Wailea Beach

[ULCajunCruiser]

Anyone ever do Wailea Beach DIY from Kahului cruise port?   I think it's about a 1/2 drive each way, but I don't see many options for getting there and back.  Once I'm there is this a public beach, or do I have to buy a day pass from a resort?  If public, are there chairs and umbrellas to rent, food and drinks, restrooms?

 

Or is there a nice beach closer to the cruise port??

[CruiserBruce]

All beaches in Hawaii are public beaches...so no pass from a hotel required. Chairs etc will be rented from the hotels on the beaches. Restrooms will be on the path, or in the resorts. Food and drink will be purchased in the resorts, or in the Wailea shopping area, which is a ways away.

[princeton123211]

On 3/6/2023 at 9:22 AM, ULCajunCruiser said:

Or is there a nice beach closer to the cruise port??

No, but an extra 15 minutes in the opposite direction is Kaanapali Beach which I think is nicer than Wailea and has vastly better facilities/amenities for day guests with Whalers Village. Plus you’ll have the benefit of being able to visit Lahaina before or after your beach day.

 

Kaanapali was just rated the 10th nicest beach in the world.

[BermudaBound2014]

59 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

No, but an extra 15 minutes in the opposite direction is Kaanapali Beach which I think is nicer than Wailea and has vastly better facilities/amenities for day guests with Whalers Village. Plus you’ll have the benefit of being able to visit Lahaina before or after your beach day.

 

Kaanapali was just rated the 10th nicest beach in the world.

15 minutes? You flying a plane? 😉

 

Kaanapali is an hour from kahalui port on a good day. Wailea is 15-20 minutes tops. And by staying on the Wailea side the OP doesn’t have to contend with the possibilities of issues crossing the Pali. A tiny brush fire near Ulumehama last Wednesday and it Took me over 2 hours to get from Ma’Alaea to Kapalua.
 

Unfortunately, issues on the Pali are becoming much more frequent with increased tourism. If in Maui for just one day (and docking in Kahalui), I recommend staying on that side of the island and not risking traffic. 
 

 

[ULCajunCruiser]

9 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Unfortunately, issues on the Pali are becoming much more frequent with increased tourism. If in Maui for just one day (and docking in Kahalui), I recommend staying on that side of the island and not risking traffic. 
 

Yes, I'm very concerned about this.   I think your advice is spot on.   If I do do a DIY, I plan on sticking close to the port

[princeton123211]

9 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

15 minutes? You flying a plane? 😉

I said an extra 15 minutes vs Wailea. Kaanapali is 45-1 hour vs 30-45 minutes for Wailea.

[BermudaBound2014]

I haven't made it from Kahalui to Kaanapali in 45 minutes since the pandemic. I may have underestimated Wailea at 20 minutes, but I can't believe it could possible be more than 30 especially since all the round-about construction at the high school is finished.

 

I do agree that Kaanapali is a better beach but I would not want to chance the very unpredictablee pali on a single day cruise ship stop. A different story when the cruise is in for two days.

 

To the OP, it sounds like you are renting a car? If so, may I suggest some sight seeing vs beach day in Maui? It's really a beautiful island with many microclimate areas to explore. Twin falls is a super easy hike (swim in the waterfalls) and you would pass Ho'okipa beach along the way (turtles and surfers). It's at the very start of the road to hana so no need to worry about winding roads. Halealaka is always a very interesting drive thru upcountry to the summit. Lots to do in upcountry too and it will be cooler up there if you are coming in the summer. None of these I would consider 'far' from the port.

 

Also, Kanaha beach (not to be confused with Kahana beach) is very close to the port to just hang on the beach (only 2 miles away). Lots of kite surfers here and there are restrooms/showers but no place to rent chairs. At one point this beach had a very high amount of homeless living in cars, but it was totally cleaned up two years ago and I think it's a very underrated beach for that side of the island. If I just wanted a beach day and wasn't renting a car with a one day stop in Kahalui this is closest/easiest. Here's a stock photo to show distance from the ship.

 

 

 

 

Just tossing out additional ideas to mix up your one short day in Maui since the island has so much to offer.

