.
There are many luxury hotels overlooking the beach so you can either bring your own lunch or have lunch there.

Awesome Beach

By Sean C |

Beach was never too crowded, turtles swimming by, perfect water temperature, clean. Easy to get too.

Beautiful beach

By Love to go places |

This was a beautiful white sand beach. The waves were big enough for kids to paddle out and boogie board, but too big for snorkeling from where we were at in front of the shops.

paradise

By engelmaui |

spent lots of time in Lahina. Lots of shops and places to eat. Visited the foundation store and bought hats and shirts.

Kaanapoli Beach is awesome

By Laurie S |

Actually visited during June through August of 2020. Just locals, I was fortunate to spend the summer here with my adult kids. No tourists was interesting experience and since I’m from Central Florida it was an awesome break.

Great to experience this beach as it was, not many people on the beach. Everyone kept to their own group.

Lovely place to visit and swim, maybe jump off a rock into the ocean.

Beautiful Beach

By Nolan |

Great beach, easy access to hotels and restaurants, and Whalers Village. great place to watch the sunset!

Sandy Ka’anapali Beach

By Dawn P |

Beautiful sandy beach! Lots of whales just off shore and turtles on one end by the lava rocks. Great walking beach and lots of boating adventures available right from the beach. Highly recommend!

Paradise!!!

By Konni R |

Rainbows and sunsets, non-stop! This location was perfect for our style. Thank you Maui Kaanapali Villas!!

Breathtaking

By Bram1106 |

We enjoyed the Ka'anapali Beach so much from our condo at Aston Ka'anapali Shores and from Whaler's Village. Well maintained beach, clear beautiful water, great for surfing and snorkeling.

Black Rock Snorkel WARNING

By Karen-in-714 |

While this is a beautiful beach I would like to warn visitors DO NOT SNORKEL PAST BLACK ROCK (Pu'u Keka'a). On our fourth snorkel in Maui we went past the outcropping as there is a strong current there. My friend began to have breathing problems and we were unable to swim back around the rock to get help. Luckily we had our phone's and were able to call for emergency assistance. His breathing issues were serious enough to require a rescue and an over night hospital stay (great care at Maui Memorial Medical Center BTW). The fire fighter's who got us out and the hospital staff told us that the current there has resulted in many rescues. Statistics show Black Rock is the #1 area for tourist death by drownding. There are many safer area's to snorkel. Have fun, be safe & come home happy.

Very commercialized beach for experienced swimmers

By Satyajit R |

There are hotels lined up on this beach and it's hard to search/find parking. Fortunately, we found a public beach access parking near Hyatt that was hidden from public view (you have to find it carefully on Google Maps). The hotels have occupied most of the beach front leaving very little space for the beach. However, the beach is maintained very well probably by the hotels.

Beautiful

By Nancy B |

When you think of a Hawaiian paradise..this is it. Our resort was right on this stretch of beach. Crystal blue water.

Nice for just hanging out

By MaKai M |

We stayed right near this beach and enjoyed it. Easy to get to the water and there were even turtles. Bring your snorkel just in case as the ocean is full of sea life.

Beautiful Beach

By WBJM2009 |

A lovely beach to visit - water is clear. We loved our stay in Ka'anapali and enjoyed our time on the beach!

Great Beach

By Marshall S |

Beach was not too busy, with a gentle surf lapping at the sand. The water depth drops off rather quickly a few feet from the dry shore, but not over ones head. The water was cool but warmed up as you entered. It was great fun.

Sisters trip. Hotel staff makes you feel like your home. Family friendly atmosphere.

By Sharon S |

Rooms were spacious, clean and nice. Our room had a walk out to a patio that look out to the ocean (ocean view). Breakfast was included with our rooms and was very delicious. Two onsite restaurant, one for fine dining and the other for breakfast or to order and go. Hotel staff were very polite and friendly. Very homey atmosphere. Price was reasonable. Would definitely return.

Great Beach

By Rick P |

Very nice, sandy beach. Wide area for everyone to stretch out without feeling crowded. Many activities such as whale watching, surfing, paddle boarding etc. can be purchased right from this beach. There is a pretty healthy surf with no lifeguards on duty, so watch your small children. Lots to do and see on the nearby beachwalk and surrounding area. Parking is limited and is not free. Definitely a great beach worth visiting.

Great beach for swimming, relaxing and eating!

By matt d |

If you're looking for a private beach, this is not the place. This is tourist central BUT that being said, everything you need is here. Umbrellas, beach chairs, excursions, restaurants and shopping are all right here! the water is beautiful!!

Beautiful beach

By Jeree M |

We had a full day on Maui before leaving for the big island in the evening. Our Uber driver said we should visit Kaanapali beach and dropped us off there for a few hours. Great afternoon spot. Beautiful beach.

Assaulted in Ka'anapali.

By Liza |

The weather was not ideal, the seas were rough, precluding snorkeling and the tour boats were not booking. One evening on a walk with my husband, I was assaulted by a group of Hawaiian youths. They came up behind us, yelling profanities and one youth threw a full glass of iced soft drink at my head... We filed a police report. This was our worst experience in Hawaii after many years of coming for two weeks in mid January. I would not recommend Maui any more as it has changed so much, and not for the better. I am very agitated by this encounter. I no longer feel safe here.

Our favorite beach!

By Paige P |

We stayed on Ka'anapali beach and from the very first day, we loved it. There were turtles of all sizes just hanging out it front, eating off the coral, not at all afraid of us being nearby. We visited other beaches, but Ka'anapali was, by far, the best!

Gorgeous but CROWDED!

By J S |

All the hotels are gathered hear, and all the people too. It's like going on a Carnival Cruise. I'd go to Kapalua instead.

Beautiful beach

By Wendy D |

Beautiful walkable beach with gentle waves and soft sand. We stayed at a resort on the beach for 2 nights. Safe area for families.

Miles of beach

By RKSS |

The beach walk along North and South Kaanapali Beach is beautiful. If you are a runner, get up early and have it to yourself. We walked in the morning and at night. Every inch of this beach has a beautiful view and depending on where you stop you will find different beach ... sometimes rocky and full of coral ... other times, sandy and calm.

What a gem - beautiful beach, grounds and outstanding friendly staff.

