Just north of the famed Ka’anapali Beach + Black Rock, Kahekili Beach Park is a true west Maui gem. Pristine waters, excellent snorkeling, and top-notch facilities make this a much-visited beach, though it somehow never feels unreasonably crowded.
Covered tables, a large parking area, clean restrooms, showers, and a well-manicured lawn characterize this popular beach, and a windbreak just to the north provides a bit more protection from afternoon winds than many other beaches in the area.
If you’re set on swimming, Kahekili Beach Park isn’t the place for you—hidden rocks at the water’s edge effectively keep swimmers ashore, though if you venture just over a quarter-mile south, you’ll find a sandy, friendly stretch of beach. Be aware that the current can pick up quite a bit here; if the water is brown or murky, it’s best not to swim. That said, the park is one of the more famous sites in the area for snorkeling and scuba diving, and there are several scuba shops nearby that do introductory shore dives.
The park’s namesake is King Kahekili Nui Ahumanu, meaning "Feather Cloaked Mighty Thunderer," who lived from 1766 to 1793, the last king of the Maui empire. It's known as Airport Beach for the small, regional airport that used to serve west Maui between 1965 and 1986. It’s rumored that, many years ago, a small plane crashed into the water. Though there’s no remaining trace that we’ve been able to spot, many divers will snorkel near the fresh water that’s brought in by the stream near Black Rock with the hopes of catching a glimpse.
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