The Guide · Beaches
Three sands, one honest swim report.
Black at Waiʻanapanapa, gold at Hamoa, red above Koki — the road runs a full palette. The ocean, meanwhile, plays by its own rules.
The lineup
Waiʻanapanapa (MM 32, reservation required) is the famous one: jet-black sand, sea caves, blowholes, and the coastal trail. Past Hana on the Haneoʻo Road loop, Hamoa Beach (MM 50) is the golden crescent that collects superlatives, with Koki Beach minutes away under rust-red cinder cliffs — the legal way to get red sand in your camera. And Kaihalulu, the actual red sand cove? That one gets its own honest chapter, and the honest chapter says read it first.
The swim report
East Maui beaches face open ocean, and it shows: shore break at the black sand drops off fast, and Hamoa and Koki both run real current — Koki especially is local-surfer water, not casual-float water. The reliable litmus test never fails: if nobody local is in the water, there is a reason. Calm summer mornings offer the friendliest windows; winter swell turns all of them into look-don’t-leap.
Beach day logistics
Waiʻanapanapa runs on its 3-hour reservation window — beach first, caves second, trail last. The Haneoʻo loop beaches are free and unticketed with small roadside parking; golden hour at Hamoa is the overnighter’s reward. Reef-safe sunscreen everywhere, and the sand — every color of it — stays on the beach.
Keep planning
- The black sand beach guide →
- Kaihalulu — the honest chapter →
- The waterfalls, ranked →
- All the guides →
Written and shot on the route by Shane Perry, Maui resident.
Straight answers
Take the whole plan with you.
The Glovebox Copy — every stop, marker, and fee on printable paper. Free.