Keawakapu Beach - South Maui

Exploring Keawakapu Beach

Keawakapu Beach is located north of downtown Kihei on S. Kihei Road. This long sandy stretch is also known as Wedding Beach and is popular spot for wedding photographers. The .7 mile long uncrowded beach is great for swimming and boogie boards (when the surf is up). Snorkeling can be good at the north end around the tide pools with the right conditions. There are 3 medium sized parking lots to acess the beach located the north and south ends and one in the middle. A pretty beach with fine sand and spetacular sunsets that is never overcrowded. This is the perfect beach to take a late afternoon stroll along the shoreline.

One translation of the name Keawakapu is “forbidden cove.” Hawaiian place names often reveal different meanings – one reason this cove might have been kapu (taboo) may have been to keep Hawaiians from settling on this section of shoreline. Large storms can come in hard and fast. When this section of shoreline becomes unprotected during a series of storms most of the sand disappears into the ocean. Fortunately over the months that follow the ocean returns the sand back to its place. A sea wall along the southern half of the beach was constructed to help stop the erosion.

Like all Maui beaches be careful in the water as suf conditions can change rapidly.