By Rob W |

Ka’anapli Beach Hotel (KBH) is a wonderful place to stay and experience Maui and the Hawaiian culture. We have stayed here 3 times - our honeymoon and two anniversary celebrations- and we hope to stay here many more times. The staff is very friendly and kind. Many employees that we visited with have been with the hotel for 20 to 30+ years. The hotel treats both employees and guests very well. The hotel grounds are beautiful and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Every employee we encountered was extremely nice. The hotel has a department dedicated to providing free Hawaiian culture classes to hotel guests. We stayed in the newly renovated PapakÅ« wing in an oceanfront room. The views were fantastic - like something out of a story book. Sunsets were stunning, rainbows were frequent - all accompanied by the steady sound of the ocean just outside the door of our private lanai (balcony). The room had simple clean lines, yet was very elegant, tastefully decorated and even included some crafts made by hotel employees. If you are looking for a big name, opulent, gaudy hotel KBH isn’t for you. But, if you are looking for gracious Hawaiian hospitality while you relax in beautiful surroundings then you will be very happy that you chose KBH. KBH management and staff should be proud of the atmosphere that they have created and nourished. I can’t think of a place I would rather be than KBH to relax and recharge.

Sea Turtels in sight

By MonikaWoo |

Our resort was on Ka'anapali beach. The water was very clear and we were able to see sea turtels looking down from our room in the ocean. Perfect for snorkeling

A must-visit relaxing place that deserves to be on your hectic itinerary

By Rawa13 |

This is a great place to relax, enjoy the beach, snorkel at your own pace and dive from a 25-foot rock.

There is a hotel behind that has a bar, where you can get drinks.

Outstanding Beach

By Kimberley W |

Such a beautiful beach to visit. Very clean. Snorkeling on this beach. Great to walk. Go to the ABC store and purchase a float and you will have so much fun with your family. Watch for the turtles stop in and say hello

Beautiful huge beach in a populated resort area

By Marielena66 |

Beautiful beach in a populated resort area. The water was so clear, and the surf was manageable. We had a great day there and would go again.
Some things to know:
Parking-some of the reviews say that you can’t park in the shopping center garage. We asked the attendant and he was happy to offer us ā€œthe best parkingā€ for $6/hr. We declined but kept it in mind as a backup. We found parking in a very small lot reserved for beach visitors, with a short path to the beach, for free. We were there at 9:30, and parking was filling up fast. Get there early.
Restrooms- we didn’t see any that were not connected to a resort or restaurant, but it’s a big beach so maybe they were elsewhere, far far away from where we parked and accessed the beach. Near the Westin there was some nice restrooms associated with a restaurant, publicly accessible, so we managed. Lots of showers along the path, so we were fine.
Shade-we had some shade, very close to one of the hotels. It was too windy for our umbrella. Shade is not plentiful, though, because of all the hotels and restaurants.
Space-it’s a huge beach, so you’ll find some nice space even though it is a highly populated area. You might have to walk to find the perfect spot, but a paved path running along the beach makes it easy
Crowds- if you are looking for a quiet beach, this isn’t that. If you want to grab a latte at Starbucks or grab a burger and want to be in a lively area on an astonishingly beautiful beach, give it a try.

Beautiful and clean beach

By Michel K |

Very beautiful and clean beach. Not very crowded despite being Mid-June. Great location near resorts, hotels, restaurants and shopping. Lacks more public parking.

Beautiful beach with great beach walk

By Patty W |

Ka’anapali Beach is my happy place! Beautiful beach wirh a beach walk where you can stroll in front of many beautiful resorts. Always has beautiful sunsets, simply picture perfect. Areas for beginners to learn how to surf in front of Marriott condos. Love this beach!

Must see and explore this beach!!!

By Melissa Lallo Johnson |

Absolutely stunning beach. This beach has so many gorgeous blue colors, stunning fish swimming through the reef below it was so fun snorkeling with the kids. The beach is pretty narrow but shockingly not overcrowded. This is also the beach that works renowned Wayne Dyer frequented. Now I understand why he spoke so highly about the energy and beauty of this beach.

Excellent Beach

By Melissa M |

Drove out here during our stay in Maui. We were in Wailea-Kihei area. Took about 30-40 minutes. The drive was gorgeous! Be sure to stop at the scenic lookout spots to capture great photos.

Perfect beach!

By Companion542506 |

This beach has beautiful soft sand forever! We went in January during peak humpback whale time, you could hear the whales singing underwater while we were snorkeling around the black rock! The snorkeling was great, the water was so clear. There are a lot of restaurants in walking distance. The parking is tricky, there is a garage labeled ā€œbeach accessā€ it was free, we lucked out and got one of the spots, there’s probably a total of 12 spots. Other than that I think you have to use hotel parking and pay for it if you’re not a guest.

KBH IS Paradise!

By REXER88 |

We love this beach. Nicest In the world in our opinion. We feel like a different people when walking the beach,sand in my toes, Maui air in my lungs and Aloha in my heart. Do it. You will for ever be changed like we were and we will never forget it. Kaanapali, till we meet again. Mahalo.

Nice sandy beach

By Pathways To Heaven |

Soft Golden sands, beautiful clear blue water , lined by palm trees 🌓. We really enjoyed this beach šŸ.
The type of beach where your kids could play sand castle šŸ° & frisbee , swim šŸŠšŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø šŸŠā€ā™‚ļø, hang out all day. Bring your own beach chairs & umbrella.

Calm waters and beautiful beach

By lisakeg |

What a lovely, long beach with no rocks. It is a long beach with little waves, so terrific for children. sand was soft through the toes.

beautiful beach

By arizona-mark |

this is a wonderful beach to visit with a nice long scenic walking path. i loved it! cant wait to come back.

Beautiful Beach; Minimal Surf

By Ben V |

This review is for Ka’anapali beach south of Black Rock. We enjoy parking at Whalers Village and setting up right in front of that area. Decent amount of sand from the ocean and close access to restrooms. Great people watching. If you are looking for fewer people and more scenic views, head toward South Maui.

Stunning

By Carrick M |

Ka'anapali Beach on Maui is stunning! The golden sands, clear waters, and vibrant marine life make it perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Black Rock is a highlight for cliff jumping and snorkeling. Convenient amenities and great nearby dining and shopping at Whalers Village. Gorgeous sunsets cap off an unforgettable experience. Highly recommended!

We go there every day

By ray c |

nice. We watch the whales breach off shore in January.
Clean. Sand is a little coarse but nice. Beach is a little narrow in some areas but OK. Lots of smooth rocks in the water so go slow entering the ocean.

Purrfect sand and waves for kids.

By Cynthia Z |

Clean beach with access to a poolside resort bar and food. wonderful waves for toddler swims and water does not get too deep for standing and admiring the views. Water is crystal clear.

Overhyped Beach

By illuminated2010 |

Not sure about all the hype around this beach. We visited in May, waters were rough with very strong waves. With waves crashing hard on the beach, it created a drop off. So this is not a flat beach, at some parts of this beach there is a 1m drop towards the sea. Not a good beach even for a stroll as it is not flat and you will get covered in sand when that rogue wave comes crashing over you.

