Visit the Kihei Beach Resort for stunning sunsets and an opportunity to relax on the soft sand.
Head to Makena Beach for a day of swimming, snorkeling, and beach-combing.
Take a stroll along the Kihei Coastal Path for stunning views of the ocean.
Explore Kihei Town Center for shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
Visit the Wailea-Makena Golf Club for a round of golf with stunning views of the ocean.
Kihei is a small town with fantastic beaches and restaurants. Not overcome by too many visitors, you can always lay your towel down far from other travellers.
In addition, Kihei only receives 4 inches of rain annually so you are almost guaranteed to have sunshine anytime you visit this part of the island.
It is located on the south shore of the island and has become a popular tourist destination due to its beautiful beaches and tropical climate. The area has a rich and vibrant history dating back centuries and was once part of a royal Hawaiian land division, or “Ahupuaa.” In the 19th century, Kihei started to become a popular destination for whalers who used the area as a port.
The whalers brought with them various plants and animals that helped shape the local environment. In the early 1900s, Kihei was still a small fishing village, but it started to experience a period of growth in the 1950s when the first hotel was built. Tourists began to flock to the area, and it soon became known as a popular destination for families and retirees.
Over the years, Kihei has continued to grow and develop, becoming a vibrant and vibrant destination for tourists, locals, and cool restaurants and dive shops.
Speaking of dive / snorkel shops in Kihei, many offer booking services to visit Molokini Island. The half crater island has no beaches, it's literally a volcano above water and half of the crater has eroded. However no beaches = no sand so there is no 'clouding' of water due to sand being disturbed by waves. The result is crystal clear water where snorkelers and scuba divers can see over 200 ft underwater. (60 metres).
Best beaches in Kihei:
Kamaole 1
Kamaole 2
Kamaole 3
North Kihei
Wailua
Makena
Wailea Maui
Just south of Kihei (ten minute walk) is Wailea Resort. Beautiful small / intimate beaches and close enough to see Molokini Crater from shore.
(Makena Beach / Wailea)
While you can tan in peace and comfort on the beaches of Wailea, just south is Makena Beach, famous for it's big waves and bodysurfing during summer.
Around the point is 'nude beach' just north of the beach. Tourists are often shocked when snorkelling around the north point of Makena and see a small beach covered with naked bodies tanning all parts of their bodies!
(photo Molokini Island)
Molokini Island sits only three miles off shore of Kihei and is positioned between two islands, Maui and Kahoolawe. The Hawaiians referred to Molokini as 'shark island' because during WW2 it was used for bombing practice which killed off the fish and attracted sharks to feed on the dead. In the 1980's many tourist dive boats anchoring there had to dodge dropping anchor around 500 lb bombs that were dropped and landed in the reefs without exploding. Mid 1980 the US Navy detonated these huge bombs, causing a massive fish kill which again attracted sharks feeding off dead fish. Today Molokini Island / Crater is a wonderful tourist destination, its crystal clear waters and abundance of tropical fish make it seem as you are floating in a giant aquarium.
Kahoolawe (seen in the background of the photo) has been used as a US Military target practice range until now. It has always been uninhabited due to lack of fresh water even though it is one of the 8 islands in Hawaii. Today the only living animals on Kahoolawe are goats, somehow they manage to use the little water that is pooled in small areas after rains. It is very dry on the island, for example Kihei, Maui only receives 4 inches of rain per year and Kahoolawe is similar in rainfall.
YouTube links about Molokini Island:
https://youtu.be/p717nBR7Wjo (Kaimana Preservation)
https://youtu.be/3FcgSs588Eg (Adam and Madalyn)