Hanaka‘o‘o Beach Park


The long, sandy Hanakaʻoʻo Beach Park, extending south from Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, has a sandy bottom and water conditions that are usually safe for swimming. However, southerly swells, which sometimes develop in summer, can create powerful waves and shorebreaks, while the occasional kona (leeward) storm can kick up rough water conditions in winter. Snorkelers head to the second clump of rocks on the southern side of the park, but it really doesn’t compare with sites further north.

Hanakaʻoʻo Beach is also called ‘Canoe Beach,’ as West Maui outrigger-canoe clubs practice here in the late afternoon.

The park has full facilities and is one of only two beaches on the entire West Maui coast that has a lifeguard. A small immigrant cemetery dating from the 1850s marks the entrance.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Wahikuli Wayside Park

0.38 MILES

Just 2 miles north of the heart of Lahaina and right on the road to Ka'anapali, this multi-section county park follows the shore and is great for walking…

2. Wahikuli Wayside Park

0.58 MILES

Two miles north of Lahaina, Wahikuli Wayside Park occupies a narrow strip of beach, with three separate parking areas, flanked by the busy highway…

3. Kaʻanapali Beach

0.73 MILES

Home to West Maui’s liveliest beach scene, this gorgeous stretch unfurls alongside Kaʻanapali’s resort hotels, linking the Hyatt Regency Maui with the…

4. Whalers Village Museum

0.86 MILES

Lahaina was a popular restocking stop for whaling ships traveling between Japan, the Arctic and New England during the Golden Age of whaling (1825–60)…

5. Kaʻanapali Beach Walk

0.91 MILES

This one-mile pathway between Kaʻanapali's fancy resorts and gobsmackingly beautiful beach offers a gentle stroll, with sunset and people-watching…

6. North Kaʻanapali Beach Walk

1.75 MILES

Stretching south from Kahekili Beach Park to the Sheraton Maui, this paved path is pleasant for a morning stroll, passing tropical trees, a cafe, a golf…

7. Kahekili Beach Park

1.85 MILES

This idyllic golden-sand beach at Kaʻanapali’s less-frequented northern end is a good place to lose the look-at-me crowds strutting their stuff further…

8. Lahaina Jodo Mission

1.87 MILES

A 12ft-high bronze Buddha sits serenely in the courtyard at this Buddhist mission, looking across the Pacific toward its Japanese homeland. Cast in Kyoto,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/hawaii/lahaina-to-ka-anapali/attractions/hanaka-o-o-beach-park/a/poi-sig/1429009/1333412",
      "position": "superzone"
    }