One of Maui’s highlights we visited this week is nestled along its southwest coast. We walked the Wailea Beach Path, which is more properly named the Wailea Coastal Path since it passes more than one beach. This is our first of a series of articles on visiting Maui nearly one year after the tragic Lahaina Fire.
Starting here on South Maui, this picturesque and totally enjoyable walking experience is 3-miles round trip and stretches from sandy Mokapu Beach to a boardwalk in front of the Andaz Maui, then becomes a paved path all the way to the Four Seasons Maui and beyond to Polo Beach. The beaches you walk by are pristine, and the ocean vistas are breathtaking, especially at sunset.
A Maui scenic stroll not to be missed.
The Wailea Coastal Path is renowned for its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, with the islands of Lanai, Molokini, and Kahoolawe clearly visible in the distance. As you stroll along the path, you’ll be treated to the sight of lush tropical gardens, vibrant bougainvillea, and swaying palm trees. If you time it right, you may even get to stand near and listen to the music at a luau at one of the resorts along the way. The path is well-maintained and relatively flat, making it accessible to walkers and joggers of all ages and fitness levels. We wish it were wider because people often need to walk in a single file to pass by.
Points of interest include a new favorite swimming beach of ours.
Beaches: The path provides access to some of Wailea’s most beautiful beaches, including Wailea, Ulua, Polo and Mokapu. Each beach offers soft golden sands, crystal-clear waters, and excellent opportunities for snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing. Our new favorite is Wailea Beach itself, which fronts the Grand Wailea and Four Seasons resorts. The beach was perfect for swimming, we saw turtles swimming by, and the water clarity was outstanding.
Luxury Resorts: The path meanders past several world-class resorts, such as the Four Seasons Resort Maui, Grand Wailea, and the Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui. Many of these resorts feature beautiful gardens, art installations, and beachfront dining options that are open to the public. Most of the resort pools are for guests only, but the Andaz does have a daily resort pass available.
Whale Watching: During the winter months, the Wailea Coastal Path is an excellent spot for whale watching. Humpback whales migrate to the warm waters of Hawaii from December to April, and you can often see them breaching and spouting offshore.
Activities and amenities include parking.
If you’re not staying at one of the Wailea resorts, finding a place to park is the top priority. There are two lots available at either end. If you want to start near the Andaz, turn on Ulua Beach Road, where the parking lot is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For those of you wanting to start near the Four Seasons Resort, parking is at Polo Beach, which is on Kaukani Street and opens at 7 am.
Whether you’re looking for a leisurely walk, a morning jog, or a place to enjoy the sunset, the Wailea Coastal Path has something for virtually everyone. The path is dotted with benches where you can sit and take in the view, and there are numerous access points to the beach if you feel like stopping to take a dip in the ocean. Many of the resorts along the path also offer beach rentals, including snorkeling gear, paddleboards, and cabanas.
For those interested in art and culture, the path also features several public art installations and informational plaques about the area’s history and natural environment. Additionally, the Shops at Wailea, located near the northern end of the path, offer a variety of shopping, dining, and take-out options.
Tips for enjoying the Wailea Coastal Path.
Early Morning or Late Afternoon: To avoid the heat and crowds, consider walking the path early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The lighting is also perfect for photography during these times.
Stay Hydrated: Bring a water bottle, especially if you’re planning a longer walk. Water fountains and restrooms are available at various points along the path.
Respect the Environment: The Wailea Coastal Path is a beautiful natural area. Help keep it pristine by disposing of trash properly and staying on the designated path to protect the surrounding vegetation.
The Wailea Coastal Path is a must-visit for anyone traveling to Maui. With its stunning coastal views, access to beautiful beaches, and proximity to amenities, it offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and modern amenities. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a first-time visitor, a walk along the Wailea Coastal Path is sure to be a highlight of your trip to Maui.
What are your best memories of the Wailea “Beach” Coastal Path?
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Aloha Mary, ⛱️🥥🍍🌺🌈👙🩴🌞 In March I made my lifelong dream vacation trip to Oahu come true❤️💯. I had an amazing, fun, wonderful trip. The Aloha spirit is alive & well on this island I’m happy to report. My Grandfather was in the Navy & in Pearl Harbor. He survived PH & I’ve always wanted to go to pay my respects since I have very close ties. 🇺🇸 Going to Pearl Harbor was very emotional for me & one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life, but I’m very glad I went. Anyone who visits Oahu definitely needs to go to Pearl Harbor. I went to Leonard’s Bakery & got a malasada( Portuguese donut). It was sooo very yummy 😋. I recommend LB. For any Elvis fans who reads this across from Leonard’s Bakery is a wonderful pizza place to eat & building is yellow. Elvis used the☎️ & you can have your 📸 by it. I met the owner & she is a very sweet lady. Pizza is great so I recommend.