This beach is not recommended for young kids as the surf is strong. Not too relaxing as it is crowded and you can hear constant yelling by parents at their kids to stay away from the sea.

Over rated.

dream beach

By Oscar V |

The most transparent water I have ever seen. With fish and turtles. Marvelous. Very clean beach and the environment prepared to be very entertaining all day

Great introduction or refresher location, beach dive woithout choppy waves

By Colorless |

Easy dive or snorkeling location, great for a refresher SCUBA course and just floating with the fish. Not the best beach in Maui but I am keeping that my secret. I went there with In2Scuba and Mike was quite helpful and made sure everyone was safe. It is a huge tourist location. Lots of fancy hotels, a gold course, Roy's etc. so finding the public parking is a chore but it exists. It is also a good location to just beach bumming which I saw. Near to Lahaina for supplies or the Maui Brewery, 3:30 - 5:30 Happy Houris the time to go. Gas is 35% more, load up on the east side of Maui when you get your Costco supplies.

Beautiful Beach

By fiamma11 |

This is another gorgeous beach on Maui that is certainly worth taking the time to visit. So many choices but this is a beautiful one. Clean and pleasant and worthy of its excellent reviews.

Nice beach

By donnyg828 |

Nice beach for swimming, you can walk a long way on the beach. Not too crowded, hard to find any shade though. Snorkeling was great near Black Rock, saw a few turtles. Gets deep fairly quickly in spots.

Kaanapali Beach Maui

By STompkins |

Our favorite beach on Maui, especially the stretch north of Black Rock. Fantastic views of Lanai and Molokai and during whale season you can whale watch directly from the beach.

Fantastic way to spend a day

By BradVancouver_Canada |

Beautiful sandy beach, turquoise water and amazing whale watching at this time of year (February). Gorgeous sunsets as well.

The Waikiki of Maui

By Gus S |

We have stayed on Kaanapali before, visited it many times. It's a nice, tourist-centric beach. I call it "The Waikiki of Maui" . Kaanapali is where Sharpay and Ryan go to the beach. Great swimming, you can sunbathe steps from your boujee hotel room, people watch infinitely, and burn the crap out of the soles of your feet. Shade is nonexistent, so bring or rent your own.

Tons of nice restaurants and upscale watering holes all along the beach. Khaki shorts and Chubbies shirts abound.

The $200 sunset cruise on a catamaran is 300 yards away from the shore looking at the same sunset you will see for free, which is usually the best part of the day on Kaanapali. Great sunsets. Seriously.

Snorkeling is mid at Black Rock, mostly nonexistent along most of the sandy area. You have to jump off of Black Rock at least once in your lifetime. You came this far, suck it up and take the leap. You won't regret it.

It's a beach on Maui. All stereotypes apply. It's not private, unique or intimate. It's a meat show, but there is saltwater to float in, and sometimes, that's all you really need.

Kaanapali Beach - Amazing

By Mick |

Kaanapali Beach is paradise. I have fallen in love with its diversity and offerings — spectacular big sandy beaches, canoeing (Maui Paddle Sports), the restaurant scene, proximity to an array of activities (scuba, snorkel, tennis, golf, sunset cruise, parasailing, etc) and its range of accommodations available (Honua Kai, Westin, Royal Lahaina, Kaanapali Beach Hotel, The Whaler, Sheraton, etc.) makes West Side Maui a perfect for solo travelers and families alike.

If you’re into long swims, I park at Airport Beach (on North Kaanapali), and start my swim from Duke’s Beach House and hug the shoreline down towards Black Rock. You might even get lucky to have some rays, a barracuda and tons of turtles join you along in your swim! Once you get to Black Rock, consider hopping out of the ocean and walking through the Sheraton Black Rock to jump back in the ocean on South Kaanapli beach to continue the swim towards Whaler’s Village or dive off black rock and enjoy the snorkeling (other option is to swim around black rock, I just recommend to do this if others are around or accompanying you as can be slightly intimidating with the swell sometimes). At the end of my swim, I like to walk back along the Kaanapali Beach boardwalk — perfect way to round out your exercise for the morning! :)

Other notable highlights: On weekends there is a handcrafts market usually held on beach boardwalk at the Westin on North Kaanapali, Fish Market Maui (fish burrito has cheese in it - YUM!; poke with their house made chips - double YUM!!), you can get some great photography from the top of the Sheraton Black Rock with South Kaanapali in the background, Whaler’s Village is always a fun scene to walk through, and sunset on this side of the island is simply magical!

Nice beach

By Karen H |

Beautiful beach. Clean and safe. Traveled with other women and always felt safe walking the beach and beach path. We walked mornings to avoid crowds on the beach path. Afternoons were more crowded on the beach, evenings can also be busy during dinner time. Overall one of the prettiest beaches and sunsets I’ve seen

Very good stay if you don't mind so many people

By Wendy G |

Amazing beach and easy access if you stay around. It is always busy because it is so convenient to access. The beach itself is amazing.

Nice area of beach by the Sheraton

By Thomas3965 |

Best area is in front of the Sheraton. You can valet park for $5 if you eat or drink at the resort. Also stay for the cliff diver at sunset!

Outstanding beach and a must see on Maui

By Jeff H |

The beach and the views are amazing and we love the island of Maui. We were two couples who stayed in Kihei for a week. We loved the Kihei area as very nice beaches and more affordable condos, stores and entertainment. We drove to Kaanapali beach for the day and it took about 45 minutes with a cool drive along the coastline. We had lunch/drinks at one of the restaurants on the beach and walked the beach. It had been about 10 years since we visited Hawaii and we can see why Maui is paradise. We need to go back before 10 years passes again.

Clean beach and beautiful water!

By Cal Chickie |

This beach location is great! Beautiful view of the Molokai. Beach is long and was a bit windy when we were there. Whalers Village is right there with many shops and restaurants. The whale watching cruise we went on leaves right from the same beach. Very enjoyable.

West coast of Maui is my go to place

By patty j |

Didn't go in the water on this beach this trip-walking along the beach to different hotels and Whaler's village really nice. Recent storms washed away parts of beach by Hyatt Resort and roped off so there you go.

Excellent snorkeling

By Janny B |

We took a trip to Molokini and can say the visibility was just as good here on Kaanapali Bay. Plenty of fish and we didn't have to swim out too far to see them. We spotted turtles in the water and kept our distance. The Maui Trailblazer guide told us exactly where to get in here and at Kapalua Beach nearby. We brought out own gear from home, all day on the beach. It was a little windy but died down in the afternoon.

Afternoon of snorkeling... Twice!

By J9 |

Nice snorkeling spot, you just have to watch for so many people because it is really busy for snorkeling too. Clear water but tides can pull a little since you are so close to the rocks.

