The town of Kapalua on Maui's west coast is a popular resort town with the most beautiful beaches, romantic sunsets, and luxury resorts. That's why Kapalua is one of the most popular resorts in the US for honeymooners.

As such, Kapalua consists almost entirely of vacation villas, hotels, and a few restaurants. Classic shopping malls and fast food joints can be found in the town of Lahaina, 16 miles away.

Beaches and swimming

Kapalua's rugged coastline creates several beautiful coves, but they are wide enough to provide magical views of the ocean and the distant island of Molokai. At the same time, they are enclosed enough to offer safe swimming without large waves.

The local beaches are practically right in town, but because Kapalua is a smaller, quiet resort town, they create a beautiful natural feel and are ideal for relaxing and water play.

All the local beaches are covered in fine white sand, all are easily accessible on foot and by car, and all are free to the public.

Kapalua Bay Beach - The central beach in the most enclosed bay with calm waters and great conditions for snorkelling, especially for beginners. There is a promenade around the beach with palm trees and manicured lawn on which you can lie instead of sand.
Napili Bay Beach - A slightly larger and more open beach near the large hotel resorts with several restaurants and a beach equipment shop. Napili is the liveliest beach in Kapalua.
Oneloa Beach - The largest local beach is in the north of town and always offers plenty of space and, thanks to the grassy bund, the illusion of being away from civilisation. It is the most open to the sea and ideal for bodysurfing or surfing for beginners.
Fleming Beach - The natural beach behind the town but still accessible on foot within 10 minutes offers privacy, bigger waves and peace from the masses of tourists.

Drink Bay

Kapalua Bay

Oneloa Bay

Sunbed and umbrella rentals are only at Kapalua Bay Beach and Napili Bay Beach, expect to pay around 50 usd per day.

The coastline around Kapalua is literally dotted with other smaller beaches that connect to the other famous resort of Kanaapali or the popular snorkeling cove of Honolua Bay.

Kapalua Accommodation

Housing in Kapalua is very expensive, but it is luxurious and without compromise. If you're not so money-conscious and want to enjoy a peaceful holiday in beautiful surroundings, Kapalua is the right destination for you.

The cheapest holiday villas start at around 257 eur per night for 2, with standard prices between 366 eur and 733 eur. We recommend these top rated resorts:

The most luxurious resort on all of Maui is the 5-star The Ritz-Carlton Maui.

How to get there

Kapalua is located on the main West Coast bypass road number 30, which takes about an hour to get here from the largest city , Kahului, after a 53-mile drive.

Kapalua is served by the Line 29 "West Maui Express" bus once an hour from Kaanpali, Lahanina and Kahului. For more information, visit mauicounty.gov.

The town even has its own small airport, Kapalua, which is regularly served by Mokulele Airlines 3-4 times a day from Honolulu (one-way tickets from 80 usd).

Book a car at Kahului Airport