Neighborhood Guide
Kīhei & Wailea: South Maui, Honestly
The dry, sunny, affordable stretch of Maui — a strip mall town with very good beaches, and the resort coast immediately south of it.
South Maui runs along the island's leeward coast in two distinct halves. Kīhei is the northern one: about six miles of condos, strip malls and South Kīhei Road, sitting in the rain shadow of Haleakalā and therefore reliably sunny when the rest of the island is not. Nobody has ever called Kīhei beautiful as a town. It is a commercial strip. What it is, is affordable by Maui standards, walkable in parts, and lined with a genuinely excellent run of beach parks — which is the entire trade you are making by staying here.
Wailea, immediately south, is the other half: a planned resort district of manicured grounds, high-end hotels, a golf course and a shoreline path connecting the beaches. The paved Wailea Beach Path along the coast is open to everyone and is one of the better easy walks on the island, particularly at sunset. As everywhere in Hawaiʻi, beach access is public by law — the resort beaches are not private, though the parking lots for them are limited and fill.
The beaches, in order of usefulness. Kamaʻole Beach Parks I, II and III run along South Kīhei Road with lifeguards, restrooms and grass — III is the family default. Keawakapu, at the Kīhei–Wailea boundary, is longer and quieter. Then, further south past Wailea, Mākena State Park — 'Big Beach', Oneloa. It is spectacular and it has a heavy, dumping shorebreak that breaks directly onto steep sand; it injures people every year, including strong swimmers. Look at it, walk it, and be honest with yourself about going in.
Time it right. December through April is humpback season, and the ʻAuʻau Channel between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi is the densest breeding ground in the islands — in South Maui you can often see whales from the sand without paying anyone. The other signature trip is Molokini, the sunken crater offshore, which is a snorkel boat out of Māʻalaea Harbor just north of Kīhei; go on the early departure, before the wind and the crowd. And note that the entire west side of the island is a separate trip from here, not a neighbourhood over.
Snorkel Trips from South Maui
Departing Māʻalaea, just north of Kīhei — booked through trusted partners.
3 Restaurant Picks in Kīhei & Wailea
Where to actually eat across the strip and the resort coast.
Wailea
The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea
contemporary-hawaiian · fine-dining
Set above Wailea with sweeping sunset views, The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea offers an intimate, elevated dining experience focused on seasonal ingredients and elegant presentation. Butter poached lobster and fresh island fish are standout dishes.
Wailea
Lineage
contemporary-hawaiian · fine-dining
Chef Sheldon Simeon's Wailea restaurant blends local ingredients with global influences, delivering bold, shareable dishes that reflect Maui's modern dining scene. The garlic Szechuan noodles and adobo ribs are must-orders, and the cocktail program is inventive.
Wailea
Morimoto Maui
japanese · fine-dining
Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's oceanfront restaurant at the Andaz Maui combines refined Japanese cuisine with stunning Pacific views. The omakase tasting menu and toro sushi are exceptional, and the design of the space is as impressive as the food.
Plan your South Maui day with Nani
Tell our concierge your dates and she'll line up the early Molokini boat, whale season, and which Kamaʻole to actually park at.