Wailea is South Maui’s resort crescent — a quiet, manicured stretch of golden sand between Kihei and Makena, fronted by five big resorts and backed by golf courses and million-dollar condos. It is not the place to come for a busy town strip. It is the place to come for the best shore snorkeling on Maui, a flat coastal walk that links half a dozen beaches, and long, unhurried sunsets. This is the best things to do in Wailea, ranked by what actually delivers — with the snorkeling detail most guides skip, because that is where Wailea beats the rest of Maui. For the full island plan, see our things to do in Maui guide, our 15 best things to do in Maui, and the Maui snorkeling hub.
One rule runs through the whole ranking: do the ocean in the morning. Trade winds usually build after lunch, so shore snorkeling, snorkel boats and exposed hikes all belong before noon. Check the morning marine forecast before you get in the water, every day. Wailea sits on Maui’s leeward south shore, so it is usually calmer than the west side — but “usually” is not a guarantee, and south swells do arrive in summer.
The 15 best things to do in Wailea at a glance
| Rank | Activity | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snorkel Ulua Beach and Mokapu Beach | Easiest reef in Wailea | Free |
| 2 | Snorkel Wailea Beach | Calm water, resort beach | Free |
| 3 | Meet the turtles at Turtle Town (Maluaka Beach) | Turtles from shore | Free |
| 4 | Take a Molokini Crater snorkel boat | Best visibility | $$ |
| 5 | Keawakapu Beach | Long walk, two reefs | Free |
| 6 | Polo Beach at sunset | Quiet sand, sunset | Free |
| 7 | Makena Landing | Turtles, shore dive | Free |
| 8 | Walk the Wailea Beach Path | Everyone, any hour | Free |
| 9 | Go to a luau | Culture, one big night | $$$ |
| 10 | Play the Wailea Golf Club | Golfers, ocean views | $$$ |
| 11 | The Shops at Wailea | Shopping, rainy days | Free–$$ |
| 12 | Hike the Hoapili Trail to La Perouse Bay | Hikers, lava coast | Free |
| 13 | Whale watching (December to April) | Winter visitors | $$ |
| 14 | Palauea Beach (White Rock) | Quiet reef, no crowds | Free |
| 15 | Spa morning and the Tuesday farmers market | Slow days | Free–$$ |
1. Snorkel Ulua Beach and Mokapu Beach
Ulua Beach is the easiest snorkel in Wailea, and the one to do first. Two small crescents — Ulua and its smaller neighbour Mokapu — share one reef, with coral-covered lava fingers at the rocky points at both ends of the bay and a sandy middle that makes entry simple. The water over the reef runs about 15 feet deep, which is deep enough for real coral and fish life and shallow enough that a first-timer can stay comfortable. Green sea turtles feed along the reef, and on a calm morning you can expect goatfish, yellow tang and the humuhumunukunukuapuaa, Hawaii’s state fish, over the coral heads. Read our full Ulua Beach snorkeling guide before you go — it covers which end to enter from and where the reef starts, which is the part the general travel guides leave out.
Go early. Ulua is at its best before 9 a.m., when the water is glassy and the trade winds have not picked up yet. The beach has restrooms and showers, and the Wailea Beach Path runs right past it, so it is easy to pair with a walk. Never snorkel alone, and if the surf is up or the water looks murky, skip it — the reef will still be there tomorrow.
2. Snorkel Wailea Beach
Wailea Beach is the postcard first: a wide, golden crescent fronting the Grand Wailea and the Four Seasons, with a real reef at each end of the sand. The middle is open sand and gentle swimming water; the snorkeling is at the rocky points, north and south, where the reef holds coral and fish. It is not as rich as Ulua’s shared reef, but it is the most convenient snorkel in Wailea — you can walk in from the Beach Path, swim the reef, and be back at your lounger in an hour. Our Wailea Beach snorkeling guide covers which end to swim and where to park.
Yes, Wailea Beach is public. Every beach in Hawaii is public by law, including the sand in front of the resorts — the resorts own the buildings, not the beach. Public access points run off the Wailea Beach Path, and the beach itself is free. Arrive before 9 a.m. for parking and for the calmest water.
