Ka'anapali Beach, Maui

Kaanapali beach is Maui’s favorite resort beach and fronts lots of hotels including the Sheraton Maui Resort, the Kaanapali Shores, the Westin Maui, the Embassy Vacation Resort Kaanapali Beach, the Kaanapali Beach Resort, and the Hyatt Regency Maui (to name a few).

So it’s not a beach to get away from it all, but nonetheless it’s a very beautiful beach, and a great hang-out if you’re lucky enough to be staying in one of the hotels. There’s lots of sand to explore – a good reference point is Black rock, which is the black lava point standing at the northern end of the main beach. Just beyond Black rock there’s pretty Kahelili beach. To the south, the beach continues as far as Hanakoo Beach Park. Altogether the sand stretches to around 2 miles.

The blue water is warm and (on most days) calm, making swimming and body/boogie-board surfing highly enjoyable. Black rock is a great snorkeling spot, with lots of marine life to check out. But jumping off the rock is very popular, so make sure to keep an eye out for this aerial danger!

A paved beachwalk runs behind the beach, with access to shops, restaurants and rental outfits. There are public restrooms and showers available.

In the evening the water’s still warm enough for a late swim. Later on you may hear a strange sound coming from Black Rock – the tradition of saying good-bye to the sun with a conch carries on.