Kapalua Hiking Trails – Part 1

There is a reason why for many years XTerra chose Kapalua as its playground for its famous World Championship. With its natural beauty, lush landscape, blue water, and perfect climate, Kapalua Resort offers miles of diverse trails from spectacular coastal treks to grueling mountain ridges fit for either off-road triathletes or casual hikers. The trail system is well organized, and maps of the main hikes are available throughout Kapalua Resort. The three main trails are the Coastal Trail, The Village Walking Trails, and the Mahana Ridge Trail. Many other options exist to connect one trail to the other. Let’s start with the easy one.

Kapalua Coastal Trail

From Kapalua Bay to Fleming Beach, this is one of the easiest and most popular West Maui hikes, with 4.1 miles (6.6 km) out and back. Along the way, you will see spectacular waves crashing into lava rocks, native plants and sea birds, whales in season, and luxurious hotels, like the Montage Kapalua Bay or the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Most of the trail is flat, with some sections of pavement, sand, dirt, gravel, rocky shoreline, stairs, and wooden walkways. You can park your car at the beach parking lot by Merriman’s beach access and follow the signs to the trailhead.

The trail starts at Kapalua Bay, which was named the best beach in the United States in 2018 by Dr. Beach. Located in front of the Coconut Grove condos, Kapalua Bay is a crescent-shaped bay with golden sand and clear water, perfect for swimming and snorkeling. As you continue along the beach and pass the Montage Kapalua Bay, you will arrive at Hawea Point, a protected reserve to the largest bird colony of ‘Ua’u Kani, or wedge tail shearwaters. Take the time to visit this conservation area where you can also see tidepools.

Further along the ocean by the Kapalua Bay Villas you will arrive at the beautiful Oneloa Bay beach (a.k.a Ironwoods Beach), one of the island’s less crowded beaches just in front of the mansions at Kapalua Place. At the end of the boardwalk, the trail takes you up the path along the Ironwoods condos to the Lower Honoapiiani Road for a short stretch. You can then either continue along the water toward Makaluapuna Point (a.k.a Dragon Teeth), the old Hawaiian Honokahua burial site and the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua path, or take a walk along the Kapalua Bay golf course, pass the Honolua General Store and head down along Village Road to D.T. Fleming Beach. Though the second option is not as scenic as Dragon Teeth and its labyrinth, it adds an extra mile to the hike. D.T. Fleming Beach, your destination, was named the best beach in the United States in 2003 by Dr. Beach. It is a long stretch of white sand with strong waves and currents, popular for surfing and bodyboarding. Before returning, check out the Ritz-Carlton Burger Shack for a nice cold drink and a tasty snack. And of course, if you want to start at this end, you could park your car at the Fleming Beach parking lot.