3. Meet the turtles at Turtle Town (Maluaka Beach)
Turtle Town is not a town. It is a reef off Maluaka Beach, just south of the Wailea resort strip, where green sea turtles gather at cleaning stations — spots on the reef where small cleaner fish pick algae and parasites off the turtles’ shells. From shore you swim out 200 to 400 feet to the reef, and on a calm morning the turtles are almost a certainty rather than a hope. It is the best turtle snorkel you can do from a Maui beach without paying for a boat. Our Turtle Town guide decodes the confusing part — Maluaka Beach, Makena Landing and Five Caves are three different entries to the same reef system — and covers the north versus south parking lots, the entry route, and the safety rules that matter here: no lifeguard, boat traffic overhead, and a firm 10-foot rule around the turtles.
Give the turtles space and never touch or chase them. Hawaiian green sea turtles are protected, and a turtle that is being followed will leave the cleaning station — which ruins the encounter for everyone after you.
4. Take a Molokini Crater snorkel boat
Molokini is the one Wailea activity worth paying for. The crescent-shaped volcanic crater sits about three miles off the coast, and because no rivers run into it, the water inside is routinely the clearest in Hawaii — 100 feet of visibility or more on a good morning. Boats leave from Maalaea Harbour, about a 30 to 40 minute drive from Wailea, and the first boats get there around sunrise, before the crater fills up. Most trips pair Molokini with a second stop at Turtle Town on the way back, which is the efficient way to do both. Our Molokini Crater guide compares departure points, operators and prices, and explains why the morning boats are worth the early alarm.
Book the earliest departure you can tolerate. The crater is a marine life conservation district, so there is no landing and no fishing — you snorkel from the boat, and the earlier you arrive, the calmer and clearer it is.
5. Keawakapu Beach
Keawakapu is the long, quiet beach at the north end of the Wailea strip, where Wailea meets Kihei — and it has two reefs, one at each end, with a wide sandy middle for swimming. The north reef sits off the point by the Mana Kai Maui, the south reef off the point below the Ekahi condos, and both hold coral, turtles and reef fish in water that is usually calm in the morning. It is also the best beach in Wailea for a long walk: the sand runs unbroken for the better part of a mile, and the Wailea Beach Path starts here. Our Keawakapu Beach guide maps both reefs with GPS pins, covers the parking lots at each end, and tells the honest story of the sand — a September 2026 storm surge stripped much of it, and it was still returning in late 2026.
6. Polo Beach at sunset
Polo Beach is the snorkel spot Wailea’s resort crowds mostly walk past, and the sunset spot they should not. At the southern end of the Wailea strip, a pair of golden crescents curve between the Fairmont Kea Lani and the Polo Beach Club condos, and at each end of the sand a dark lava point reaches into the water — and that is where the reef is. Snorkel the points in the morning, then come back for sunset: the sun drops straight into the ocean here, and because Polo is south of the main resort cluster, the beach empties out while Wailea Beach is still busy. Our Polo Beach guide covers the two-point reef, the turn-by-turn directions, and the parking situation.
Stay after the sun goes down for a few minutes. The light on the lava points and the Fairmont’s palm line is the best photograph in Wailea, and it happens after most people have already left.
7. Makena Landing
Makena Landing is a small cove just south of Wailea, and it is where the turtles come to you. Green sea turtles rest on the sand and the rocks near the parking lot here — the lot is at 5083 Makena Alanui — and the cove itself is a shore-entry snorkel and dive site over a reef that drops off quickly from the sand. It is also the shore entry for the Turtle Town reef system, so if Maluaka’s lots are full, this is the backup that is often quieter. Entry is over rock and sand rather than a clean beach, so wear reef shoes and go on a calm morning only.
Keep your distance from any turtle resting on the sand. They haul out here to rest and warm up, and a resting turtle that is crowded will slide back into the water stressed. Our Makena Landing guide covers the entry, the reef, and the turtle etiquette.
8. Walk the Wailea Beach Path
The Wailea Beach Path is the single best free thing in Wailea: a paved 1.5-mile coastal walk that links Keawakapu, Ulua, Mokapu, Wailea Beach and Polo Beach, with the ocean on one side and the resorts on the other the whole way. It is flat, stroller-friendly and open to everyone — it is also how you reach the public beach access points without a car. Walk it at sunrise, when the light is on the water and the path is empty, or at sunset, when the whole strip comes out to watch the sun go down. Either way, it is the fastest way to understand Wailea: five beaches, five resorts, one path.
