The short answer: the best snorkeling on Maui sits on two coasts — the leeward west side (Honolua Bay down to Lahaina) and the south side (Kihei through Wailea to Makena). This map pins every shore snorkel spot on the island with GPS coordinates, a difficulty rating, and a best-for verdict, so you can see exactly where each reef sits before you drive there. Every spot below links to our full guide for that beach.
How to read this Maui snorkeling map
Maui’s snorkeling follows the island’s shape. The west coast (Honolua Bay to Lahaina) and the south coast (Kihei to La Perouse) are the leeward sides — sheltered from the trade winds, which is why nearly every pinned spot below sits on these two coasts. The north shore and east (Hana) coast face the open ocean and are rough most of the year; only two Hana-side spots make this map, and both are seasonal.
Two rules run the whole map:
- Winter (roughly November–March) brings north swells that can close the northwest spots (Honolua, Slaughterhouse, Fleming). In winter, the south coast — Kihei through Makena — is the safe bet.
- Mornings are calmest everywhere. Trade winds build through the afternoon, so plan shore entries before about 11am year-round.
For the full seasonal breakdown, see our best time to snorkel in Hawaii guide, and for the ranked list behind these pins, the Maui snorkeling hub.
The full Maui snorkeling map: every spot with GPS pins
Twenty-six shore spots, pinned north to south. Paste any coordinate pair into Google Maps to drop a pin on the exact entry area. Difficulty is rated for a reasonably fit adult swimmer on a calm morning: Beginner = sandy entry, shallow reef, lifeguard often present; Intermediate = rocky or trail entry, deeper water, or surge to respect; Poor = honest no-go verdicts we include so you don’t waste a drive.
Tap a pin for the spot name, difficulty and its full guide. Zoom in to separate the close west-coast pins. If the map does not load, every pin is also listed with GPS coordinates in the table below.
| # | Spot | Coast | GPS | Difficulty | Best for | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honolua Bay | West | 20.9856, -156.6648 | Intermediate | Best reef on Maui; turtles | Honolua Bay guide |
| 2 | Slaughterhouse (Mokule’ia Bay) | West | 21.0125, -156.6366 | Intermediate | Clear water, fewer crowds | Slaughterhouse guide |
| 3 | D.T. Fleming Beach Park | West | 21.0048, -156.6503 | Beginner | Lifeguarded family beach | Fleming guide |
| 4 | Kapalua Bay | West | 21.0010, -156.6638 | Beginner | Calm crescent; first-timers | Kapalua guide |
| 5 | Napili Bay | West | 20.9949, -156.6663 | Beginner–Intermediate | Reef on both points | Napili guide |
| 6 | Honokeana Cove | West | 20.9911, -156.6680 | Intermediate | Quiet cove; confident swimmers | Honokeana guide |
| 7 | Kahekili Beach Park (Airport Beach) | West | 20.9367, -156.6922 | Beginner | Long reef; easy entry | Kahekili guide |
| 8 | Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a), Ka’anapali | West | 20.9266, -156.6939 | Beginner–Intermediate | Turtles; famous point | Black Rock guide |
| 9 | Mala Wharf, Lahaina | West | 20.8841, -156.6863 | Intermediate | Turtles on the old pier pilings | Mala Wharf guide |
| 10 | Baby Beach, Lahaina | West | 20.8822, -156.6871 | Beginner | Shallow; kids | Baby Beach guide |
| 11 | Olowalu (Mile Marker 14) | West | 20.8140, -156.6252* | Beginner–Intermediate | Huge reef; manta rays possible | Ahihi-Kinau & Olowalu guide |
| 12 | Charley Young Beach | South | 20.7250, -156.4493 | Beginner | Kihei’s calmest entry | Kihei guide |
| 13 | Kamaole Beach Park I | South | 20.7203, -156.4471 | Beginner | Lifeguard; families | Kamaole guide |
| 14 | Kamaole Beach Park III | South | 20.7135, -156.4457 | Beginner | Best reef of the three Kams | Kamaole guide |
| 15 | Keawakapu Beach | South | 20.7049, -156.4464 | Beginner–Intermediate | Long beach; uncrowded reef | Keawakapu guide |
| 16 | Ulua / Mokapu Beach | South | 20.6902, -156.4427 | Beginner | Wailea’s easiest entry | Ulua guide |
| 17 | Wailea Beach | South | 20.6875, -156.4424 | Beginner | Resort beach; calm | Wailea guide |
| 18 | Polo Beach | South | 20.6749, -156.4431 | Beginner–Intermediate | Quiet; good visibility | Polo guide |