Great Beach

By Marian |

Clean, with plenty of room, and a lovely calm ocean perfect for relaxing or snorkeling. There's also free parking!

Perfect Beach!

By CreatingMemories |

Most perfect beach ever with great shopping really close by @ Whalers. Black Rock is such a beautiful spot & offers world class snorkeling. We saw sea turtles every day. Tons of tropical fish. The sand is so soft & white - it’s literally the picture beach! We loved having lunch @ the Hula Hut which is located right on the beach

Gorgeous!!

By Julia C |

This beach was right outside our hotel, and it is gorgeous! Beautiful sunrises and sunsets!! The beach is also very clean, and it wasn't too busy while we were there for the week. Highly recommend!!

Stunning views are just the Beginning !

By DannyWasserman |

We spent a whole day on the beach. We got lounge chairs, snorkeling eqpt, and fins and were just estatic. The views are amazing and the water is so clear. The beaches are clean and the people were so friendly. I even got burnt up. HA HA.

Beautiful

By janetc7575 |

Gorgeous beach with stunning views. Definitely can get crowded in the afternoons but that's the same with most beaches. I enjoyed walking along it in the early morning and at sunset

Nice Long Beach

By SkipperBill2 |

This is a terrific beach with calm areas and some areas to body surf. Nice soft sand. There is enough people to make it enjoyable without being overrun.

Overrated

By Beckibecka |

Why is this such a highly rated beach? Maybe it was just the day we stopped in, but it was not great. We like to be able to at least swim, snorkel, or boogie board. We could do none of that here. The surf was too rough, and the beach itself is long but narrow. We quickly packed it up and found a better beach.

Hard To Beat This Beach

By sfprice1956 |

This beach is one of Maui’s best. It’s approximately a mile long and borders numerous luxury resorts and condos. The extreme north end has famous Black Rock, which is known for cliff diving, great snorkeling and the island’s first mega resort, The Sheraton. The beach is widest in this area and gets much smaller on the south end. The best part may be the paved walkway that runs between the beach and the resorts. This walk offers beautiful views, entry points to the beach and numerous restaurants and retail shops. There are also several rental kiosks where visitors can obtain snorkeling gear, beach chairs, umbrellas and surf boards. Restrooms are plentiful as are entryways to public parking for those not renting rooms at one of the resorts. Get here early if planning to rent beach or ocean related equipment. Expect to pay high prices for anything available to purchase or rent.

Beautiful but not for little ones

By Stephanie M |

The beach is beautiful!!! But the waves are powerful!!!! Don’t let little ones (or small ones) beyond your reach, the surf will knock them down

Too many hotels

By Amy T |

We are not fans of heavily populated areas. I read this was a beautiful beach so we checked it out for a swim. Water was nice but just too many hotels.

Perfect place to snorkel

By Klprose3 |

Fun beach to snorkel at, people watch, jump off black rock. Watch out fir the waves that come in high in the afternoon.

very nice beach

By Elisa P |

very nice beach. i can swim and relax here all week. so stabilizing and behavioral. very recommended

Depends on what you are going here for

By skibran |

Too choppy and too cool to swim the entire time we were there ( a week). No lifeguard. Snorkeling but too choppy to go out. Rough shore break. No comparison to Waikiki beach which I have never felt unsafe at. Nice if you aren't swimming.

Nice beach. Good place to go. There is free parking though there are not a lot of spots

By smhr |

Nice beach. Good place to go. There is free parking available but it is limited. Will recommend the place

Relax on the beach, snorkel the reef

By Canada_Luv_to_travel |

Some of the best snorkeling on the island, right from the beach. Stayed in the Westin villas and alternated from pool to beach for 2 weeks, went on a couple snorkel trips elsewhere, but really, it is so convenient and great variety of reef life, including turtles steps from our villa! Rent from ā€˜the Snorkel Store’ right off the highway in Kaanapali for the best rates and customer service anywhere! Professional and courteous, and up to 10 days rental where others are by the week!

Beautiful Beach- sunsets and cliff jumps

By maryanneB830 |

This beach is beautiful with the bonus of cliff jumping.
-smooth sand and entrance to water
-not rocky at the water entrance
- lots of snorkeling
-saw a turtle
- large beach
- stands near hotels where you can tent chairs, umbrellas, etc
It’s a swim to Black Rock where you need to climb up to take the jump. My teen boys could do it- I couldn’t do the climb!!
At 6:30, there is a torch lighting a cliff jumping right before sunset. The sunset here is beautiful.

Beautiful

By Global462591 |

Ka'anapali Beach as beautiful as ever ! This was our 3rd trip there and it didnt disappoint. Maui and its beaches are amazing !

Just Another Day in Paradise

By Peter G |

Ka’anapali Beach was absolutely gorgeous with large areas of soft sand, warm water, beautiful scenery and waves that were fun for children and adults to play in!

Would stay here every time I visit Maui. There is no place like home……except here. Thank you KBH for a wonderful time.

By BRENDA H |

If we should come back to Maui 100 motet I es I would stay no where expect here. The staff is so friendly they make you feel like you are at home. The greatest so beautiful and immaculately kept. Rooms so clean and serviced daily I just love it here. This is actually our 2nd time here

Beautiful beach!

By Lsy Y |

Beach was clean & had a friendly atmosphere. We walked the beach & noticed certain vibes each part gave. There were calmer areas & there were busier/louder areas. Would definitely consider visiting again!

great view

By pattiras2017 |

what a marvelous 10 days we spent on Ka'anapali beach! the weather was perfect and the waves were amazing. Lots of turtles this year and then some huge King Waves came in to give us quite a show. There was a strong storm in December and there is still a sail boat washed up on the shore.
Clean and friendly. go to this area and enjoy the view.

Go for the snorkelling, if you can find parking

By elizabeth e |

Am I the only person that didn’t love this beach? Maui is amazing, and I read so many blogs recommending kaanapali beach, butttt it’s touristy, full of high rise hotels, and the parking is terrible. Ok, so snorkelling at black rock was pretty epic, but there are sooo many more authentic beaches to go to on the island.

A slice of paradise

By Njgirl84cvd |

Ka'anapali Beach is undoubtedly one of the best beaches West Maui has to offer. Gorgeous aquamarine water with long stretches of white powdery sand beaches against the backdrop of Molokai island is as idyllic as it can get. The only downside is that it can get a bit commercial with many resorts and restaurants along the beachfront. The Black Rock at the end of the beach is famous for snorkeling and the daily cliff diving ceremony at sunset. You can also take a sunset cruise if you fancy. There's also plenty of shopping at the Whalers Village if you enjoy retail therapy. One of my favorite beaches in Maui for sure, despite the crowds.

