Located on the south shore of Maui Island, La Perouse Bay has a rocky shoreline. The bay has several small coves that have unnamed coral-rubble beaches with very little sand and sharp lava rocks. La Perouse Bay is situated within the Ahihi Kinau Natural Area Reserve, and it was formed during the last volcanic eruption of Maui's volcano, Haleakala, around 1790. The Hawaiian name for La Perouse Bay is "Keone'o'io Bay," which means "true beauty."