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Named America’s Best Beach in a 2003 ranking, this beautiful white sand beach fronts the Hyatt Regency Maui on one end and the Sheraton Maui at the other. Clean, safe, good for most water sports, it’s probably the best beach on Maui for “beautiful people watching” – the section in front of Whalers Village is popularly known as “Dig Me.”

A small, tranquil bay with a white sand beach that’s good for swimming and safe for children. It’s also right by the the Nāpili Kai Beach Resort, and there’s no better place for a cocktail to accompany the sunset.

This gorgeous crescent of a white sand beach perennially shows up on lists of the world’s best beaches. A short walk from public parking, you can rent snorkel gear, go for a catamaran ride, take a leisurely swim, or just relax in the sun. Even the humpback whales love it and in winter often frolic offshore.

Just off the Hāna Highway between Kahului and Pā’ia, the water here can be a bit rough at times, and it does tend to get windy by mid-morning. But if you’re an early morning person, Baldwin is lovely.

One of the most serene of the south shore beaches, Keālia fronts a little beach plaza of shops. It’s a good place for beginners to try out their surfing or windsurfing skills, but if water sports are not your cup of tea, relax in the sun and then duck into the Mexican restaurant upstairs for a margarita instead.

If you’re looking for white sand, a little shade, lifeguards, volleyball nets, picnic tables, restrooms, and showers – in other words, all the amenities of a beach park – these are the beaches for you. They are places for weekend family beach parties or barbecues. Although they are often referred to as Kam I, II, and III, Hawaiian language speakers prefer the use of their full and proper names.

Keawakapu has it all: good swimming and body boarding, a nice sandy bottom, a great view of Kaho’olawe – even a parking lot. The border beach between Kīhei and Wailea, there are plenty of shallow spots, safe for even the youngest children.

A series of enticing white sand crescents fronting the hotels of the Wailea Resort area. Because the individual areas are bordered by lava rock outcroppings, there’s almost no wave action at the edges of these beaches, making for excellent swimming and often very good snorkeling too.

Fronting the Maui Prince Hotel, this is a wide beach, the Mākena end of which is quite sheltered ( malu means sheltered in Hawaiian) and safe for small children. Just above the beach at that same end is a wonderful, grassy picnic spot. Great for a swim after visiting nearby Keawala’i Church (see Keawala’i Congregational Church).

Once described by Mark Twain as the most beautiful beach on earth, this is the Hawai’i of the travel posters. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best times for swimming, for this is Maui’s windward coast and the water is often rough, the waves big. So, if it looks a little wild, spread out your blanket and watch the local kids surf, bodysurf, and boogie board.