Mokapu Beach Park

Located in the southern part of Maui, Mokapu Beach Park - also called Mokapu Beach and Mōkapu Beach - is a large beach that has light brown sand, a few rocks, and many nearby palm trees in the resort community of Wailea. This beach is one of the northernmost beaches in Wailea. The area around the southern end of the beach is rocky - this rocky area is composed of lava rocks. The beach’s name "Mokapu" is actually derived from the Hawaiian words "Monu Kapu" which means sacred island - this designation actually refers to an island which was earlier present in the water near Mokapu Beach. However, this island was destroyed during a practice bombing session during World War Two. Although Mokapu Beach Park does not have lifeguards, it has many other amenities including restrooms, showers, a nearby grassy area, a walking path, and benches. Dogs are allowed in Mokapu Beach Park. Getting to Mokapu Beach Park is easy - from the southern end of County Road 31, you need to turn towards Wailea Ike Drive and then towards Wailea Alanui Drive. From Wailea Alanui Drive, you need to turn towards Ulua Beach Road. There is a free parking lot for Mokapu Beach Park near the end of Ulua Beach Road - you can easily walk to the beach from this parking lot via a walking trail. We recommend visiting this beach early as this parking lot fills up quickly. If this parking lot is full, you can park at the southernmost parking lot of another beach named Keawakapu Beach - the free southernmost parking lot of this beach is near the southern end of South Kihei Road. Once you park here, you then need to walk to Keawakapu Beach. Once you reach Keawakapu Beach, you need to walk a quarter-mile south along the shoreline to Mokapu Beach Park. The beach is open between 7 am to 8 pm.

Mokapu Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, picnicking, fishing, tidepooling, hiking, swimming, surfing, bodyboarding, snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, jet-skiing, surf-skiing, water-skiing, boating, tidepooling, and wakeboarding. The water near Mokapu Beach has a mostly sandy bottom, along with a gradual shallow depth, which makes it ideal for beginner swimmers and paddleboarders. Snorkelers and scuba divers also enter the water near Mokapu Beach Park in order to explore its vibrant biodiversity - the water near Mokapu Beach Park has a reef and depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near Mokapu Beach Park including sea turtles, migrating whales, corals, and many kinds of fish including reef triggerfish ( which is also called humuhumunukunukuapua - this fish is the state fish of Hawaii), Hawaiian dascyllus, and goatfish (known in Hawaiian as weke) - sea turtles are protected under a law named the Endangered species Act of 1973, and harming them can result in a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment. 

The best time to snorkel in Mokapu Beach Park is during the morning when the is calm and clear, and the best spot for snorkeling in Mokapu Beach Park is the southern end of the beach. The water near Mokapu Beach Park is also known to have jellyfish - these animals can inflict a painful sting when disturbed. If you like tidepooling, you can explore the interesting tidepools present near the southern end of Mokapu Beach Park. If you are planning to fish in the water near Mokapu Beach Park, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations - these regulations can be found at the website of the Division of Aquatic Resources (which is a part of the State of Hawai’i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources). Mokapu Beach Park offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby islands of Molokini, Kahoolawe, and Lanai, especially during sunsets. 

There are many attractions near Mokapu Beach Park. Molokini Crater is an offshore volcanic crater which was formed after a volcanic explosion around 230,000 years ago. The clear water around this volcanic crater is a part of a marine reserve and it is immensely popular among scuba divers and snorkelers - the water here has a vivid coral reef and it is home to many kinds of aquatic creatures. Wailea Beach Path (also known as Wailea Coastal Walk and Wailea Beach Path) is an oceanfront walking path that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Maui shoreline (especially during sunrise and sunsets) and it also offers a fantastic hiking experience along the vibrant coastal Maui landscape. The Wailea Beach Path also passes through an Ancient Hawaiian homestead and it also offers access to an elevated geographical location named Wailea Point - this point offers an amazing post for viewing whales (between November and May). If you are looking for another attraction near Mokapu Beach Park, Wailea Golf Club’s Emerald Golf Course is an oceanfront golf course that was designed by Rober Trent Jones II and is known for its couple-friendly and women friendly design - this 18-hole golf course offers a fun oceanfront golfing session.

There are many attractions near Mokapu Beach Park. Molokini Crater is an offshore volcanic crater which was formed after a volcanic explosion around 230,000 years ago. The clear water around this volcanic crater is a part of a marine reserve and it is immensely popular among scuba divers and snorkelers - the water here has a vivid coral reef and it is home to many kinds of aquatic creatures. Wailea Beach Path (also known as Wailea Coastal Walk and Wailea Beach Path) is an oceanfront walking path that offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Maui shoreline (especially during sunrise and sunsets) and it also offers a fantastic hiking experience along the vibrant coastal Maui landscape. The Wailea Beach Path also passes through an Ancient Hawaiian homestead and it also offers access to an elevated geographical location named Wailea Point - this point offers an amazing post for viewing whales (between November and May). If you are looking for another attraction near Mokapu Beach Park, Wailea Golf Club’s Emerald Golf Course is an oceanfront golf course that was designed by Rober Trent Jones II and is known for its couple-friendly and women friendly design - this 18-hole golf course offers a fun oceanfront golfing session.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Mokapu Beach Park. Tommy Bahama Wailea is an upscale casual restaurant which offers amazing dishes for lunch and dinner that exhibit local culinary influences including seafood, pork ribs, soups, salads, poultry dishes, burgers, sandwiches, steaks, and tacos. Lineage is a popular restaurant which offers excellent fusion Asian-American cuisine. This restaurant was awarded TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice award in 2021 and it was also awarded Honolulu magazine’s Hale ‘Aina Award’s gold prize for the best new restaurant in 2019, and is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.  Matteo’s Osteria serves amazing Italian dishes including pizzas, bruschetta, pasta, lasagna, and costolette. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Mokapu Beach Park, Horhitos Mobile Taqueria offers amazing Mexican dishes including tacos and quesadillas. The restaurant also serves amazing Hawaiian-style platters, burgers, wraps, salads, seafood, and hot dogs.

If you are looking for a hotel near Mokapu Beach Park, there are many great nearby options. The 5-Star Ho’olei at Grand Wailea offers many amenities including a cafe, two poolside lounge bars, a golf course, a fitness center, and a pool with a sandy beach and a waterfall. Another upscale hotel is the 4.5-Star Wailea Beach Resort - Marriott, Maui offers many amenities including four restaurants, two coffee shops, a spa, pools, waterslides, multiple golf courses, a gym, and an airport shuttle service. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Mana Kai Maui Resort which offers many amenities including a pool, oceanfront barbecues, a deli, a restaurant with outdoor seating, a yoga studio, beach equipment rental facilities, and complimentary passes to a nearby fitness center. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Mokapu Beach Park, the 3-Star "What a Wonderful World" A Maui Bed and Breakfast is a bed-and-breakfast that offers many amenities including a laundry facility, a lanai (an outdoor deck area), a barbecue, a courtyard, loaner facility for beach towels and equipment.