Hoʻokipa Beach Park
Maui, HI
A highlight on the Road to Hana (Hana Highway), Hoʻokipa Beach Park is the perfect place to pull over for sweeping ocean views, people-watching, and even wildlife encounters. While the white sand beach is most popular among skilled surfers and windsurfers for its big waves and winds, it’s also a haven for dozens of sea turtles around sunset.
The basics
Due to the rough, rocky nature of the water, Hoʻokipa Beach Park is more of a lookout point than a good place to swim. Stop by while driving the Road to Hana to sunbathe, watch windsurfers, and take pictures of sea turtles. If you don’t have a car, book a guided Road to Hana day trip to get to the beach from your hotel on Maui. These tours typically also visit Waikani Falls, Ke'anae Point, and the black sand beach and volcanic caves at Waiʻanapanapa State Park.
Things to know before you go
- The beach has restrooms, picnic tables, and parking on-site.
- The restroom and main parking area are wheelchair accessible, so travelers with limited mobility can still enjoy views of the beach without going down to the sand.
- Lifeguards are on duty from 8am to 4:30pm, so avoid entering the water outside of these hours.
- While the water at Hoʻokipa Beach Park is best for experienced surfers only, kids and other visitors can still enjoy the beach’s tide pools and wide stretch of sand.
How to get there
If you’re driving the Road to Hana, you’ll find Hoʻokipa Beach Park on the north-central side of Maui, early on in the route at mile 9. The closest town is Paia, and the beach is about a 15-minute drive east of the Kahului Airport. If you don’t have a car, the easiest way to get to Hoʻokipa Beach Park is by booking a guided day trip with transportation included.
When to get there
The weather is warm year-round, but fall and spring are the best times to visit Maui’s many beaches, as you’ll bypass the summer and winter crowds. For the best turtle sightings, head to the beach in the late afternoon, when most turtles congregate on the sand for a rest at sunset.
Not to miss on the Road to Hana
Once you’ve visited Hoʻokipa Beach Park, be sure to check out another Road to Hana attraction, Waiʻanapanapa State Park toward the easternmost end of the route. Visitors flock to the park for hikes with ocean views, adventures in lava tubes, and dramatic photos of the black sand at Paʻiloa Beach. Just make sure you have a reservation to visit the state park, unless you’re joining a guided tour that takes care of the process for you.
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