Best beach in Maui

By Jim B |

Extremely clean and very attractive. Lots of businesses and things to do. The beach can be accessed from a number of public and private properties

The Maui Beach !!!!

By Hasnain K |

Gorgeous beach. Rather small, but the waves, the blue water, the island across the bay and so much more was incredible. We went on a jetski excursion fron this beach as well as the Sunset Sail on the large catamaran from here. It was so ... beachy...

Best beach on Maui despite local richey rich jerks

By Lawrence G |

This is the beach to go to for your first trip to maui - good snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing. Lots of restaurants and bars and a great boardwalk. We stayed at the maui kai which has no beach but is very close. Our only issue was a local - probably a richy rich busy body that was on the beach serving as his own private beach patrol - yelling at people and accosting them for drinking beer, smoking, or not having dogs on a leash. I am surprised this guy - dressed in black shorts and a black long sleeve shirt didnt get punched out for being such an a-hole. Regardless of mr. local a-hole we had a great time and highly recommend

Amazing beach

By Cosmopolitan821708 |

We loved the morning walks on this beautiful, clean and sandy beach. The walkway gives you the experience of walking through a busy street, but at the same time you get the whole ocean view on one side. The restaurants, events, snorkeling etc all add to the amazing experience here. Highly recommended!

Our favorite beach!

By Alyssa B |

Great for snorkeling and pretty quiet, less crowded. We always see a ton of fish and have swam with the turtles a few times

Snorkeling and jumping from Black rock is awesome!

By Mark&Maresceil |

Spent several hours snorkeling and jumping from black rock. Also, we saw several sea turtles- amazing!

Rich, Blue Waters of Ka'anapali

By Steve W |

This is a lovely beach. The water is very clean and clear, the West Maui setting is lovely, and it is long enough that you can find your spot and not feel crowded by others. You don't need to be a hotel guest to enjoy it; I wasn't. While the public parking lot is not huge, I found a space on the two occasions I tried. The beach is a fine, powdery white sand, but there are small rocks in the shallow surf, as well. Last time I was here, I spied 5 turtles in the water and one of them swam right into me. By all means, go.

Best beach walk

By Kathy984 |

You can walk on the paved path or on the sand (we did both) and have a wonderful experience seeing all the resorts and natural beauty. Sand bottom drops off quickly once you're in the ocean.

Nice sand beaches. Next to all Kaanapali resorts.

By BCofOC |

Talk about convenience! If you're staying at any of the Kaanapali resorts, the beach couldn't be closer. The beach is clean. Waves are close to shore and provide lots of excitement. The grandkids wanted to go everyday. (Note: the grandkids said the pool was too boring.)

Love the Beach AND the Beachwalk!

By romadaro |

I’m not really a beach person, but this one is an exception for two reasons: 1) lots of trees along the way providing some natural shade, and 2) there’s nothing like the beach walk, which I took full advantage of in the early morning while getting my steps in and watching the sunrise and in the evening for sunset. It just doesn’t get any better. The trail here is so much nicer than a boardwalk with all the tacky shops.

Tourists still welcome on Kaanapali?

By Chris K |

Have come to Kaanapali beach yearly in April for 5 or more years. This year we were disappointed in the tent community on the beach in front of whalers village protesting short term rentals in Maui. Seems there could be more pressing fire related issues that might warrant tents on the beach...short term rentals affect housing world wide. Although perhaps Maui after the fire is more unique and would be better off if tourists did not come here so much to give the locals more space on their island.

Honeymooners

By Dave W |

Great beach with amazing natural living coral and plenty of wildlife to view from snorkel gear. We decided this was our favorite beach on west Maui

Always the best!

By BikeSarah |

We had heard that much of Kaanapali had been swept away by recent high surf, but what remains is fabulous as always. Beach close to Whalers Village south to Black Rock intact & fine. Considerable beach washed away further north resorts like Kaanapali Alii & Marriott. Always beautiful.....

1 of the best Beaches in the World

By Stuerenberg2007 |

Beautiful, peaceful beach. You can roam the beach without a lot of people. Current is a little rough, you just have to be careful of tides. Scenery is to die for!

Nice beach for sun and snorkeling

By chucknorthcutt |

Be carful entering and exiting the water. It’s easy to get rolled on the rocks by a sneaky wave. When the water is calm the snorkeling and just all out relaxing is great.

Beach

By Lora Stewart |

Beautiful beach and a great place to snorkel. The water is so clear and beautiful. We loved this beach.

Clean beach and sea

By Mirkame |

A beautiful, wide beach. Pure. Fine sand, beautiful clear sea. However, it is a tourist place with lots of hotels and resorts. It does not disturb the beach itself. Toilets, showers all at hand. Refreshment. Markets with local souvenirs. In the evening you can watch the sunset. Whales can be spotted between February and March.

Brilliant Bucket List Trip and Every Bit as Good in Reality

By TheYoungRetiredCouple |

What a stunningly beautiful place. A brilliant bucket list trip I've wanted to do for years. Every bit as good in reality. Stunning. Best beach in the world?

Terrific place

By Chris D |

Time share there. zip lines over beautiful plantations, even the kids can do it, horseback riding to the most beautiful places with terrific guides. even the ride from the airport along the water past little private beaches.

Medallia testing

By Edwin F |

Medallia Testing - 21st Nov 2024, Great Place to Visit with Family.Recommends to visit this place. Don't Miss.Visit during Later years.

I loved it!

By Kris S |

The most beautiful beach I've ever seen! I'm in love with Maui. Loves whalers mall two hotels away!!

Most breathtaking beach I’ve personally seen so far

By DebbieKGray |

We had a wonderful trip to Ka’anapoli beach, as that is the resort area we stayed in. The ocean are the most brilliant and beautiful variations of blue and turquoise. It’s simply something I know everyone would love. Maui is beautiful with so many things to do and sightseeing. It saddens me to know Lahaina was burned when the volcano erupted. The road to Lahaina was absolutely stunning! I hope I make it back there one day to see all of the beauty on that island!

We were there in 2018 not 2024 - TA wouldn’t let me choose outside of 2024 dates.

Nice beach, but crowded on the day we went

By M3703QA |

We love Hawaii, but this beach was a bit crowded and not our favorite in the area. That said, there were some amazing views and the water was clear and beautiful.

~~~ Where is my sandals ~~~

By toto l |

With temperature over 80 fahrenheit and sunny every day , very safe well keep , clean , big beach and not crowded at all , the sands is beautiful smooth and hot , special in the afternoon you need sandals for sure . too many hotels , resort around , great beach for swimming .

Gorgeous quiet beach

By PAN A |

This is a nice long stretch of beach, and plenty of space for everyone. Gorgeous golden sand and amazing sunsets. Watch little ones though as waves can be quite powerful with pretty steep drops.

Beautiful beach!

By JDTravelhome |

Beautiful beach on the north side of the island. We had a great day walking around and enjoying the water.

Hawaii!

By mjdsmiles |

Great experiences with all our grandchildren and our 3 children. hope we can all come back again sometime soon.

stunning clean beach

By angie l |

stunning clean beach look out to molokai and lanai if your lucky in the right season you will see whales

Beautiful Beach but bring Water Shoes

By bornoncapecod |

This beach was great but you need to pick your spots as it sits right on coral for most of it. The walkway is very busy and everyone at the hotels/vacation rentals crowds around the pools and walkways so beach/sand is pretty empty. I recommend camping out in front of the Westin as it was the widest part of beach with least amount of coral/rocks and still had decent waves. Beware of the many catamarans that beach dock just past the Westin as they are constantly picking up and dropping off tour passengers and it can be a big unsettling while snorkeling. I recommend walking down to the black rocks in front of the Sheraton as that is where the best snorkeling is or if you are up for it go to the other side of the Black Rocks for some great snorkel. I thought all the food restaurants at Whaler's Mall were marginal.

Do at least once

By Bkbak |

It's a beautiful beach but crowded and usually with rough sea conditions. There are so many other beaches with less people and nicer conditions. Ka'anapali Beach is the place to see and be seen. For the past few years, there has been beach deterioration from swells. These swells have affected the entire West and Northwest beaches unless the beach is in a cove or bay. Good to go to and experience at least once.

Best of the Best

By tydowns |

**I went in Jan 2018, but couldn't select a date that far back**

Amazing beach. Beautiful. Picturesque. Sets the standard for all other beaches.

Top of the world...

By Tiziano D |

The beach is alive with people and lined with resorts and a great mall (Whaler's Village), where the food court is excellent. The view from it (Lanai and Molokai) is breathless.

Ka'anapali Beach Visit

By Andy A |

Enjoyed a sunset walk and then dinner on Ka'anapali Beach. Definitely worth a visit if you're on Maui. Nice wide sand beach with clear water. A popular departure are for may catamaran tour boats. Parking can be a challenge.

Great beach to stop along the coast

By MsSassy19 |

In driving up the coast, or hanging out for a day, great beach to relax and snorkel at. Clear water, and sandy for quite a ways out.

Great Spot for Snorkeling and Relaxing

By TWOGTHEPUG |

Beautiful beach and great snorkeling near Black Rock! We saw lots of types of fish and sea turtles! Can get a little crowded with hotel guests.

Beautiful sunset

By savtachaya |

Beautiful beach for watching sunset. There is a beach walk going along the hotels. Lovely walk. We just sat on the beach and watched sunset. Also the party boats dock and let people off from their sunset cruise

Ka’anapali beach

By shaila |

Beautiful sunset! This beach is perfect to watch the sunset! There it isn’t as far from the shore to the water as some of the other beaches and the waves don’t seem as wild. It’s connected to black rock beach which is also fun! Parking can be tricky but there are multiple lots!

Clear Blue Water

By Lauren H |

I was a little hesitant to go there because I know it is a crowded and popular beach but I am so glad we went. We went around 11 and were able to find a parking spot in the Whaler's Parking garage. Beach was beautiful and clean.

Gorgeous beach

By Tacomafam |

This beach is stunningly beautiful. It has fun waves, yet Black Rock stays pristine for snorkeling. We saw huge schools of fish and two green sea turtles. We love to arrive early (8 a.m.) to get a free parking spot in the small lot. If we arrive later in the day we park at Whalers Village and buy some macadamia chocolates or cold drinks from ABC store to validate our parking (only $15 for validation). When swimming in the evening, live music often floats down from the restaurants which makes for a magical atmosphere.

OK if you are a resort person

By lgs701 |

Unbelievable seafront resorts the entire length. Much better and quieter beaches towards the south and north. Would not choose to stay on this beach again.

Definitely worth a dip in the sea here in paradise

By jewelduck |

Saw a sea turtle within 5 minutes of entering the water! The water and wake was a little rough but for a strong swimmer on that somewhat windy day getting out to the coral reef made all the difference. Really clear water. Beautiful blue skies. Can't think of a better way to spend a morning than whiling away with the sea life in the beautiful, not too cold, waters off of Kaanapali beach.

My Favorite Beach in the World!

By Michigan_Czar |

My favorite beach from the great views of Molokai, Lanai and the whales in season. Everyone enjoys the sunset over Lanai. The beach has a nice walking path with many beautiful resorts and Whaler's Village with restaurants and shopping.

Beautiful Beach in West Maui

By roj1281 |

Since there are many hotels in this area I expected this beach to be much more crowded. It was not at all and was very convenient for me to walk to from my hotel. The waters were calm and clear and it has a spectacular backdrop of Lana'i and Moloka'i. Beautiful place!

Family friendly beach

By Rhonda L |

Great area for snorkeling and splashing around with the kids since it is a more protected area. We also saw several turtles there while snorkeling.

We loved it

By Kim L |

The resort is amazing. We took a helicopter ride, a tour, and snorkeling. The food was amazing. There were about 5 pools for adults and children.

Great Beach Area

By Sunshine579309 |

We visited Maui in June 2021. We booked a condo on the resort stretch of Kaanapali beach. We highly recommend this area for families and those who are interested in a resort-style vacation (we are an active family and hiked quite a bit over on the Northern side so that was about an hour's drive away). The beach here is great for sunning, swimming, surfing, SUP - it is large and sandy as opposed to some beach area where there are rocks. If you want to snorkel, you are within walking distance of a great area to snorkel and see turtles as well (May's Beach which is about a 16 minute walk from Whaler's Village), there are many amenities in Kaanapali (spa services, sailing, parasailing, surf lessons, SUP, etc.). There is a long and lovely paved beach walk as well that connects the resorts and condos to Whaler's Village, an outdoor mall with restaurants, ice cream, and shopping. If you like to be more "on your own" and don't care for the "resort feel" you may want to consider Paia or other areas on the North side. We really loved it over there as well - and it has a different feel to it.

Love to swim in the ocean!

By MRJSP |

One of the most spectacular beaches! And not at all crowded. The water temperature was about 70 degrees, waves were gentle and easy to swim.
