Little Beach - Wednesday 5:30pm

Little Beach, Maui is yet another beach with many names. Whether you want to call it Little Beach, Little Makena Beach or Onouli Beach is completely up to you! It's a great place to hang out in the warm Maui sun, but only if you're free spirited enough to accept the fact that it's widely considered to be a clothing optional beach. 

 

It backs onto one of the largest cinder cones on Maui: Pu'u Ola'i. To get here, you must head to the north end of Big Beach, and climb along the footpath over the rocky remains of a lava flow from Pu'u Ola'i. 

 

If you're willing to make the trip, you'll be rewarded with an ocean that is generally much more suitable for swimming and boogie boarding compared to Big Beach. This is mostly due to the gentler shorebreak here.

 

There are no toilets at this beach; however, the portable toilets at Big Beach can be used. Speaking of Big Beach, you can park your car in the parking lot there - you'll find lots of space and it's all free! (Note: There are 2 parking lots for Big Beach, one at the south and one at the north end. Park in the north lot to be closer to Little Beach.) Especially if you plan on spending the day here, bring your own supply of fresh drinking water, as you won't find any here!

 

The beach is only open during the day... the park gates are locked in the evening. Little Beach, Maui is located in Makena State Park, south of Kihei and Wailea. From Kihei, follow the Piilani Highway until it turns to the west and becomes Wailea Ike Drive. Across from the Shops at Wailea, it forms a dead-end, and you must turn left (south) onto Wailea Alanui Drive. This road eventually changes its name to Makena Alanui Road. Shortly before Makena State Park,  this road changes names yet again, and becomes South Makena Road. Follow this road until the turn-off to Makena State Park. You should park at "Entry 1" for Makena.

 

At the north end of Big Beach is a rocky point... just past that you can see a much smaller beach, which is Little Beach, Maui!