visiting maui in february (Kahului, Kihei: rental, condos, hotel)

[twixbar]

hello all! the wife and i are visiting maui for four days for a wedding and some leisure time... can anybody recommend a few good beaches on the island to snorkel and just chill. thanks for the help!

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by twixbar

hello all! the wife and i are visiting maui for four days for a wedding and some leisure time... can anybody recommend a few good beaches on the island to snorkel and just chill. thanks for the help!

Beaches in Maui | Fodor's Travel Guides

[twixbar]

thank you. what side of the island is good for calm weather in february? we are looking for a calm beach

[whynot?]

Both South Maui (Kihei/Wailea) and West Maui (Lahaina/Ka'anapali, etc.) offer "calm" weather year-round. Maui has very few open-ocean beaches, so we have only a few high-surf areas. Our major vacation areas are thus South Maui and West Maui.

Dedicated windsurfers, kite-surfers, etc. seek the more open areas of our North Shore, Ho'okipa, etc., during the more likely high-surf weeks.

If you're just looking for good swimming, snorkeling, and whale-watching, either South Maui or West Maui is for you, depending upon your preferences for hotel brands, rental condos, and atmostphere.

Best of luck.

[twixbar]

so im flying in to kahului airport, and my hotel is in lahaina. what beach would be good to stop at during the drive to the hotel? id like calm, and not many people... thanks again!

[Calico Salsa]

Winds come up at around 11am on Maui west side, and most flights land then or later. That means as you drive by a beach, it might look less calm than it would if you went earlier in the morning.

The drive through Kahului is mostly city. There are beaches near the airport, but I wouldn't recommend them - windy and not where I'd send a visitor.

Then you get to Ma'alaea Harbor, which is very windy, and you go north on the coastal road towards Lahaina. Some of the coastal area is more cliff for the first section, and there are pull outs and roads down to the water, but those are more for fishing. Then the road drops closer to sea level, and you'll see some narrow beaches. Keep going, look for more sand. But again, if it's after 11am, you'll see surfers and waves, which means not as calm. Not rough, but not flat.

As you near Lahaina, you see some larger beaches, probably with people, but I don't think of them as crowded - at least not compared to California Santa Cruz or SoCal.

February is peak season because the whales are here, so any beach is likely to have people on it. Again, don't let that deter you, just be willing to walk down the sand a ways from the path.

Resort beaches in Lahaina are going to be more crowded because people don't want to drive, just go outside. You might drive down to the Kihei/Wailea area, about 40 minutes depending on traffic.

[mauibeachbum]

As you reach ocean on the South side (about 30 minutes from the airport) the highway will turn to the right towards your hotel. To the left of that intersection is Kihei first. There are a number of beaches there that are good for swimming. Sugar Beach is the 6 mile long beach you will first see. While a great strolling beach, not much for swimming in the afternoon. If I were you, I would just continue towards your hotel. You will pass several public beaches prior to Lahina.
Maui has the greatest number of public accessible beaches of any of the islands. I normally snorkel two or three different beaches a day while there.

Oh, and if you are new to the islands. Hawaii is not immune to those who seek an easy living. If you stop along side of the highway at one of the beaches, be certain that you leave nothing of value or appearing that way ; in plain site. Just lock all of those items in the trunk of your car BEFORE you reach the beach.

[twixbar]

thank you for the responce. you are right, i will be arriving in the afternoon. so a beach with out wind is what im looking for...

[whynot?]

Sorry to say but "Lahaina" addresses are common among a long swath of West Maui. (Because we have only two US Post Offices here -- one in Lahainatown and one just north between Lahainatown and the Ka'anapali resort area. A "Lahaina" hotel could be anywhere from Launiopoko to Kapalua -- 20+ miles of the Hono'opiilani Hwy.)

If you want to dip your toes into the water before you get to Lahainatown, your best bet is Launiopoko Beach, about 2 miles south. There's a beach park there with parking lots (and the FIRST stoplight past Olawalu) on both sides of the highway.

Your next option (traveling north toward Lahainatown) is Puamana, which is at the very south end of Lahainatown and has parking ONLY on the left. I'm not sure a left turn out of the lot (to go into town) is even legal.

Please feel free to DM me if you have more specific requirements, or if you want recommendations based on when you're arriving and where you're staying. There *are* other beach parks between Launiopoko and Lahainatown, but all of the parking is on the left (as you drive to West Maui), and both getting IN and getting OUT are tricky (without the convenience of a stoplight, as at Launiopoko).

Best of luck.

[McFrostyJ]

Originally Posted by twixbar

so im flying in to kahului airport, and my hotel is in lahaina. what beach would be good to stop at during the drive to the hotel? id like calm, and not many people... thanks again!

If you just landed, your car will be full of luggage. You might want to go drop that off at your hotel before you park at any beach. Just a suggestion.