6 Beach Locations in South Maui
View my go-to locations in South Maui and find out which beach looks best for the vision of your photos! These locations are listed in no particular order throughout this page. Please keep scrolling to learn more details of each beach. Feel free to contact me with any questions and enjoy!
Watch this 1 minute video below to view each South Maui location.
(0:11)POLO BEACH, WAILEA
(0:22)MAKENA COVE, MAKENA
(0:35)MALUAKA BEACH, MAKENA
(0:48)KEAWEKAPU BEACH, WAILEA
(1:02)WHITE ROCK BEACH, WAILEA
(1:17)POOLENALENA BEACH, WAILEA
Polo Beach, Wailea
View this beach at 0:11 in the video above.
This public beach sits just in front of the Kea Lani resort and Polo Beach tower. Here, there is a big public parking lot, restrooms, shower/foot washing station for convenience. Some of the natural land features you'll find here are grassy areas, white sand, lava rocks, and tropical landscapes for a Hawaiian beach vibe to any photo. And the sunset views here are spectacular!
2 things to be mindful about when considering this location
- This beach can get really crowded with visitors and beach goers. Having a backup plan for a nearby location if this beach is really busy might be a great idea.
- During high tide, the left side of Polo beach may become inaccessible due to high waves crashing really high up on shore. When this happens, the beach and background options may become limited to the sandy area in front of the Kea Lani hotel.
Polo Beach is ideal for:
- Sunrise and sunset sessions for families with kids, couples, and smaller wedding or elopements.
- Weekday sessions
View in Google Maps:
Makena Cove, Makena
View this beach at 0:22 in the video above.
With tropical trees and plants flourishing Makena Cove, there are great opportunities for different backdrops. This location is one of the most popular small beaches on Maui. Now, it is one of the smallest beaches on Maui and it's also known to being very crowded with parties, weddings, and beach goers especially at sunset.
3 things to be mindful about when considering this location
- This beach is known to be crowded with visitors and beach goers. Having a backup plan for a nearby location if this beach is uncomfortably busy might be a great idea.
- There are no showers or restrooms. Bring towels or extra water to rinse off sandy toes. Plan for a restroom stop ahead of before coming to Makena Cove.
- Street side parking is very limited here too, so arrive earlier than the start time to a photo session.
Makena Cove is ideal for:
- Sunrise sessions for a less crowded beach
- Weekday sessions
View in Google Maps:
Maluaka Beach, Makena
View this beach at 0:35 in the video above.
This large beach will seem like a hidden treasure. Sunset views here make for beautiful portraits. With this beach being very long, it's perfect for an intimate and a quiet day at the beach.
1 thing to be mindful about when considering this location
- There is a parking lot area about a 1 minute walk from the beach itself. Don't forget anything in the car that you'll need during the session!
Maluaka Beach is ideal for:
- Sunset sessions
- Weekday and weekend sessions
View in Google Maps:
Keawekapu Beach, Wailea
View this beach at 0:48 in the video above.
This is one of the longest beaches in South Maui and holds the most beautiful morning scenery. There are multiple beach access entrances to Keawekapu Beach, and the Wailea entrance is where we would meet to capture photos!
3 things to be mindful about when considering this location
- The parking lot here holds about 30 cars and can sometimes fill up throughout the day. There is also a parking lot gate that locks daily at 7pm.
- When it is high tide here, there is very little beach to work with, if that happens, it'll be ideal to have a secondary location in place just in case a last minute location change is needed.
- There are no public restrooms at the Wailea entrance to Keawekapu. However, there is a shower station for public use.
Keawekapu Beach is ideal for:
- Sunrise sessions
- Weekday sessions
View in Google Maps:
White Rock Beach, Wailea
View this beach at 1:02 in the video above.
My personal favorite location! White Rock Beach is also known as Palauea Beach. It's a big enough beach to get great photos even on the busiest of days. This beach has everything you'd want for a tropical setting; coconut trees, lava rocks, greenery, white sand, the occasional turtle on the beach, and lastly, stunning sunset views throughout the year.
3 things to be mindful about when considering this location
- There is only street parking available.
- There are no public restrooms or showers here. However, there is a portapotty. Bring extra towels and water to rinse off sandy toes.
- There is very limited cellular data service here.
White Rock Beach is ideal for:
- Sunrise and sunset sessions
- Weekday sessions
View in Google Maps:
Poolenalena Beach, Wailea
View this beach at 1:17 in the video above.
Poolenalena beach is also known as Chang's Beach. This Wailea beach is just minutes away from great dining experiences, such as Gannon's Wailea and Kō at the Kea Lani Resort. Poolenalena is a beach with boho and rustic vibes. The sand has a darker tone here. Also the beach is separated into two parts by a group of lava rocks. To the right side of these lava rocks you'll find beautiful rock features surrounding the sand. To the left, you'll find almost like a forest of unsaturated trees near the parking lot area before you make your way to the shore.
3 things to be mindful about when considering this location
- There is a portapotty available. However there are no showers. Bring extra towels or water to rinse off sandy feet.
- The far right side of this beach most often has nude people sunbathing and enjoying the area. Don't be surprised if you see a few.
- Weekends are especially busy here - with beach volleyball nets set up and drum circles playing loudly until sunset.
Poolenelana beach is ideal for:
- Sunrise and sunset sessions
- Weekday sessions
View in Google Maps:
