Palauea Beach runs about 283m (0.3km) along the Maui coast — a short stretch by Hawaiian standards. It faces west so it takes the afternoon sun and faces the sunset. There are 6 mapped parking areas nearby, the closest about 344m from the sand. No toilets, showers or drinking water are mapped at this beach — bring what you need.
Getting there & parking
Closest mapped parking is about 344m from the sand, with 6 parking areas within 600m.
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 | not mapped |
| 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.
Places to eat nearby3 within 1km · nearest 713m
- Mulligans on the Blue · 713m
- Spago · 970m
- DUO · 975m
Details from OpenStreetMap tags — hours and offerings change, so check before relying on them.
Where it is
Who it suits
- Sunset — the sun sets over the water here year-round, 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, 3.2km away.
Sunrise & sunset at Palauea 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 west (249°). The sun goes down out over the water here in every month of the year — it is a sunset beach whenever you come. 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 | 6:24pm | 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 40m | 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.
Live view
Nearest camera: Wailea › West
Webcams provided by windy.com · add a webcam
Photos
Where to stay
7 hotels, resorts and rentals are mapped within 1.5km of this beach, the closest about 356m away.
Hotels & resorts nearby7 within 1.5km · nearest 356m
- Polo Beach Club · 356m
- Fairmont Kea Lani Maui · 491m
- Wailea Point · 794m
- Four Seasons Resort · 947m
- Makena Surf Condo Resorts · 1045m
- Hotel Wailea, Relais & Châteaux · 1265m
- Grand Wailea · 1285m
Mapped lodging from OpenStreetMap — not a complete list of what's bookable.
Booking link is an affiliate link — it costs you nothing extra.
Things to do nearby
Attractions & galleries1 within 1.5km
- Turtle Town · 885m
OpenStreetMap rarely records gear rental, so bookable activities are searched via GetYourGuide (affiliate link).
Other beaches on Maui
- Polo Beach · 0.6km · 271m long · faces west
- Po'olenalena Beach · 1.0km · 414m long · faces west
- Wailea Beach · 1.3km · 418m long · faces west
- Chang's Beach · 1.4km · 39m long · faces west
- 5 Graves Beach · 1.6km
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.