If you only have an hour, walk the stretch from Ulua to Polo Beach. It passes the two best snorkel beaches, the Grand Wailea’s beachfront, and the quietest sand on the strip, and you can drop into the water at either end.
9. Go to a luau
Wailea has three resort luaus, and they are the one big night out the area does well. Te Au Moana at the Wailea Beach Resort and the Feast at Mokapu at the Andaz are the two most-booked, with the Grand Wailea’s luau the third option — all three mix a Hawaiian buffet, open bar, live music, hula and fire-knife dancing, and all three sell out on busy nights, so book ahead. Expect to pay around $240 per adult for the best-known shows, and check current pricing before you book, because luau prices move with the season.
Pick the luau for the show, not the resort. The food is similar across all three — kalua pork, poke, poi, haupia — and the difference is the staging and the setting. If you only go to one luau on Maui, make it this one and skip the cheaper, larger shows elsewhere.
10. Play the Wailea Golf Club
Wailea Golf Club has three courses — Gold, Emerald and Blue — set on the slope above the resort strip with ocean views from almost every hole. The Gold course is the famous one, ranked among the top 100 resort courses in the United States, and the Emerald is the more forgiving, more scenic round for a holiday golfer. Book a late-afternoon tee time: the rates drop, the light is better, and the wind that makes the Gold course hard in the morning usually eases off. Juniors play at a discount, and the club runs a driving range and putting green if you only want an hour of golf rather than a full round.
11. The Shops at Wailea
The Shops at Wailea is the resort strip’s open-air mall — more than 70 shops and restaurants in one walkable centre, from high-end boutiques to surf shops, plus a free hula show on the lawn that is worth timing your visit around. It is also Wailea’s rainy-day plan: when the wind picks up or a shower passes through, this is where everyone ends up. Come for the shopping if that is your thing, but come anyway for the people-watching, the live music on the lawn, and the fact that it is the only place in Wailea that feels like a town square.
12. Hike the Hoapili Trail to La Perouse Bay
South of Makena, the road ends and the lava begins. The Hoapili Trail — also called the King’s Trail — runs about 5.5 miles round trip from La Perouse Bay across a black lava field to the Hanomanioa Light and its natural pools, where monk seals sometimes rest. It is hot, exposed and uneven underfoot, and it is the most different thing you can do within twenty minutes of Wailea: no resorts, no sand, just old lava, blue water and the feeling of being at the edge of the island. Start early, carry more water than you think you need, wear real shoes, and do not swim in the natural pools unless the ocean is completely calm — they are beautiful and they are dangerous in the same breath. Our La Perouse Bay guide covers the bay itself, which has a small snorkel cove at the trailhead.
13. Whale watching (December to April)
From December to April, humpback whales come to Maui to breed and calve, and the channel between Maui, Molokini and Kahoolawe is one of the best places in the world to see them. Boats run from Maalaea Harbour, and many Molokini snorkel trips double as whale-watching trips in season — you snorkel the crater in the morning and watch whales on the way home. You can also see them from shore: Polo Beach, Keawakapu and the Wailea Beach Path are all good whale-watching spots on a calm winter morning, and the spouts are visible from the beach without binoculars when the whales are close in.
February is the peak month. If you are visiting in winter and you only book one boat trip, make it a whale-watching trip rather than a second snorkel trip — the whales are only here for five months, and the reef is here all year.
14. Palauea Beach (White Rock)
Palauea Beach — locals call it White Rock — is the quiet reef at the south end of the Wailea strip, past Polo Beach and before Makena Landing. It is a small pocket beach with a lava point at each end and a reef that holds turtles and reef fish, and because it has no resort fronting it and no sign worth following, it stays empty while Ulua and Wailea Beach fill up. Entry is over sand, the reef is at the points, and the water is clearest on calm mornings. Our Palauea Beach guide covers the access and the reef in detail.
Bring everything you need. There are no facilities at Palauea — no restrooms, no showers, no lifeguard — which is part of why it stays quiet, and part of why you should go prepared.
