Most visitors believe you have to travel to Hana on Maui to see a black sand beach. Not so! Indeed Honokalani Black Sand Beach, located in the Wainapanapa State Park near Hana is spectacular and well worth visiting. But did you know that you can experience the exotic nature of black sand only 20 minutes from Kihei? Part of the Makena State Park, Oneuli Beach is one of the least used beaches in South Maui. It offers great snorkeling, diving, SUP, and kayaking, but isn’t great for casual swimming and boogie boarding because of the shallow reef. It is also a great place to take a unique picture that will make people say “Where is THAT???”
Oneuli Black Sand Beach in South Maui…no, you don’t have to drive all the way to Hana for black sand!
Oneuli is located just north of the Pu’u Ola’i cinder cone (which can be seen from just about anywhere on the South Maui coast). Go south on Wailea Alanui Dr. from Wailea, which turns into Makena Rd. Turn right at an easy to miss dirt road 3.8 miles south of the Grand Wailea Resort. If you get to Big Beach, you’ve gone too far!
Click on the photo! It is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
So cool! How did I not know this? Absolutely no one has ever mentioned this to me and I live in Kihei.
It’s a great little beach, but I feel like it’s more of a grey sand beach. The light and black mix together. We’ve had some great scuba sessions there, but the currents are strong.
You are right…not as black as Wai’anapanapa Black Sand but a whole lot easier to get to!
Beautiful! I’ve never been there but live right up the hill. Great share.