 

Hope this helps,

Edited March 8, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[KeepCalmBearOn]

14 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Kaanapali is an hour from kahalui port on a good day. Wailea is 15-20 minutes tops.

 

The 17 miles from Avis at the Kahului Airport (OGG CONRAC) to Wailea Beach takes about 25 minutes, it can be 35 minutes or more with traffic. The 27 miles from Avis at the Kahului Airport (OGG CONRAC) to Ka'anapali Beach takes about 40 minutes, depending on time of day, it can be 60 minutes or more with traffic.

 

Heading to both Ka'anapali Beach and Wailea Beach there are sections of one-lane roads so any mishap can cause delays. The longer distance to Ka'anapali means more opportunity for mishaps.

[ULCajunCruiser]

3 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I haven't made it from Kahalui to Kaanapali in 45 minutes since the pandemic. I may have underestimated Wailea at 20 minutes, but I can't believe it could possible be more than 30 especially since all the round-about construction at the high school is finished.

 

I do agree that Kaanapali is a better beach but I would not want to chance the very unpredictablee pali on a single day cruise ship stop. A different story when the cruise is in for two days.

 

To the OP, it sounds like you are renting a car? If so, may I suggest some sight seeing vs beach day in Maui? It's really a beautiful island with many microclimate areas to explore. Twin falls is a super easy hike (swim in the waterfalls) and you would pass Ho'okipa beach along the way (turtles and surfers). It's at the very start of the road to hana so no need to worry about winding roads. Halealaka is always a very interesting drive thru upcountry to the summit. Lots to do in upcountry too and it will be cooler up there if you are coming in the summer. None of these I would consider 'far' from the port.

 

Also, Kanaha beach (not to be confused with Kahana beach) is very close to the port to just hang on the beach (only 2 miles away). Lots of kite surfers here and there are restrooms/showers but no place to rent chairs. At one point this beach had a very high amount of homeless living in cars, but it was totally cleaned up two years ago and I think it's a very underrated beach for that side of the island. If I just wanted a beach day and wasn't renting a car with a one day stop in Kahalui this is closest/easiest. Here's a stock photo to show distance from the ship.

 

 

 

 

Just tossing out additional ideas to mix up your one short day in Maui since the island has so much to offer.

 

Hope this helps,

I appreciate your ideas, feel free to suggest more!!  😁   We are talking about renting street legal dune buggy's.   So looking for things to see/do.   Beach is a must!!    I'm pretty sure we are not going to the other side of the island unless we book a cruiseship excursion

Edited March 8, 2023 by ULCajunCruiser

[BermudaBound2014]

20 minutes ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

I appreciate your ideas, feel free to suggest more!!  😁   We are talking about renting street legal dune buggy's.   So looking for things to see/do.   Beach is a must!!    I'm pretty sure we are not going to the other side of the island unless we book a cruiseship excursion

I’ve never seen a Dunn buggy on a beach here on Maui. Is that even legal here? 

[ULCajunCruiser]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I’ve never seen a Dunn buggy on a beach here on Maui. Is that even legal here? 

No They have to stay on the streets or parking lots.  We are on PoA, and will be in Kona on Wednesday Oct 25th

Edited March 9, 2023 by ULCajunCruiser
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[BermudaBound2014]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:44 AM, scottca075 said:

 

Heading to both Ka'anapali Beach and Wailea Beach there are sections of one-lane roads so any mishap can cause delays. The longer distance to Ka'anapali means more opportunity for mishaps.

Yes, the longer distance means more opportunity for mishaps, BUT it is important to note that when there is a mishap on the Pali there are no alternate roads to take; unlike Wailea which does offer alternatives. 

 

When the Pali is closed, there is absolutely no other way to cross from the west side of the island to the Kahalui side. The police automatically also close the only other route (Kahekili hwy) because that road is just way too dangerous.  
 

Both the Pali and Kahekili have been closed for nearly 3 hours already today and the best estimate being reported by Maui 24/7 news is that it will remain closed for another 3-4 while an accident report is being generated.  Prayers for those involved.
 

This is the second time this week the Pali has closed, although the other closure was not nearly as long. Lots of chatter on social media already about families missing flights. This is why I don’t recommend making the crossing on a one day cruise ship stop.