15. Spa morning and the Tuesday farmers market
Wailea’s slow day is a spa morning and the farmers market. The resort spas — the Kilolani Spa at the Grand Wailea is the best known — run treatments with ocean views, and most offer day passes for non-guests if you book ahead. On Tuesday mornings from 8 to 11 a.m., the farmers market at the Shops at Wailea sells local fruit, flowers, baked goods and crafts, and it is the closest thing Wailea has to a local scene. Pair the two: market first, spa second, and a long lunch at Monkeypod Kitchen, where the mai tais and the live music are the afternoon.
Wailea snorkeling at a glance
This is the table the general travel guides do not have — every Wailea beach, where to enter, where the reef is, and who it suits. All six are shore snorkels: no boat needed, no ticket, just a calm morning.
| Beach | Entry | Reef and depth | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulua / Mokapu | Sandy middle, easy | Shared reef at both rocky points, ~15 ft | First-timers, turtles |
| Wailea Beach | Sandy, easy | Reef at each end of the crescent | Convenience, families |
| Maluaka / Turtle Town | Sandy, then 200–400 ft swim | Reef with turtle cleaning stations | Turtles, confident swimmers |
| Keawakapu | Sandy, easy | Two reefs, one at each end | Long beach walks, turtles |
| Polo Beach | Sandy, easy | Two-point reef at both ends | Sunset + morning snorkel |
| Palauea (White Rock) | Sandy, easy | Reef at the lava points | Quiet water, no crowds |
| Makena Landing | Rock and sand, moderate | Reef dropping off the cove | Turtles, shore divers |
For the rest of South Maui, see our Kihei snorkeling guide and the Kamaole Beaches just north of Wailea, and our Maui snorkeling map for the whole island at a glance.
The best time to visit Wailea
Wailea is good all year, but the best time depends on what you want. For snorkeling, go in the morning, in any season — the water is calmest before the trade winds build after lunch, and visibility is best before 10 a.m. Summer brings the calmest ocean and the warmest water, but also the occasional south swell, which hits the south-facing beaches first. Winter brings the whales (December to April) and bigger surf on the north shore, while Wailea’s leeward south shore usually stays swimmable. Spring and autumn are the sweet spot: warm water, light winds, fewer crowds, and lower room rates than the winter holidays.
For the day itself, the pattern is simple: ocean before noon, land after lunch. Snorkel Ulua or Turtle Town at 8 a.m., walk the Beach Path at 10, shop or golf in the afternoon, and be on Polo Beach for sunset. That rhythm works in every season.
Parking and getting around Wailea
Parking is the one thing Wailea does badly, and every guide that skips it is doing you a disservice. The public beach lots are small and they fill early — arrive before 8:30 a.m. for a spot at Ulua, Wailea Beach or Polo Beach, and expect to walk from the Beach Path access points if you arrive later. Each beach has its own small lot off Wailea Alanui Drive or Makena Alanui Drive, and street parking is limited. The lots are free, and so are the beaches — the only paid parking in the area is at the resorts, and you do not need it.
Once you are parked, walk. The Beach Path links every beach on the strip, and Wailea is compact enough that a car is a liability rather than a help for the day itself. If you are staying in Kihei, drive down once in the morning and leave the car at the beach lot for the day. For Molokini boats and whale watching, you will need the car again — Maalaea Harbour is a 30 to 40 minute drive north. For more on where to park for each beach, see the parking sections in our Ulua guide, our Wailea Beach guide and our Polo Beach guide.
Free things to do in Wailea
Wailea has a resort reputation, but the best of it costs nothing. Every beach is free, the Beach Path is free, the sunset is free, and the turtles do not charge admission. The full free list: snorkel Ulua, Wailea Beach, Keawakapu, Polo and Palauea from shore; walk the 1.5-mile Beach Path at sunrise or sunset; watch the free hula show on the lawn at the Shops at Wailea; swim with the turtles at Makena Landing; hike the Hoapili Trail to the natural pools at La Perouse Bay; and whale-watch from Polo Beach or the Beach Path between December and April. The Tuesday farmers market is free to browse, and the window-shopping at the Shops at Wailea costs nothing at all. The only things in Wailea you have to pay for are the boat trips, the luaus, the golf and the food — and the food is the only one of those you cannot skip.
