Maui, Hawaii best beaches: The hidden beaches of Maui

Off the ocean-hugging Honoapiilani Highway, just south of the touristy Ka'anapali and Lahaina​ beaches, you'll find a quiet beach hidden behind huge, leafy kiawe trees almost directly opposite mile marker 14. Just under a kilometre in length, Olowalu is known among locals for its snorkelling: the waters are cool, shallow and protected, and there's a huge, kaleidoscopic reef right off the shore that teems with hundreds of species of tropical fish. Keep an eye out for turtles – Olowalu Reef is often nicknamed Turtle Reef due to its abundance of green Hawaiian sea turtles, which occasionally venture onto shore.

Chang's Beach

Concealed behind a handful of luxury vacation homes in Makena, Chang's Beach (named after the family who once owned and farmed the land in the area) is a tiny, quiet cove that's perfect for uninterrupted sunbathing. Its modest stretch of fine, gold sand is often bypassed en route to the larger, more popular beaches in nearby Wailea​ and Kihei, but if it's peace and tranquility you're after, you're better off setting up camp here. You'll have to park on a residential street, and then venture down a rocky trail marked by several gravestones to get to it, but you'll find great swimming and snorkel spots once you reach the bottom. If you're up for an easy (and beautiful) hike, there's a short path on the south end of the beach that leads up to the archaeological remains of an old Hawaiian canoe house, built into the rock.

Po'olenalena Beach

Po'olenalena is one of Wailea's largest and loveliest beaches, but thanks to its location away from the major resort areas, it remains untouristed and largely uncrowded, besides a handful of local families at any given time. About a kilometre in length, the secluded beach is lined with towering kiawe trees and boasts powdery sand and gentle surf that's perfect for boogie boarding and beginner surfers. A lava outcropping divides the beach into two sections; the northern end is the quietest and best for snorkelling.

Kaihalulu Beach

An essential stop on the road to Hana, Kaihalulu is perhaps the island's most beautiful hidden beach – and hardest to get to. From the town of Hana, you must park at the end of Uakea Road and descend a steep, narrow dirt trail that becomes progressively more treacherous as you approach the beach. But, should you persist, spectacular scenery awaits: turquoise-blue ocean crashes against a sandy, rust-red shoreline, bookended by steep volcanic cliffs cloaked in tropical pines. Because of its seclusion and lack of crowds, Kaihalulu is unofficially "clothing optional", so feel free to bathe au naturel.

Koki Beach

Tucked behind a forest of ironwood trees and flanked by steep red cliffs, Koki Beach is one of Maui's most unique hidden beaches. For starters, its sand is reddish, remnants from the volcanic cinder hill, Ka Iwi O' Pele, at the northern edge of the beach. (The hill now belongs to Oprah, as part of a 105-acre parcel that she bought in Hana in 2002). In the distance, you'll see offshore islets like 'Alau and natural lava rock arches dotting the horizon; to the south of the beach, you'll find two natural fish ponds that date back to pre-contact and are maintained by the local community. There are no facilities at Koki besides a lone picnic table with a palm-frond roof, so if you plan to stay an entire day (and require restrooms and a shower) you're better off going to nearby Hamoa Beach, which is still largely untouched by tourists but the more crowded of the two.

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