My wife and I spent a pleasant morning swimming, sunning and snorkeling at Ulua beach.
After eating a picnic lunch, we walked the Wailea Path to the Grand Wailea .
Snuck into their pool!
Very very enjoyable walk with beautiful sights and beaches.
Highly reccomended
Our Wailea time from 1986 through the millennia was at the Stouffer, then Renaissance Wailea, which we were always able to get one of the Rooms at the Makapu Beach Club, which was quieter and literally right on the water. Since Hyatt and Andaz, haven’t been down there. Spending most of our time on the westside in Kaanapali Hyatt, the original Maui Marriott (now Time Shares) or R-C in Kapalua.
My husband and I love this Wailea walk! We do it every year and have lunch at the same restaurant and order the same food! It’s a tradition for probably 20 years now. Yes it can be crowded on the path but that’s true for so many beautiful walks and trails in Hawaii and other places. You just have to adjust your mindset! Thanks for posting about it!
We went to Maui every February for at least a dozen years. We did not discover the Wailea path the first few years. After we discovered it we walked it at least once a year. It is a somewhat hidden gem. The first year we came to these stairs. I wondered where they went. We went up the stairs and found the Four Seasons restaurant. I think they open at 11 AM. We usually stopped there for lunch and then continued on down the trail and back. We parked the the Wailea Shops parking lot and bought a coffee or an ice cream when we got back so we had a parking pass going out. You walk down the hill through the Marriot, down the stairs and there is the path. We loved that walk so much that we have a painting of it on our wall. We cannot go to Maui anymore because of age and infirmities. It hold wonderful memories for us. Thank you for reminding me of the magical walk.
Why do You guys now feel the need to tell US tourists to respect the environment and dispose of my trash properly? I have been there once or twice and most of the trash seen around the islands and about All of the crime is from da locals. Don’t point fingers!
I prefer Keawakapu Beach, it’s less crowded and it’s a beautiful walk at sunrise or sunset.
Rich
Also my favorite beach. Shhh keep it a secret lol
Mahalo for reminding me to get out more to the the South beaches of Maui! Still spending most of my time on the West side of Maui …
I thought the Kea Lani was a Fairmont Resort? I don’t think it’s a Four Seasons Resort, but I may be wrong!
Hi CB.
Always enjoy hearing from you! It’s bee a long time since we all met up. In any event, thanks for correcting that error, which we have now updated.
Aloha.
Kea Lani is Fairmont and Four Seasons is next to it.
Yes, it certainly is a beautiful area! We spent our 25th wedding anniversary there. But please don’t forget West Maui, the people there are still in need of your support. The restaurants are wonderful and the people are so welcoming. The resort we stayed at in April went out of their way to tell us they wanted us on the Island and that the money we spend would stay on Maui. We always go to the Swap Meet and Craft Fairs. We eat at Aloha Mixed Plate(so happy they are back), Dollies, and Sea House among many others. The Beaches are wonderful! I could go on and on…❤️🤙
Hi SA.
Thanks. I’m sure you saw that we said this was just the first of multiple articles about last week on Maui. West Maui will be coming up, so please stay tuned for that too.
Aloha.
Hi. I’m planning a 2 week trip to Princeville next May & took a look at Rental cars. Seeing about $1400 for the 2 weeks. Is that the new normal or really high since it’s so far out. Thanks for the insight. A S
Hi Andy.
We can say for sure that rental car prices are all over the map. For a week on Maui, we ended up paying a total of $120, pre-paid, including all taxes and fees for a compact car in July. But right now, we’re as stuck as you are on other upcoming Hawaii rentals. Not sure what we can glean from that.
Aloha.
Not sure how you got that rate, but kudos. We are finishing (sob) a 10-day trip to Maui and we got a full-size car thru Costco for $442
all in.
We also did the Wailea walk and it allows us to be hotel voyeurs, as the rates are
otherwise untouchable for us. Occasionally you can find a spa deal but that’s it.
Instead we spent most of our trip in Kihei at the Hale Kamaole complex for about $300 a night for a nice one-bedroom. It’s also walkable to Wailea.
We’re wrapping up with a weekend in Hana, much more preferable than the round trip in a day. Hope you had fun. We did.
Hi Steve.
No One source always has the best rate. No not Costco. So we check them all. That surprise rate came from Autoslash as a prepaid offer.
Aloha.