Wailea with kids
Wailea is the easiest part of Maui to do with kids, and the reason is the water: Ulua and Wailea Beach both have sandy entries, gentle surf on calm mornings, and shallow reef close enough to shore that a child with a mask can see fish without a long swim. Start at Ulua — it is the calmest, the reef is at the edges rather than in front of the entry, and there are restrooms and showers. Keep the morning short, one beach and one activity, and save the Beach Path walk for the afternoon when the kids are dry. The luaus are genuinely good for children — the fire-knife dancing alone is worth the ticket — and the Shops at Wailea has a free hula show that works as a low-effort evening. Skip Molokini with children under five, and skip Turtle Town with weak swimmers: the 200 to 400 foot swim out to the reef is too far for a child. For the wider island picture, see the family sections in our best things to do in Maui guide.
How to spend a day in Wailea
If you have one day, spend it like this. 7:00 a.m. — coffee at Akamai Coffee, then walk the Beach Path while the light is good. 8:30 a.m. — snorkel Ulua Beach, the reef at the rocky points, turtles almost guaranteed on a calm morning. 10:30 a.m. — walk the Beach Path south to Polo Beach, swimming at Wailea Beach on the way if the water is still calm. 12:30 p.m. — lunch at Monkeypod Kitchen at the Shops at Wailea, mai tai optional but recommended. 2:00 p.m. — the Shops at Wailea, the free hula show if it is running, or a spa treatment if the wind has picked up. 5:00 p.m. — back to Polo Beach for sunset, the quietest sunset on the strip. 7:00 p.m. — dinner in Wailea, or a luau if you booked ahead. That is a full day, it costs nothing except lunch and dinner, and it hits the five best things in Wailea before dark.
Where to eat in Wailea
Wailea eats well and expensively, with a few exceptions. Monkeypod Kitchen at the Shops at Wailea is the casual anchor — wood-fired pizza, fish, live music and the mai tai the area is known for. Morimoto at the Andaz and Duo at the Four Seasons are the fine-dining picks, and the Restaurant at Hotel Wailea is the quiet, adults-only option up the hill. For breakfast, Akamai Coffee is the local favourite and the place to start the day before an early snorkel. For something cheaper, drive ten minutes north to Kihei, where the food trucks and plate-lunch spots cost half what Wailea charges. And if you are deciding between Wailea and Kaanapali for your base, Wailea is quieter, more spread out and better for shore snorkeling, while Kaanapali is busier, more walkable and better for a strip of shops and restaurants — pick Wailea for the water, Kaanapali for the buzz.
Frequently asked questions
Is Wailea Beach public?
Yes. Every beach in Hawaii is public by law, including the sand in front of the Grand Wailea and the Four Seasons. The resorts own the buildings, not the beach, and public access points run off the Wailea Beach Path. The beach itself is free.
Where do you park for Wailea Beach?
In the small public beach lots off Wailea Alanui Drive and Makena Alanui Drive, one per beach — Ulua, Wailea Beach, Polo Beach and Keawakapu each have a lot. They are free and they fill early, so arrive before 8:30 a.m. If the lot is full, use the Beach Path access points and walk in.
What is the best beach in Wailea for snorkeling?
Ulua Beach, for the easiest reef and the calmest entry. Turtle Town at Maluaka Beach is the best for turtles, and Polo Beach is the best for a quiet reef with a sunset afterwards. For the full comparison, see the snorkeling table above.
What is there to do in Wailea at night?
Wailea is quiet after dark, and that is the point. The evening options are the luaus, live music and mai tais at Monkeypod Kitchen, drinks at the Birdcage Bar, dinner at the resort restaurants, and stargazing from the beach — the sky over the south shore is dark enough to see the Milky Way on a clear night. There is no nightlife strip in Wailea; for that, drive to Kihei.
What to do in Wailea when it rains?
Wailea is on the dry, leeward side of Maui, so real rain is rare — most showers pass in twenty minutes. When one does settle in, go to the Shops at Wailea, book a spa treatment, drive to the Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea, or take the drive up to Ulupalakua for the Maui Wine tasting. Then check the sky: the rain usually clears by lunch.
Is Wailea or Kaanapali better?
For snorkeling from shore, Wailea wins — Ulua, Turtle Town and Polo are all walk-in reefs, and the water is calmer. For a livelier strip with more shops and restaurants in walking distance, Kaanapali wins. Wailea is quieter and more spread out; Kaanapali is busier and more compact. Families with small children and snorkelers usually prefer Wailea.