🏝 Keawakapu Beach (Maui): Complete 2024 Guide

Keawakapu Beach Maui blog post cover image.  Text overlaying an image of a golden sand beach framed by greenery and palm trees on the right, and vibrant blue waters on the left.  With a few beach goers and colored umbrellas on the beach.

Keawakapu Beach is a pristine golden sand beach on the southern edge of the Kihei shoreline of South Maui.

It is the southernmost of the 15 Kihei beaches. This is significant because the sand at each Kihei beach becomes increasingly fine as you venture south, meaning Keawakapu Beach has the softest sand of them all!

The north end of Keawakapu Beach is always busier due to its proximity to facilities and parking, as well as the silky sand. There is a southern portion as well which is quieter, but much rockier.

Learn everything you need to know about visiting this beautiful beach in the complete 2023 guide below. In it, you will discover how to get there, what to expect, when to go, and find inspirational photo galleries.

πŸ– About Keawakapu Beach: Overview

Keawakapu Beach is one of the best beaches in Kihei by any measure…

The sand is silky-soft and golden. And, at 0.7 miles in length, beachgoers are provided a lengthy expanse of shoreline to enjoy.

Meanwhile, the water is some of the calmest and clearest in Kihei. These factors, along with the thriving sea life, make it one of the most popular places to swim or snorkel in Maui.

All of this beauty is capped off with swaying palm trees and greenery that are lush, vibrant, and complete the idyllic postcard-worthy scenery.

A woman explores the tidepools within the lava rock at the junction of Keawakapu Beach and Kam 2 in Kihei.
Tidepools present themselves at low tide within the lava rock shelf at the south end.

Humans aren’t the only ones who appreciate Keawakapu Beach. Sea turtles (aka “honu” in Hawaiian) can often be spotted swimming around and feeding off the rocks at either end of the beach.

During low tide, these rocky outcrops also provide tidepools that are great for exploring with little ones – just ensure you have some beach shoes for walking over the lava rocks.

πŸ„ Keawakapu Beach Services & General Info

πŸ›’ SERVICES NEAR KEAWAKAPU

  • Nearest Town: Kihei
  • Parking? Parking lots at both north and south end, as well as Kilohana lot near the middle.
  • Public Bathrooms? A Portapotty is available at Keawakapu II parking lot
  • Picnic Benches? No
  • Showers? Yes
  • Grills? No
  • Lifeguard? No

β›± Keawakapu Beach Photo Gallery

  • Palm trees tower over lush greenery at the entrance to Keawakapu Beach in Maui.

The Keawakapu Beach photo gallery above shows a collection of images to prepare you for what you can expect to see on your visit to this beautiful South Maui destination.

Densely-packed tropical palm trees and lush green vegetation adorn a golden-sand shore that collides with the blue and turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean.

EXPLORE MORE OF THE AREA:
Complete Guide to ALL 15 Kihei Beaches

πŸ“ How to Get to Keawakapu Beach

Satellite map view of Keawakapu Beach showing the parking lots.

There are a number of parking lots, all of which are free to park in, and public access points for Keawakapu Beach. These are shown with stars in the above map.

At the northern end of the beach are two public parking lots which you can find on Google Maps labeled as “Keawakapu Beach Public Parking #1” and “Keawakapu Beach Public Parking #2“, with the latter being slightly closer to the beach.

Further south, closer to the midpoint of the beach is “Kilohana Parking Lot“. This parking lot is located on the corner of South Kihei Road and Kilohana Drive. To reach the beach after parking, cross S Kihei Road at the pedestrian crossing then turn right. A signed public beach access way will then be on your left.

Finally, at the south end of the beach, there is “Keawakapu Wailea-Ekahi Parking Lot“. This parking lot is located at the southern end of S Kihei Road.

πŸŒ… When to Visit Keawakapu Beach

A southern-facing view of Keawakapu Beach in SouthMaui.

There is no bad time for a beach day, but there are two particularly good times to visit Keawakapu Beach.

The first is in the morning when the water is at its calmest, the beach least-crowded, the turtles are still hanging around, and the overhead sun is high enough to provide some light for snorkeling.

The second is at sunset. As with all of the beaches in Kihei, the views to the west are completely unobstructed.

This particular beach also provides a plethora of palms to frame the foreground and create those magical aloha vibes. Many consider Keawakapu Beach one of the best places for sunsets in Maui.

🀿 More Maui Beach & Travel Guides

A young female swimmer waits on the shore of Red Sand Beach in Maui.
Discover the best Secret Beaches of Maui, including the incredible Red Sand Beach seen above.

Before you go, you may want to skim some of the titles for other relevant Maui guides below to ensure you do not miss any epic beaches, sunset destinations, or noteworthy things to do during your visit to the Valley Isle!

🐠 Final Thoughts on Keawakapu Beach

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Hopefully you found all the answers to any questions you had regarding a visit to Keawakapu Beach!

Now we would like to hear from YOU!

Was the information plentiful, accurate, and easy to follow? Did we miss anything? Was it perfect? Let us know in the comments below!

Mahalo for reading and most importantly, enjoy your time on incredible Maui!

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Written by
Adam Marland is a professional travel blogger and landscape photographer from Oregon. After over a decade of experience as a freelance travel photographer, Adam found national acclaim when he became the National Park Foundation's β€œChief Exploration Officer” in 2021.

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