Thanks for the articles about Maui. We mostly go to Kauai and Hawaii, but every few years add in Maui. Stayed away last year and also on this next trip in September. We don’t usually stay in hotels or resorts as we prefer to rent a home and do our own cooking. In Maui we usually stayed a week near Kapalua and perhaps a week in Hana (to really explore don’t do the road to Hana as a day trip. . We used to rent a home on 10 acres and explored all the things beyond Hana. We also enjoyed the volcano and the Aliikula Lavender Farm and hikes and waterfalls along the way. Rental cars for September is different this year – We mostly ended up with Alamo but so far my company corporate rate with Avis is better than everything else I checked – I haven’t used Avis in at least 10 years. I will continue to watch.
For many years I would book our rental car months, up to a year early, and the prices rarely, if ever, dropped. Now I still book as far in advance as I can but I check back every month or two and for the last 2-3 years the prices drops. Dropped $800 for a multiple week Christmas stay last year. Always a few hundred at a time. Keep checking back! I use Costco car rental.
Hello, never visited Maui only Honolulu. Are there any stores, malls or other activities to do on Maui besides going to the beaches? Also a touchy subject regarding hotels. Do the hotels (even the expensive hotels) have “bed bugs”? Would love to go but afraid of this issue. Please let me know.
Many thanks 😊 Aloha.😍🤩💜
Hi Mary.
This is the first in a series of articles about Maui and we will certainly cover things other than beaches. Bed bugs? We didn’t see any.
Aloha.
I went to Polynesian Culture center & I recommend it. I had an amazing, fun, learning day here. I rode in a helicopter & that was very fun. Great way to see the 🏝. I went on a tour of the Palace & only Palace in 🇺🇸❤️. Palace was one of my favorite things on trip. Went to Ala Moana mall & my favorite is the Hilo Hattie store. Saw the Elvis statue at the Neal Blaisdell center where he did a concert. Went to a wonderful luau at the Waikiki beach Marriott Resort. Went to the famous Waikiki ⛱️. I’ve always loved Hawaii & I definitely have 🏝 fever. I completed some of my fun-filled activities this trip & I’m planning on going back in September 2025 to completely finish my itinerary. A Hui Hoe Oahu(until we meet again) 🌎✈️🌺🌈
God definitely blessed me in helping me getting to Hawaii & I’m very thankful to Him. With God all things are possible. ✝️😍
Thanks for visiting Maui. I usually love what you write about our islands but this time I really don’t. I live on Maui and walk that path (or try to) often, but the truth is there are so many people on it that it is not a fun or relaxing experience. First off, do not park at Ulua beach. that is a favorite beach of locals with limited parking and when we go down to swim there is no where to park because of all the tourists. for walking, better park at Wailea Beach with a large 2 lot area and a much better chance of getting a place most anytime of the day. As far as the path, yes it is beautiful but very distracting with so many people and so many people jogging so fast, some fast enough to knock you over. it is impossible to have a quiet stroll with your honey holding hands and talking. I am sorry that you have pointed it out as a. must do on maui.
Once again we are made to feel unwelcome be a resident of Hawaii. Very sad. The Aloha spirit is no longer what it once was. We have decided not to travel to the islands again due to this unwelcoming attitude. There are many other beautiful places to go in the world. Perhaps if Hawaiians were treated this way when they travel they would understand. Severe case of NIMBY happening in the islands!
I live near the coastal path and yes it is lovely, but way to crowded these days. I walked it a few days ago with a friend at 6:45 am. Bad time; there were so many people and runners who seem to think they have priority use of the trail.
Evenings just after sunset can be a better time, cooler and less crowded. Be sure to check out the large, lighted Aloha sign at the Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott) for a photo opp.
I Love this path and walk it almost every day. I’ve never had an unpleasant moment. It’s rarely crowded when I go, and I enjoy watching the joy on the tourists’ faces as they marvel at the beauty of the beaches, the grounds of the resorts filled with flowers, the gentle breezes, and the sunsets.
Definitely one of my happy places on the island. Don’t listen to the Debbie Downer curmudgeons, and also know that they exist and are there to stir negativity everywhere, not just on our islands.
Hele on, Ane. 3 generations of northeast snowbirds here. 30+ trips since ’73. In 2000’s, middle generation skippered scuba/snorkel catamaran(Island intentionally unidentified)for 10 years. On another, similar forum, I shared his knowledge of hikes, bike routes, beaches, etc that were little known except to locals. After experiencing what you have, Wailea side, skipper(son) asked me to stop sharing. Visits since prove you and my son “stay akamai” and accurate. Mahalo on behalf of the aina.