There’s also a lovely paved beach walk you can do with restaurants and hotels.

Beautiful Kaanapali!

By sparkle519 |

Beautiful beach! It’s definitely a beach you should come and check out if you’re not staying at a resort on Kaanapali beach. I recommend staying at a resort on the beach because they all have beach access. The sand is great and it’s a clean beach. The water is crystal blue!

5 star, amazing beach

By robarabian |

Been coming here 20 years. Amazing beach. From Black Rock to the surf zone, this is one of the best beaches in the world.

Overrated

By David C |

No one mention the homeless people that are taking over the beach and all the garbage they leave. Great job, governor and Mayor

Paradise

By Gail C |

The water is absolutely gorgeous and serene, and the people are wonderful. However, the sunset truly stood out. It made everything worthwhile.

Beautiful sunsets on Kaanapali Beach

By 19diane68 |

Stayed at Hyatt Residence Club on Beach. Absolutely gorgeous, clean beach. Not wide due to erosion. Direct view of Lanai for sunsets. Never really crowded, whale spouts in evidence this time of year. Very relaxing

Beautiful beach

By Rebekah W |

This was one of our favorite beaches to visit. It was beautiful, with soft sand!
Downsides: Not where I would pick to snorkel, lots of people because of all the resorts.
Tip: All resorts in Kihei are required to supply a certain number (about 10 from what we saw) free beach parking spots so, drive down to the resorts and look around for "Beach Parking" to hopefully snag a spot. Start early!

Truly lives up to their claim to be the most Hawaiian hotel.

By JULIAN |

This was an amazing hotel. The service was excellent and we stayed in one of their pre-refurbished rooms which was clean tidy and comfortable. The staff were really kind and friendly lots of Aloha.

Should have way more than just 3 stars.

Paradise Found in Maui

By Tasha J |

Ka'anapali Beach is stunning with clear waters and golden sand. Perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and sunbathing. Amazing sunsets and convenient amenities nearby. Highly recommend for a Maui visit!

Fun Beach Day

By Hayley S |

The beach was so enjoyable! The sand was soft and the water was a beautiful blue. We brought our own snorkel gear and could snorkel!

relaxing

By Felicia G |

nice for a long morning walk. bright blue clear water and can rent chairs/snorkel gear from the hotels.

Maui works

By kgbone |

While it’s true you have to drive by the remains of Lahaina on your way to Kaanapali, the county has done a good job of walling off most of the damage from prying eyes. But this is definitely the time to go back, because Kaanapali is happening the way it always did. We just got in but the beach is amazing, the resorts are running well and these good people of Maui need our financial support. You won’t go wrong up here; the Safeway at the cannery mall is remodeled into the biggest, nicest, cleanest grocery store we’ve seen, and we live close to a Whole Foods and a big HEB. The tourist count is way off, so there’s no 30-40 minute wait in line for anything. We’ve always loved Maui and Maui is—if anything—easier to love, so show them your support. You will
be glad you did…

Excellent beach for families with kids

By Anisha A |

Excellent beach for families with kids- parked at Whalers and validated at ABC- waves were perfect for boogie boarding. Rentals on the beach and pricery. Nice rinse off area..

Wonderful small beach

By Nancy L W |

Small beach that wasn't crowded. Plenty of parking. Sand was nice, water was clear. We saw tons of turtles swimming by, large and small. Loved this beach!

Great beach

By Brett B |

Each was amazing, numerous turtle sightings. Easy to get in and out. Not many people, will want to take water and some food.

Shopping, Eating, Beach Time all in one spot

By Tom M |

We always visit Whaler Village when vacationing on Maui. Great shopping and dining. And the beach has plenty of showers if you plan on going for a dip.

Beautiful blue waters, big waves.

By Jeffreeshen |

Parked for free behind the Westin. Wind was strong and so were the waves. Super clear water and gorgeous white sand. Beautiful beach.

Emergency medical services.

By Chris L |

For the past 33 years vacationing in Kaanapali beach in West Maui has been at the very top of our list of vacation destinations. We love the hotels, we love the restaurants, we love the people.

However, last Wednesday my wife and I were witness to one of the most horrifying events I have ever seen in my life.

Unfortunately, a man in his early 70s suffered a heart attack near Black rock. Some tourists took quick action and began administering CPR. There was four or five people doing compressions rotating every five minutes or so. About 30 minutes later the fire department EMS team arrived. Not being paramedics they could only do compressions.

The hotel nearby brought down an AED which was also put into years. About 35 minutes after the incident began a paramedic arrived on scene by himself.

As he compressions continued people began to wonder where the ambulance was to transport this person to the hospital.

After an hour, a Doctor Who was communicating with the paramedic decided to cease doing chest compressions

After about an hour and 20 minutes someone asked what time the ambulance was going to arrive. The answer was that they were shorthanded and the ambulance was busy.

Whether or not this person would have had any chance of survival is unknown. But he was never given the drugs are the equipment to even give him a chance.

The body was in wrapped in a towel or some type of blanket and carried through the pool area of the hotel too I am going to assume some type of storage room in the hotel.

My only question is, with the hundreds of millions of dollars that the city takes in just in hotel taxes alone. How is it possible that they cannot provide adequate medical services to the 25 to 35,000 tourists who are in the 5 to 6 mi.² area every day?

In my opinion, what my wife and I witnessed was inexcusable. I will never look at the Hawaiian vacation the same.

Beach w a view

By Charles |

Terrific beach which has views of two other Hawaiian islands, Lanai and Molokai. Hump back whales were spotted breaching, etc. Whalers Village is close by and walkable w many interesting shops.

Beautiful sandy beach with great snorkelling

By Lynne H |

This is a nice, wide sandy beach. Entry to the water is all sand but it gets very hot so surf socks are recommended so you don’t burn your feet. There is great snorkelling all along the beach but the best snorkelling is at Black Rock. If you go out around the point, there’s a shallow area with tons of fish. There are also lots of turtles that hang out just off the beach. The variety of fish is amazing: I even saw a moray eel. The surf can be very strong so I don’t recommend swimming when they have the red flags up but on calmer days, this is a great beach to swim and snorkel. There are lots of resorts along the beach and lots of amenities like restaurants, washrooms and showers. There is limited public parking that fills up before 8 am so expect to pay for parking unless you get there really early - I recommend getting there really early because the snorkelling is best first thing in the morning.

Beautiful long beach

By Krevett_77 |

A beautiful beach, long but short to land with your towel.
The water is beautiful, the view of Lanai and Maloka'i islands makes the moment even better.
There are a lot of waves but nothing to surf, just something to have fun with.
You can have the chance to swim with turtles and also admire corals and beautiful species of fish.

Beautiful beach with mostly calm waters.

By blindman20002000 |