| 19 | Po’olenalena Beach | South | 20.6642, -156.4414 | Beginner–Intermediate | Local favorite; turtles | Po’olenalena guide |
| 20 | Makena Landing (Five Caves) | South | 20.6491, -156.4419** | Intermediate | Caves, arches, turtles | Makena Landing guide |
| 21 | Maluaka Beach (Turtle Town) | South | 20.6430, -156.4440 | Beginner–Intermediate | Guaranteed-feeling turtle spot | Turtle Town guide |
| 22 | Big Beach (Oneloa), Makena | South | 20.6314, -156.4452 | Poor | Not a snorkel beach — shorebreak | Makena Beach guide |
| 23 | Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve | South | 20.6190, -156.4381 | Intermediate | Pristine reserve; lava entries | Ahihi-Kinau & Olowalu guide |
| 24 | La Perouse Bay | South | 20.6009, -156.4183 | Poor | Rough lava coast; urchins | La Perouse guide |
| 25 | Hamoa Beach, Hana | East | 20.7200, -155.9876 | Intermediate | Hana’s best; seasonal calm | Hamoa guide |
| 26 | Waianapanapa State Park, Hana | East | 20.7840, -155.9990 | Poor | Black sand; rough water | Waianapanapa guide |
* Olowalu pin marks the town area; the snorkel reef sits offshore along Honoapi’ilani Highway around Mile Marker 14. ** Makena Landing pin is approximate (street-level).
Best Maui snorkeling map: our ranked top 10
The table above lists all 26 shore spots north to south. This is the same Maui snorkeling map ranked by snorkeling quality instead — the ten pins worth planning a day around. If you only want the best snorkeling in Maui on a map, start here. The full Maui snorkel map table still has the GPS coordinates, difficulty ratings, and guide links for every spot below, including these ten.
- Honolua Bay — the best reef. A marine reserve with the healthiest coral and the most turtles on the island, when it is calm. The trade-off is the season: winter north swells can close it, so it is a May-to-September pick first.
- Maluaka Beach (Turtle Town) — the most turtles. The reef 200–400 feet offshore holds the island’s densest turtle cleaning stations. Calm, south-coast, and reliable in winter.
- Makena Landing (Five Caves) — the best intermediate snorkel. Lava arches, caves, and turtles in 15–30 feet of water. A real swim out, not a wade-in — confident swimmers only.
- Kapalua Bay — the easiest beginner entry. A protected crescent where first-timers can stand up almost anywhere, with reef on both sides of the bay.
- Kahekili Beach Park (Airport Beach) — the longest easy reef. One of the longest continuous reefs on the west side with a dead-easy sand entry.
- Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a) — turtles at the famous point. The island’s most photographed snorkel. Swim the bay side, not around the point, on a first visit — the current wraps around it.
- Po’olenalena Beach — the local’s pick. Turtles and good visibility with a fraction of Wailea’s foot traffic.
- Keawakapu Beach — reef at both ends, few crowds. A long crescent the locals use, with reef at both ends and far fewer people than the resort beaches.
- Kamaole III (Kam III) — the best reef of the three Kamaole parks. Lifeguards, restrooms, and showers, with the best reef of the three town beaches.
- Slaughterhouse Beach (Mokule’ia Bay) — clear water, thin crowds. The same winter-swell exposure as Honolua, but a trail entry keeps the crowds thin and the water clear.
That is the short version of this snorkel map of Maui: Honolua for reef, Maluaka for turtles, Makena Landing for caves, Kapalua for first-timers. Everything else on the table is a backup for a windy day, a crowded lot, or a second morning.
West Maui snorkeling map: Honolua Bay to Lahaina
The northwest corner holds Maui’s most famous reef — and its most seasonal water. Honolua Bay (#1) is the island’s best shore snorkel when it’s calm: a marine reserve with the healthiest coral and the most turtles, entered over smooth boulders from a rocky shore. Ten minutes south, Slaughterhouse (#2) and D.T. Fleming (#3) share the same winter-swell exposure; Fleming’s lifeguarded sand makes it the family pick of the three, while Slaughterhouse’s trail entry keeps crowds thin.
The Kapalua–Napili stretch is beginner heaven: Kapalua Bay (#4) is a protected crescent where first-timers can stand up almost anywhere, and Napili Bay (#5) has reef on both points with a sandy middle. Honokeana Cove (#6) next door is the quiet step up — rockier entry, fewer people.
