Lahaina beaches close to cruise pier?

Am arriving on the Statendam and was wondering how to get to the beaches in Lahaina after tendering in...walkable, taxis......

Lahaina doesn't have really great beaches IMHO. Best bet would be grab a cab or the city bus (mauicounty.gov) and head to Kaanapali. Good beaches and you can even snorkel Black Rock (by the Sheraton). Later, grab a drink at the Hula Grill or one of the other establishments. A beautiful walkway also runs the length of Kaanapali. Fun way to spend a day.

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Kaanapali is great, but if you just want to spend some time on a beach without the hassle of getting a taxi or bus, there is a small beach right in town.

It's not a superb beach, but we enjoyed a nice relaxing day there, after several days of driving all over the other islands. Just walk up the main street to the left past all the shops and keep on walking a few more blocks, part of it is along almost a causeway with stunning views; then start looking for beach access signs. We found one in an alley between houses.

I'd say it was a half mile to a mile from the dock. We shopped along the way, so I'm not sure. The water is very shallow, but calm. There was shade as well as sun. The beach is lined with houses; I'd love to live there! Don't know or remember the name.

Lahaina doesn't have really great beaches IMHO. Best bet would be grab a cab or the city bus (mauicounty.gov) and head to Kaanapali. Good beaches and you can even snorkel Black Rock (by the Sheraton). Later, grab a drink at the Hula Grill or one of the other establishments. A beautiful walkway also runs the length of Kaanapali. Fun way to spend a day.

 

 

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It was a quick taxi ride for us to get there. Whalers Village is a nice outdoor shopping center. We were there on Christmas Day 2012 and many of the stores and one of the restaurants were open. The museum there was closed for the holiday.

Yes, this is the area I was thinking of too.

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I stay at the Westin on Ka'anapali Beach regularly. Good snorkeling, nice board walk along the shore and restaurants for a bite. Would recommend.

Thanks for your input. Helps a lot. Probably head to Kaapalani to snorkel, if motivated. Nice to know I have a choice though

It was a quick taxi ride for us to get there. Whalers Village is a nice outdoor shopping center. We were there on Christmas Day 2012 and many of the stores and one of the restaurants were open. The museum there was closed for the holiday.

Just a FYI .... We were last at Whaler's Village shopping center a couple of years ago, and found that quite a few of the stores had closed. It was not as good shopping there as it used to be.

Thanks for your input. Helps a lot. Probably head to Kaapalani to snorkel, if motivated. Nice to know I have a choice though

Getting there is not difficult .... one can take a taxi or catch the local bus by the theater in the shopping area by the port.

...wish I was going. :) If you decide to take the bus, the bus stop is located behind the Wharf Cinema. You can either walk through the stores or walk around the block. Most ships tender into Lahaina. At the dock, walk to your right and you'll see the beautiful and massive Banyan Tree. Across the street is the Wharf Cinema.

Buses run every hour on the half hour...7:30, 8:30, 9:30am. Tickets are $2/person/one-way. Tip: You can purchase the all-day pass for only $4...same price as a roundtrip ticket. Two advantages: 1. Of course, you can use it all day. 2. You get "priority boarding" on your way back from Kaanapali Beach. Passengers will be heading back about the same time and the line for the bus will be long. The bus driver will allow boarding to those who purchased the all-day ticket.

At this beautiful beach, you can't really go wrong on where to stop. There are isolated spots, there are areas good for body surfing, and the best snorkeling spot is located at the end by the lava rocks. You'll often see turtles along with the hundreds of colorful fish. You can also watch a few daredevils jumping from the top of the lava rocks.

Cabanas, loungers, and chairs are available for rent. There were hotel staff at each location that will gladly rent them to you. There are also outdoor showers and restrooms. There are restaurants, bars, and even shopping. Have a wonderful day at Kaanapali Beach and happy sailing...........wish we were going! :)

Thanks for all your added information. Can't wait to get there!

Just a FYI .... We were last at Whaler's Village shopping center a couple of years ago, and found that quite a few of the stores had closed. It was not as good shopping there as it used to be.

Probably any mall nowadays have had store closings due to the economy. I was actually surprised that many stores were open that day (our malls here in So Cal are usually closed on Christmas Day) even though a few weren't open when we first arrived, to my daughter's disappointment, and then a couple of hours later, she saw that Sephora and a couple of others had opened their doors since then. The cookie store was closed for the holiday (their Honolulu store was open when we go to Oahu a couple of days later), but we were pretty happy with the selection.

The real disappointment was the Aloha Tower Marketplace. There were very few stores that were open. 17 years before on our honeymoon and even seven years before on our first Hawaiian cruise, it seemed like a bustling place.