Big Beach runs about 968m (1.0km) along the Maui coast — a long beach by Hawaiian standards. It faces south-west so it takes the afternoon sun and faces the sunset. There are 2 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 106m from the sand. On-beach facilities mapped here include toilets.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 106m from the sand, with 2 parking areas within 600m. At least one charges a fee.
Distances are to the nearest point of the beach. Only formal, mapped parking areas are counted — informal roadside and verge parking is common in Hawaii and is not recorded in OpenStreetMap, so there may be closer options than shown.
What's there
| Toilets | yes nearest 59m |
| Showers | not mapped |
| Drinking water | not mapped |
| Changing rooms | not mapped |
| BBQ | not mapped |
"Not mapped" means OpenStreetMap has no record — it may still exist on the ground.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Families and long days — toilets nearby and parking close to the sand
- Sunset — the sun sets over the water here in 11 months of the year, as late as 7:10pm in July
Derived from mapped features, not opinion.
When to go
Driest months are June, April, July. Warmest are August, July, September.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Rain in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80.1 | 63.5 | 2.5 |
| Feb | 79.9 | 63.0 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 81.2 | 63.5 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 83.1 | 64.5 | 0.8 |
| May | 84.3 | 65.8 | 1.1 |
| Jun | 85.9 | 67.8 | 0.4 |
| Jul | 87.1 | 69.1 | 0.8 |
| Aug | 87.3 | 69.2 | 1.2 |
| Sep | 86.8 | 69.1 | 1.1 |
| Oct | 86.1 | 68.4 | 1.6 |
| Nov | 83.4 | 66.9 | 1.2 |
| Dec | 81.2 | 64.8 | 1.9 |
30-year normals (1991–2020) from NOAA NCEI station MAKENA GOLF COURSE 249.1, 1.4km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Big Beach
In June the sun is up at 5:45am and down at 7:08pm — 13h 23m of daylight, the longest days of the year here. By December that shrinks to 6:55am–5:48pm, 10h 53m.
This beach looks south-west (220°). The sun sets out over the water July to May; the rest of the year it goes down at the far end of the beach rather than out to sea. The sunset point itself swings about 50° across the year, from WSW in December to WNW in June.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sun sets toward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7:05am | 6:06pm | 11h 01m | WSW 248° |
| Feb | 6:55am | 6:25pm | 11h 29m | WSW 257° |
| Mar | 6:34am | 6:35pm | 12h 02m | W 268° |
| Apr | 6:07am | 6:45pm | 12h 38m | W 281° |
| May | 5:48am | 6:56pm | 13h 07m | WNW 291° |
| Jun | 5:45am | 7:08pm | 13h 23m | WNW 295° |
| Jul | 5:54am | 7:10pm | 13h 16m | WNW 293° |
| Aug | 6:05am | 6:55pm | 12h 50m | WNW 285° |
| Sep | 6:13am | 6:29pm | 12h 15m | W 273° |
| Oct | 6:21am | 6:02pm | 11h 41m | W 261° |
| Nov | 6:36am | 5:45pm | 11h 09m | WSW 250° |
| Dec | 6:55am | 5:48pm | 10h 53m | WSW 245° |
Times are for the 15th of each month in Hawaii Standard Time. Hawaii does not observe daylight saving, so these hold all year.
Calculated from this beach's coordinates using the NOAA solar position algorithm and checked against US Naval Observatory tables (agreement within a minute). Which direction the sun sets is worked out from the shoreline's orientation, not from the skyline — a headland, an offshore island or high ground behind the beach can hide the last few degrees.
Photos
Where to stay
No lodging is mapped within 1.5km of this beach.
Find places to stay near Big Beach →Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Snorkel trips, surf lessons & tours near here →OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Where Big Beach ranks
- The best-equipped beaches on Maui — ranked #14
- Family beaches on Maui — ranked #17
Positions come from mapped facilities and shoreline orientation, and each list explains exactly how it is ordered.
Other beaches on Maui
- Little Beach · 0.6km · 143m long · faces west
- One‘uli Beach · 0.9km · 238m long
- Maluaka Beach · 1.8km · 361m long
- Rocky Beach · 2.2km · 67m long · faces south-west
- Makena Landing · 2.6km · 30m long · faces south-west
Safety
We don't have confirmed lifeguard information for this beach. Never assume a beach is patrolled. Check locally before entering the water.
Rip currents cause around 100 drownings a year at US beaches and account for over 80% of beach rescues, yet only 44% of beachgoers know it. If caught in one, the National Weather Service advises: flip, float and follow.
Safety guidance from the National Weather Service. Beach Beast is not a safety or rescue service. Conditions change rapidly — always check on arrival, obey posted signs and flags, and follow lifeguard instructions. The absence of a warning here does not mean a beach is safe or patrolled.