Further south, Kahekili Beach Park (#7), still called Airport Beach by locals, has one of the longest continuous reefs on the west side with a dead-easy sand entry. Black Rock (#8) at Ka’anapali is the island’s most photographed snorkel: turtles cruise the point, but respect the current that wraps around it — swim the bay side, not the point, on your first visit. In Lahaina, Mala Wharf (#9) is the turtle guarantee — the collapsed pier’s pilings are a cleaning station — while Baby Beach (#10) is knee-deep calm for kids. Note: Lahaina’s waterfront is still recovering from the 2023 fires; check current access before you go. Our Lahaina snorkeling guide tracks what’s open.
South Maui snorkeling map: Kihei to La Perouse
This is the winter-proof coast. When north swells shut down Honolua in January, Kihei and Wailea are still glassy — which is why the south holds fourteen of the twenty-six pins.
Kihei’s run starts with Charley Young (#12), the calmest entry in town, then the three Kamaole beach parks — Kam I (#13) for lifeguards and families, Kam III (#14) for the best reef of the three. Keawakapu (#15) is the local’s beach: a long crescent with reef at both ends and a fraction of the crowds.
Wailea’s resort beaches are all beginner-grade: Ulua/Mokapu (#16) has the easiest entry of the bunch, Wailea Beach (#17) is the calm flagship, and Polo Beach (#18) trades crowds for slightly deeper water. Po’olenalena (#19) is where the locals go — turtles, good visibility, and a fraction of Wailea’s foot traffic.
Makena is where the map gets interesting. Makena Landing (#20), the Five Caves site, is Maui’s best intermediate shore dive-snorkel: lava arches, caves, and turtles in 15–30 feet of water — but it’s a real swim out, not a wade-in. Maluaka (#21), a.k.a. Turtle Town, is the famous one: the reef 200–400 feet offshore holds the island’s densest turtle cleaning stations. Two honest no-gos round out the coast: Big Beach (#22) has a pounding shorebreak that makes snorkeling dangerous, and La Perouse Bay (#24) is beautiful, urchin-covered lava — look, don’t swim. Between them, the Ahihi-Kinau Reserve (#23) protects some of Maui’s most pristine reef; enter only at the designated accesses, wear reef-safe sunscreen, and never touch coral.
East Maui and boat-only spots
Past Hana, the island turns wild. Hamoa Beach (#25) is the one Hana-side spot worth the drive — a gorgeous crescent that can be glassy on calm summer mornings and unswimmable the rest of the time. Waianapanapa (#26) is a must-see black-sand park and a must-skip snorkel: the coast here is rough and exposed. If you’re staying in Hana, snorkel Hamoa or don’t snorkel.
Three essential Maui snorkel experiences aren’t shore pins at all: Molokini Crater, the offshore islet with 100+ foot visibility, is boat-only from Ma’alaea or Lahaina Harbor — see our Molokini guide. Coral Gardens off Olowalu is a boat drift snorkel over a vast shallow reef — our Coral Gardens guide covers it. And Lana’i day trips from Lahaina reach Hulopo’e Bay’s marine reserve. For choosing between boat and shore, see Hawaii snorkeling tours.
Plan your stop: parking, lifeguards and facilities
A map pin is not a plan. These are the parking, lifeguard, and facilities facts we have verified for the spots where it matters most — for every other pin, the linked guide in the table above carries the detail.
- Kamaole I, II and III (Kihei): all three have lifeguards, restrooms, and showers. Note that Kihei moved to paid beach parking — check the signs at the lot on the day. See the Kamaole Beach guide.
- Kapalua Bay: no lifeguard, even though the water is calm — calm does not mean supervised. The beach-access lot is small (about 40 spaces) and paid for non-residents in 2026, so arrive before 9 AM. Restrooms, outdoor showers, and a drinking fountain are on site; there are no food vendors and no gear rentals on the beach. See the Kapalua Bay guide.
- Ahihi-Kinau Reserve: day-use parking is $10 per vehicle, card only, and the reserve is open 5:30 AM to 7:30 PM daily. No lifeguard at either Ahihi-Kinau or Olowalu; portable toilets sit at the Ahihi-Kinau parking area, and Olowalu’s roadside parking is free with no facilities at all. See the Ahihi-Kinau and Olowalu guide.
- D.T. Fleming Beach Park: a lifeguarded family beach — the family pick of the northwest trio with Honolua and Slaughterhouse. See the table above for its pin.
One rule for the whole map: small lots fill first. Kapalua’s 40 spaces and Ahihi-Kinau’s single lot are the tightest on this map — an early start is worth more than a perfect forecast.
