Makena, HI

Sitting just south of the resorts in Wailea, Mākena offers a noticeably quieter, more rugged slice of South Maui. As you drive down Mākena Road, the manicured lawns quickly give way to open ocean views, volcanic rock slopes coming down from Haleakalā, and some of the island's best beaches. Big Beach is the main draw for sunbathing and bodyboarding, while the nearby calm bays and marine reserves offer fantastic snorkeling right off the shore.

ATTRdronepicr / CC BY 2.0

The area also carries a lot of local character. Decades before custom oceanfront estates were built along the coast, Mākena Landing operated as a busy shipping dock where South Maui ranchers loaded cattle onto steamships, and Native Hawaiian families fished and gathered along the reefs for generations. As the road winds south toward the raw lava fields of La Perouse Bay, the surroundings feel open and peaceful, giving Mākena a distinctly relaxed coastal atmosphere.