Beach · West Maui Scenic Drive
A rocky cove for turtle watching, with a tricky water entry.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for West Maui Scenic Drive. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the West Maui Scenic Drive audio tourRecorded for this place
Honokeana Bay: Turtles from Shore“You’re nearing Honokeana Bay, a small rocky cove where turtles are often seen surfacing close to shore. It’s worth a short look even if you don’t snorkel: pause by the water and watch for a head breaking the surface.”
Plays as you drive up to Honokeana Bay in the Parkwolf West Maui Scenic Drive Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Honokeana Bay is a small rocky cove just south of Nāpili, known for snorkeling and sea turtles rather than a wide sandy shoreline. It’s worth a short stop even if you stay dry: visitors repeatedly see turtles surfacing near the edge. If you get in, check the surf first; entry and exit are over sharp, slippery rock, and rough water can make them difficult.
Most of the shoreline is rocky, but a small strand at the bay’s head has cobbles and calcareous sand. It’s called Kaʻelekiʻi. From shore, keep the rocky point in the frame; it gives the cove a clear shape. Snorkelers also report fish and coral, though visibility changes with the water conditions.
Honokeana is translated as “cave bay.” It belongs to a group of six West Maui bays whose names start with hono. The wider coast name, Nā Honoapiʻilani, is translated as “the bays acquired by Piʻilani,” a West Maui chief.
Wildlife
152 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
71 sightingsHawaiian Monk SealMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
23 sightingsSpinner DolphinMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
401 sightingsGreen Sea TurtleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
14 sightingsHawksbill Sea TurtleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
92 sightingsWedge-tailed ShearwaterMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across West Maui Scenic Drive. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateKapalua Coastal Trail3.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.5 mi awayA paved bay walk that turns rugged at Hāwea Point.
EasyDragon’s Teeth Trail0.7 mi · 30 min · 1.2 mi awayA short coastal walk to jagged lava fins at Makaluapuna Point.
ModerateKapalua Village Cardio Loop1.3 mi · 54 min · 1.3 mi awayA hilly circuit through forest reclaimed from the old golf course.
ModerateMahana Ridge Trail4 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayA reservoir turnaround makes this rough ridge climb manageable.
ModeratePine Loop6.3 mi · 4 hr · 1.5 mi awayA short Cook pine circuit is a long climb up Mahana Ridge.
ModeratePineapple Loop0.4 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.6 mi awayA short pineapple side loop with a long uphill approach.
EasyHonolua Bay Access Trail0.8 mi · 24 min · 2.7 mi awayA shaded forest walk to a rocky, protected bay.
EasyʻĀkia Loop0.6 mi · 30 min · 2.9 mi awayA short loop on the Mahana Ridge trail
Beach · 0.3 mi awayNāpili Bay BeachA sandy crescent for reef swims and west-facing sunsets.
Restaurant · 0.5 mi awayMerriman’s KapaluaPlan dinner around the open-air lanai and long ocean view.
Beach · 0.6 mi awayKapalua Bay BeachA crescent cove where coral reefs put snorkeling front and center.
Beach · 0.6 mi awayKeonenui BeachA small cove with a long fishing and gathering history.
Beach · 0.7 mi awayKaʻopala BeachA tiny pocket beach with little sand left at high tide.
Beach · 1 mi awayOneloa BeachA quiet quarter-mile beach on the Kapalua Coastal Trail.Sight · 1.4 mi awayDragon’s TeethTooth-shaped lava fins rise above a rough, wave-washed shore.
Beach · 1.5 mi awayD.T. Fleming Beach ParkIronwood shade, white sand, and winter surf on Honokahua Bay.Parkwolf’s West Maui Scenic Drive ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
