What is near Kahului, Maui port?

We are trying to avoid renting a car. We are doing an excursion the first day in Maui but wanted a beach day the 2nd day. Is there anything close to port? If not what is the best and/or closest beach and what is the easiest way to get there? Thanks for your help!

The nearest beach is Baldwin Beach but it's still about 4 or 5 miles away from the harbor.

I would highly recommend that you rent a car. On my first day I would drive to Hana, and go for a beach day on the second day in south maui. South maui has many beaches to explore, but I would just pick 2. First the beach in Wailea around the hotels. Lots of lunch options and a nice area to walk. Then pick a nice quiet beach in Makena and laze the day away..

My DD and I returned a couple of weeks ago. She had wanted to spend time at a beach, too, but we found it was too chilly to do that. Although average monthly temperatures for each island for Nov/Dec showed about 82-84° it was chillier than we like for beaching. The only place it was hot was in Honolulu.

We had not wanted to rent a car, either, but when we realized how much we'd save, and how easy it was to get around, we went for it. Did half way to Hana the first day, returned to the ship for a late lunch, then to Iao Needle and back for dinner and rest. We were able to park right outside the security gate.

The second day we drove to the S and W Maui beaches and Lahaina, eating lunch at an Hawaiian place there called Aloha Plate Lunch. They prepare luau food, so we had the authentic thing right on the beach (well, from the porch of the restaurant).

The car was $31 a day w/the insurance waiver meaning you use the insurance from your own policy or your credit card. With taxes that came to $40. Did the same in Hilo. although gasoline is expensive there (about a dollar more per gallon) but the islands are relatively small and the gas didn't cost much over all.

We are trying to avoid renting a car. We are doing an excursion the first day in Maui but wanted a beach day the 2nd day. Is there anything close to port? If not what is the best and/or closest beach and what is the easiest way to get there? Thanks for your help!

When are you going to Maui? Winter Months Nov-Late Jan can be cool. North Shore by the port is known for it's kite surfing for a reason and JAWS is happening on the North shore of Oahu in Mid December.

Beach wise it would be wise to rent a car from the Airport and drive to Wailea or Makena or even Kihei. I would say try Kannapali Beach area but getting out in the Lahaina area and trying to get back to the airport could prove to be nerve racking.

Aloha Plate Lunch OMG how I miss da grind.

jump on a bus and see the island. Go to Kehei to beach 2. great beach and mini mart and food across the street

We took the bus while in Maui and thoroughly enjoyed our "mini-tour" of the island going to Lahaina. It took the better part of an afternoon, but was fun, and cheap!

Kanaha Beach is not that far from the port, still need a car to get there or taxi. Kahalui is on the typically windy side of the island though. So if it is blowing, the sand will be blowing as well! Bring shoes, there are Kiave trees near many of the Maui beaches, nasty big thorns on them! Usually once you are on the sand you are ok.

kristy

http://www.kanahabeach.com/

Jaws is on Maui:

You're maybe thinking of Pipeline, Waimea etc on Oahu.

Jaws is hard to access but on Maui you can see lots of action & big waves from the lookout at Hookipa Beach just past Paia.

We found a nice beach to swim called "Laeulao Kai" not far from where the Pride of America berths, in fact we walked it, took a little while, but it was worth it, lovely beach, nice sand, clear water, and low & behold the airport was behind somewhere, as we could watch the passenger jets taking off above the trees of the beach park we were in.

Hardly any tourists there, only locals, it was heaven.