Makena Beach, Hawaii, United States

5Grizeagle 5:00 PM Jul 27, 2022

Eco-natural beach
The longest stretch of sandy beach in Makena State Park is Makena Beach also known as Big Beach. The 3,000 feet of soft, golden -white sand stretches between two lava rock outcropping. The 100 ft wide beach has shade trees along the backend of the beach. The sloping beach sees large rollers crashing and pounding the sand hard along the beachfront. This is a great place to swim, boogie board and snorkel when the waters are not too rough. The scenic beauty is top notch on this laid back, rural, non-developed and rustic beach in south Maui. The cinder cone of Pu'u Olai is at the north. end and Secret Cove is at the south end of this gorgeous beach. There are three parking lot entrances , two life guard stations and plenty of space at this usually uncrowded gem of a beach. A lot of locals come here to relax and the atmosphere here is not touristy.This area is on the drier, rain shadow side of Maui where even cactus plants flourish, The trail to Little Beach is on the northend over the side of Pu;u Olai. A great place to see the coastal beauty and eco-systems in a natural setting with turquoise seas, golden sand and bluebird skies over distant islands to the west. A must see beach environment for the naturalist in you 6 miles south of Kihei.

4Brazililli 5:00 PM Jul 11, 2022

Gorgeous and dangerous!!
Blue waters, beautiful sand, beautiful views, bathrooms, parking, free coral safe sunscreen, lifeguards and gorgeous sunsets. Dangerous waves and currents, pricey entry. More pros than cons. Worth going even if you never go in the water. We met a local family very familiar with Makena and they told us to be very very careful because it is really that dangerous. A sign posted says that this is the number 1 spine cord injury beach in Hawaii. This family told us 1 of their friends died there and 1 had a spine cord injury so it's no joke! The slogan on the sign and often repeated by the lifeguards is "If in doubt don't go out". About the parking...$10 for the car and $5 per person. The payment machine is temperamental and it will take you about 5 or 6 tries to get it to accept your card. Don't give up because the barcode payment option does not work. It says you are in Lahaina when you put the zone number. Many other people had the same experiences so that's why I feel like I should mention. I did see people parking on the main road to avoid paying for parking. I guess if you are not staying long it's an option. The second entrance of the park is closer to the beach if you are going ro park on the street.