The long, sandy Hanakaʻoʻo Beach Park, extending south from Kaʻanapali Beach Resort, 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 down to the second clump of rocks on the southern side of the park, but it really doesn’t compare with sites further north. The park has full facilities and is one of only two beaches on the entire West Maui coast that has a lifeguard. Hanakaʻoʻo Beach is also called ‘Canoe Beach,’ as West Maui outrigger canoe clubs practice here in the late afternoon.
A small immigrant cemetery dating from the 1850s marks the entrance.
