Keawakapu Beach
Keawakapu Beach is a sparkling jewel set at the far southern end of South Kihei Road in South Maui. At 1/2 mile long, there's plenty of room for everyone and the beach is very popular with tourists and locals alike. Multi-million dollar houses line the shore, but they're unobtrusive and the number of people in them doesn't overwhelm the beach at all. The sand is very fine and super soft, and slopes gently into the water, producing a superior swimming experience. In the mornings you might find a glassy smooth ocean to swim in.
Keawakapu is a delightful beach to swim the length of, since it is 1/2 mile long and there's a lava outcropping that extends into the water halfway down the beach to break up the monotony and let you know you've made it that far (of course, you can't really go ashore right there, so you need to keep going or turn around!).
This is a very dog-friendly beach, and many people walk their dogs there daily. Some of the people who own the houses on the shore have dogs, too. Officially, dogs must be on least at all times, but this rule seems to be rarely obeyed and even more rarely enforced, at least at this beach.
A/K/A
The central entrance to Keawakapu Beach is also known to surfers as "Sidewalks", perhaps after the sidewalk you have to walk down to get to it? Keawakapu literally means "The Forbidden (or Sacred) Harbor" in Hawaiian.Hours of Operation
The sign in the parking lot at the south end of the beach lists the "Park Hours" as 7:00am to 7:00pm, but there is no gate on the parking lot, and there's also parking outside the official lot. There are three entrances to Keawakapu beach, and it's pretty clear that people have unfettered access to the beach 24 hours a day.The two southern parking lots are patrolled by the Wailea Patrol, a private security patrol, but they are there to prevent trouble, not to hassle peaceful after-hours users of the beach.
Weather Forecast
(As of 329 PM HST Wednesday July 11 2007)Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 75 at the shore to around 55 at 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Sunny. Highs around 86 at the shore to around 71 at 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Lows around 76 at the shore to around 55 at 5000 feet. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph and gusty.
Friday: Sunny. Highs 67 to 88. East winds 10 to 15 mph with higher gusts.
Friday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 75. Northeast winds around 10 mph and gusty.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 67 to 89. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 75. East winds around 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 67 to 87. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 75. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 67 to 87. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 75. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs 67 to 87. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows 50 to 75. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.
Sunrise: 5:50am Sunset: 7:08pm. Visit Maui Weather Today for a daily discussion of the current weather patterns affecting Maui. For the surf conditions, visit the Maui Surf Report.
See our Webcams page for up to the minute conditions all around Maui!
Getting There
Keawakapu Beach is the last beach on South Kihei Road. As you are driving south on South Kihei Road, you will pass the Kihei Boat Ramp on the right, and then a sign for the Maui Mana Kai. There is a gravel parking lot on the right just after this sign. This is Parking Area 1 on the map below. This northernmost parking lot is probably the least secure of the three parking lots for Keawakapu because the Wailea Patrol doesn't patrol here.
If you continue down South Kihei Road you will come to a sign on the left that just says "Wailea". Just before this sign, on the left, is a parking lot for Keawakapu Beach (you need to turn up the side street to enter the parking lot). This is Parking Area 2 on the map below.
Each entrance has its plusses and minuses. The northernmost portion of the beach (Parking Area 1) tends to be more crowded because of the condos and hotels there. There is sometimes good snorkeling at the rocks at the northern tip, and you could get an (expensive) bite to eat or a drink at the restaurant at the Maui Mana Kai or at Sarento's on the Beach. There is also a little convenience store on the ground floor of the Maui Mana Kai.
The central entrance has lots of parking in a paved lot, although it's a longer walk to the beach (you have to cross South Kihei Road). There's a public shower on the walkway. If you go just to the left of this entrace on the beach, you'll come to a lava outcropping that divides the beach in half. In extremely calm seas there might be good snorkeling here, but in general there's too much silt in the water. If you go past this outcropping you come to the north end of the other half of the beach, which is one of the largest and least populated parts of the beach.
The southern entrance has fewer rocks in the water than the other two, except all the way to the left, where a lava outcropping extends into the water and makes for good snorkeling. It also has an outdoor shower, a trash can (one of the only ones on this beach!) and a porta-pottie.
Map
You may also view a more detailed full-screen version of this map on Google Maps.
Facilities
Keawakapu Beach has:- One Porta-pottie at the southernmost entrance (Parking Area 3)
- Outdoor showers at all three entrances
Images
What's Nearby
The Maui Mana Kai is right on the north end of the beach and has both owner-occupied and rental condominiums. These condominiums are designed as "lock-outs", so one of the bedrooms can either be part of the condominium or rented separately as a hotel-like accomodation. This building also has a restaurant, a convenience store, and a yoga studio on the ground floor level.The Best Western Maui Oceanfront Inn is also on the north end this beach, and the Sarento's bar and restaurant. All the way at the south end of the beach is the Wailea Ekahi Village condominium complex (their pool area overlooks the south end of the beach).
Aside from that, you'll not find any facilities or stores nearby, which may be one of the reasons why Keawakapu Beach remains an unspoiled gem.
Copyright 2006 by Maui Beach Guide.