Paia Secret Beach is a clothing-optional extension of the popular Paia Bay on the North Shore of Maui.
While the sand is not as soft and inviting as the main section of the beach, solitude is a near certainty.
Visitors can expect coarse golden sand and tropically-colored waters, and should expect to encounter a few nude beachgoers as well.
Find out how to find Paia Secret Beach in Maui, what to expect from a visit, and everything else you need to know for planning your trip in this complete guide.
Did you know Paia is one of the best towns in Maui to visit?
Click to see the Top 10 Best Maui Towns
📸 Paia Secret Beach Photo Gallery
The photos in this gallery showcase the natural beauty and colors of Paia Secret Beach.
🏖 Paia Secret Beach Overview
SERVICES
- Nearest Town: Paia
- Public Bathrooms & Showers: Available at Paia Beach Park, but not at the secret beach.
- Picnic Benches? No.
- Lifeguard? No.
DESCRIPTION
Tucked between Paia Bay and Baldwin Beach Park, Paia Secret Beach features white sand that is very coarse and lacks the tropical feeling of most of Maui’s beaches.
Rather than swaying palms and soft sand, this shoreline is lined with sparse vegetation, trees, and bushes.
While it is not the most photogenic destination, the appeal of this hidden beach is its ease of access and isolation.
The rocks by the World War II pillbox at the eastern end of the beach provide a shallow pool that is perfect for little ones to play in. However, riptides can be strong along the rest of the beach and there are no lifeguards present, so use caution when swimming here.
The Secret Beach is connected to the main Paia Bay Beach via a short overland trail that separates the two. It can also be accessed via Baldwin Beach Park.
Direct vehicle access is only available for Maui residents with a key to the gate.
At the weekends you are likely to spot at least one local family fishing here. Otherwise, it is not uncommon to have the beach to yourself!
Be aware that this is unofficially a clothing-optional beach. This means you are likely to encounter other beachgoers enjoying their time in the nude.
The west end of the beach, opposite the graffitied World War II pillbox, is typically where you’ll see more nudity.
IMPORTANT
There are temples and youth centers nearby; be sure to only remove clothing at the beach and re-dress prior to departing.
🧭 How to Get to Paia Secret Beach
To reach Paia Secret Beach you will need to park at Paia Bay (0.2-mile walk) or Baldwin Beach Park (0.3-mile walk) and walk from there. Vehicle access is provided only for Maui residents, with 4WD and a key to the gated private access road required.
Once you reach the beach at Paia Bay, head west (turn left as you’re facing the ocean) and walk up and over the small vegetated area at the far end of the beach. Alternatively, from Baldwin Beach Park, head east and follow the red dirt path along the rock sea wall at the end of the beach.
With Navigation: Set your navigation for “Lower Paia Park” or “Baldwin Beach Park“. Google Maps will bring you to the respective parking lot.
General Directions: Take the Hana Hwy toward the small tourist town of Paia. Most visitors will be traveling from the west. You will want to turn left onto Alawaia Road for Baldwin Beach Park, or left into Lower Paia Park. If you are driving in from the east, you will continue through Paia then your turn will be on the right.
☀️ When to Visit Paia Secret Beach
Any sunny day is a good time to visit the beaches near Paia.
It is not a particularly good sunset destination as the view is mostly north-facing and the westerly views are obstructed by the West Maui Mountains.
Likewise, the easterly views for sunrise are obstructed.
High tides limit the amount of beach available. However, you will never struggle to find a spot of sand on this plentiful shoreline.
🌺 More Maui Travel Guides
The two of us work very hard to create these free travel guides to help you plan your dream vacation. If you think we’ve done a good job and would like to say thanks, please consider clicking the donate button below 🙂
Before you go, you may want to skim some of the titles for other relevant Maui guides below. Ensure you do not miss any epic beaches, sunset destinations, or noteworthy things to do during your visit to the Valley Isle!
- MAUI PACKING LIST: A printable essential packing list + 25 useful items to consider
- 7 DAY MAUI ITINERARY: How to see the entire island in one week
- WHERE TO STAY ON MAUI: The best places and areas to stay on the island
- PLANNING A TRIP TO MAUI: Step-by-step guide for planning your first visit to Maui
- ROAD TO HANA STOPS: The Top 25 places to visit on the Road to Hana
- ROAD TO HANA ITINERARY: How to plan for a 1-2 day self-drive.
- BEST MAUI PHOTO SPOTS: 15 best places for photographing Maui
- SECRET BEACHES OF MAUI: The 10 most incredible hidden beaches on the island
- MAUI SUNSETS: The Top 10 places & activities for watching sunset in Maui
- KIHEI BEACHES GUIDE: Photos, locations, and descriptions for all 15 beaches in Kihei
- BEST SNORKELING IN MAUI: Best snorkel spots, tips, tours, and more.
📌 Enjoyed this Guide? Pin It!
Us paia locals call it middles beach. Because it’s in between Baldwin beach and paia bay. Not sure when this “paia secret beach” thing started. Something google maps did I guess.
Its pretty windy there. If you dont plan on being nude, a better spot is “the cove”, the very east end of Baldwin beach, protected from wind by a large stand of iron wood trees. You can easily walk there in a couple minutes from middles beach.
In both locations expect a strong presence of cannabis smoke and hippies doing random hippy things, probably some hand drums, maybe a DJ, some fire dancers are possible on a certain night. But I wouldn’t hang out there much longer after dark. Lock your car, hide anything valuable from view. Dont take anything from a vial. Dont feed the hippies.
It was very easy to access this beach and like the author said, several people were tanning and bathing naked. If it wasn’t for the strong wind it would be a great alternative to Makena Little Beach (in Wailea).
We had the beach to ourselves almost for the entire day. At some point we did have to share it with two amazing sea turtles.
We found everyone very friendly and happy. There were a couple of guys who were a bit “too high” but they didn’t bother anyone.
Thank you for your comment 🙂 We’re so glad to hear you found this beach easily and enjoyed your time here. How wonderful that you also got to share it with some sea turtles too!
Please don’t get nude near the youth center!
I have seen many confused tourists flashing the children there. Not cool.
We have added some bold print advising visitors to keep the proximity to the temple and the youth center in mind. Thank you for the tip!