Check conditions before you go
Use this Maui snorkeling map with the day’s conditions, not instead of them. The two rules on this page already decide most days: mornings are calmest everywhere — plan shore entries before about 11 AM, because trade winds chop the water by early afternoon — and from November to March the south coast (Kihei through Makena) is the safe bet while north swells can close Honolua, Slaughterhouse, and Fleming. Before you enter the water, run the same check our Hawaii snorkeling safety guide recommends: read the surf and wind forecast for your coast, ask a lifeguard if one is on duty, and do not enter if warning signs are posted. Stay at least 10 feet (3 metres) from sea turtles and 50 feet (15 metres) from Hawaiian monk seals, never stand on reef, and wear reef-safe sunscreen. The full seasonal pattern is in our best time to snorkel in Hawaii guide.
Where to snorkel on Maui this month
Use the map with this seasonal cheat sheet. It’s a pattern, not a forecast — always check the day’s surf and wind before entering.
| Months | Go here | Avoid / caution |
|---|---|---|
| May – September | Everywhere: west + south coasts at their calmest; Hamoa on calm mornings | Afternoon trade-wind chop — go before 11am |
| October, April | South coast (Kihei–Makena); sheltered west bays (Kapalua, Napili, Black Rock) | First/last north swells can reach Honolua & Slaughterhouse |
| November – March | South coast first (Kihei through Makena); Kahekili and Black Rock on calm days | Northwest exposures (Honolua, Slaughterhouse, Fleming) during north swells |
New to the sport? Start with our beginners guide and how-to-snorkel primer, and read Hawaii snorkeling safety before any rocky entry. Turtles are everywhere on this map — the rules for watching them are in snorkeling with turtles (stay 10 feet back, never touch).
Maui snorkeling map FAQ
Is there a free Maui snorkeling map?
Yes — this page is one. The pin table above gives you GPS coordinates for all 26 shore spots free; paste any pair into Google Maps to navigate to the entry. Rental shops hand out paper snorkel maps, but they’re designed to sell gear, not to rank spots honestly.
Where is the best snorkeling on Maui?
On the map: Honolua Bay (#1) for the best reef, Maluaka/Turtle Town (#21) for turtles, Makena Landing (#20) for caves and arches, and Kapalua Bay (#4) or Kahekili (#7) for beginners. The south coast (pins 12–24) is the most reliable in winter.
What is the best beach in Maui for snorkeling for beginners?
Kapalua Bay, Kahekili (Airport Beach), Ulua Beach, and the Kamaole parks — sandy entries, shallow reefs, and lifeguards at several. All are pinned above with beginner ratings.
Can you snorkel from shore on Maui, or do you need a tour?
Almost everything on this map is a free shore entry — no tour needed. The exceptions are Molokini Crater, Coral Gardens, and Lana’i, which are boat-only. If you want a guided trip anyway, our gear checklist covers what to bring.
Which side of Maui is best for snorkeling?
The west (leeward) side and the south side — that’s where 24 of 26 pins sit. The north shore and the Hana coast face open ocean and are generally too rough.
Where do you see turtles snorkeling in Maui?
Maluaka/Turtle Town (#21) is the famous turtle spot, but Mala Wharf (#9), Black Rock (#8), Honolua (#1), and Po’olenalena (#19) all have regular turtle sightings. Stay at least 10 feet away — it’s federal law.
Is snorkeling good in Maui in December?
Yes, on the south coast. December brings north swells that can close the northwest spots, but Kihei through Makena (pins 12–24) stay calm. Go in the morning before the trades build.
Do I need reef-safe sunscreen in Maui?
Yes — Hawaii bans sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate. See our reef-safe sunscreen guide for what to buy.
What is the best Maui snorkeling map?
This page is built to be one: the best Maui snorkeling map is the interactive map above, plus the ranked top 10 and the full GPS table — Honolua Bay for the best reef, Maluaka (Turtle Town) for turtles, Makena Landing for caves, and Kapalua Bay for beginners — with every pin linked to its own guide.
Is there a Maui snorkel map I can use on my phone?
Yes — tap any pin on the interactive map above for the spot’s name and guide; it works on a phone as it is. You can also paste any GPS pair from the table into Google Maps to navigate to the exact entry area; all 26 spots are free shore entries except the boat-only Molokini Crater, Coral Gardens, and Lana’i trips. No app, tour, or purchase is needed to use it.
How we built this map
Every pin on this map corresponds to a spot we’ve covered in a dedicated guide on this site — no scraped, unverified pins. GPS coordinates were verified against mapping data in October 2026; two pins are marked approximate (Makena Landing, Olowalu town area). Difficulty ratings reflect entry type, typical conditions, and lifeguard presence on a calm morning. Spots we rate “Poor” stay on the map deliberately: a map that only shows the good spots sends people to the bad ones by omission. Our full process is documented in our methodology.