This is an active beach with decent snorkeling and relatively calm seas compared to those on the other side of the island. Clear water and many options for food and drinks all along the beach.

Beautiful Beach

By Kristy G |

We spent quite a bit of time on this beach, largely due to our hotel's location here. It was our favorite beach. The sand and water were wonderful. Great snorkeling a Black Rock at the end of the beach. Gentle enough surf for kids but enough to play.

Still good to go

By Phelps M |

There are some aspects of this beach: grass, rock that are hindrance to the full enjoyment. But you get that everywhere. Here, the locals are nice. Tourists are too loud. Enjoy with locals here.

Beautiful beach, watch undertow.

By msuivyci |

We rented our own chairs, umbrellas in advanced so chairs were not an issue. Beautiful beach with snorkeling available, but be aware of undertow. True with any beach in Maui, but no lifeguard on duty so swim with partner and just be aware.

November testing

By Flyer39079606090 |

Beautiful places to be visited , I have visited on 21 Nov 2024 and its place to be remembered and surely will go next year as well.

Always, Always beautiful!

By Jen G |

We were staying north of Balck Rock at the Westin Villas and though it was much more crowded with umbrellas and people than usual for October there was still plenty of beautiful ocean, beach, and plenty of walking and snorkeling room! Always, our place to find our peace!

fantastic beach

By Ruth R |

a great beach to swim on and just walk on it. Loved watching the waves come in and watching the surfers.

Breathtaking!

By Mildred B |

Ka'anapali Beach is absolutely breathtaking! The sandy shores and transparent waters are ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Black Rock offers thrilling cliff-diving opportunities. Convenient facilities and dining options nearby enhance the experience. Spectacular sunsets are the icing on the cake. Strongly recommended!

Turtles

By Travelaandd |

It’s the busiest beach we visited but for the snorkels in our group it was the best. They snorkeled around black rock and down the way they had the best visibility and they saw several turtles and a baby shark as well. We even saw a turtles swimming along with the kids right at the beach. After swimming and snorkeling we headed into the Sheraton Resort right there for drinks and lunch by their pool, we were welcomed in no problem you didn’t have to be a guest of the hotel to enjoy the bar. FYI they also validate your parking which is quite expensive.

Beautiful Beach

By Michelle V |

The beach has beautiful sand and is very clean. The water is crystal clear and the perfect temperature for July. We also met many kind people. We stayed at The Westin and found that area of the beach to have very rough surf. We also spent time near The Sheraton (which I believe is called Blackrock. The beach has a much more gradual incline. The waves weren’t quite as rough. In the last day of our vacation we visited the area close to the Marriott for dinner. The beach was less crowded and the surf seemed calmer as well. Overall the entire beach is beautiful.

Yes it’s a lot like every other great beach but

By Ls8989 |

It’s got everything- clear beautiful water, soft white sand (I wondered if it’s brought in bc the rest of the Maui beaches I’ve been too don’t have sand like this) and some nice shops and expensive restaurants just a stroll away. And foot showers and restrooms. I prefer some other beaches for a better Maui experience but this one is just so easy.

Nice beach

By sevenhearths |

Great beach and watched whales breaching in the ocean from the beach. Sandy beach was nice. Not typically the area I stay on Maui, but was not disappointed.

BEAUTIFUL BEACH

By MDF |

Absolutely beautiful beach and waters. Not too many rocks to make walking/swimming in the ocean uncomfortable. Very enjoyable.

Beautiful Beach

By Jennifer T |

The family enjoyed our visits and walks along this beach. The "Maui cats" that live along the walkway between the grassy resort areas and the beach really were a lot of fun for the kids. Some areas of the water had some rocks but nothing that wasn't manageable for the family, we were able to snorkel here and swim without issues.

Best beach in this area.

By Iowabiker |

Beautiful beach! It is long and has lots of high end restaurants. Great for kids. We parked in the ramp at Whalers Village, walked the beach and ate at Hula Grill where we got parking validated.

Beach of dreams

By Lauren S |

Gorgeous beach, we went in June and was surprised how empty it was! The beach ran in front of our hotel so we were lucky enough to see it every day 🄰

Great for snorkeling

By Helen B |

Lovely this time of year, with amazing snorkeling soft sand and stunning ocean views. Easy in and out for snorkeling and saw dozens of varieties of fish

Beautiful but disappearing

By on_the_go_98765 |

Over the many years that we have been coming here, beach erosion has increased and it is obvious when walking the Hyatt-to-Sheraton strip of beach. Near the Hyatt, areas are cordoned off and the tiny bit of beach they did have is almost nonexistent now.

Around the Marriott and down to the Sheraton, the situation is better but not perfect. Steep shelf ledges show just how active that erosion has been and continues to be.

This stretch of beach has it all: dining places, Whalers Village, kiosks to rent whatever is needed to pursue water activities, and more kiosks to schedule a catamaran cruise or sightseeing trip.

The surf is a bit rougher near the Marriott and gets more gentle down towards Black Rock. Water temperature is pretty cold in the winter but that doesn't seem to deter people from getting down under the waves.

Famous but over rated beach

By amycrashed |

Pretty beach, but it’s crowded and touristy. If you’re looking for snorkeling, skip this stop. Poor visibility and the crowds seem to scare off fish. We collected a bunch of trash out of the water. Hotels have only super expensive food.

Beautiful!

By Domenica C |

The beach is stunning and perfect for snorkeling. Make sure to bring sunscreen because if you don’t have an umbrella, there is no other shade. We spent most the time in the water. Kids of all ages were enjoying the waves.

White sand in Paradise

By Michael G |

A wonderful place to stay... Just like the picture. We stayed at the Westin Timeshare Villas and it was like coming home to Hawaii. The views and rooms and amenities made staying in Ka'anapail just perfect.. You can walk on the beach forever.. Paradise in reality . Mahalo

Nice long beach

By 440rosemarym |

This is one of the best beaches on the island. I'm not sure how anyone can call it a small beach, at least not lengthwise. It's about a mile long but does drop off rather sharply at the shoreline. Snorkeling close to Black Rock is very good, especially in the morning and at low tide. The water can get a bit choppy sometimes. There are many resorts and timeshares along the beach and there is a free Trolley that will drop you off at various locations, incase you get tired and don't want to walk back to your hotel. Whaler's Village has nice restaurants and there are casual places to eat too.

Not enough people wearing masks, but nice beach

By StressedOutTraveler |

Crowded over spring break and not everyone is wearing a mask on the boardwalk, with no enforcement. But a good beach with lots to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an outbreak soon.

Love this beach

By Lisa P |

This is a beautiful, long, fun beach. We loved watching the boats come in and the sunset. The sidewalk in front of the hotels and condos is busy. But the beach had plenty of room to walk.

Great Beach

By Shay C |

A very beautiful beach with soft and clean sand. The water is a perfect temp and the wildlife is nice to enjoy when you come across it. Not as crowded as some of the other more famous spots.