Guide
The Wailea and Makena beaches, ranked by someone who shoots on them.
Three that are on my permitted list, in order, with the reasoning. Then three beautiful ones that are not, and why that settles it.
How I rank them
Pretty is not the test. Almost all of them are pretty.
Choosing a beach for a session comes down to three things: whether it is permitted for commercial photography at all, whether it will be crowded at the hour you are standing on it, and what the wind will be doing. A beach that fails the first test never gets to the other two.
The order below is for the photograph alone. In practice I pick based on where you are staying and work out from there, which is why the beach I book most is second.
The three I shoot made the list for the same reasons. They are permitted, they are long enough that I can move away from other people, and at the right hour they are close to empty.
On my list
The three I book, in order.
- 01
Keawakapu Beach, at sunrise
The prettiest of the three. One of the prettiest stretches on the south side — but the afternoon wind hits it hard, so I shoot it in the morning almost exclusively. Best for couples, maternity, seniors. If you can do a sunrise, this is where I want you.
- 02
Polo Beach, at sunrise
The one I book most, because it forgives the most. A long, open stretch with two or three beaches effectively joined together. If one end fills up I move to the other, and my permit covers both. Best for families, couples, maternity.
- 03
Maluaka Beach, at sunrise or sunset
Far enough south to be clear of the hotels. A long, wide beach that never feels crowded early in the morning or near sunset. Best for families, large groups, couples, and the one of the three that works as well near sunset as it does at sunrise.
Not on my list
Beautiful, and not where I book.
These sit in front of the Wailea resorts, which is exactly why people ask about them.
- 01
Wailea Beach
The beach most people mean when they say Wailea. It is lovely, and it is not on my permitted list, so I do not book sessions there. Polo is close by and is the beach I book most on this side of the island.
- 02
Ulua Beach
At the north end of the Wailea resorts. Not on my permitted list. Keawakapu is the nearest beach I do shoot.
- 03
Mokapu Beach
Next to Ulua, at the same north end. Not on my permitted list either, and Keawakapu is the answer here too.
How I actually choose
Where you are staying decides more than this list does.
I ask where you are staying, then pick from the permitted beaches on that side of the island. My permits typically cover two nearby locations, so if the first one is busy on the day, moving is a decision rather than a crisis. Staying in Kihei, Keawakapu is the closest of the three; staying in Makena, it is Maluaka.
I send you photographs of the options before you book, with the reason each one is on the list. If you are staying at a Wailea resort
Frequently asked
Beach questions
For the photograph alone, Keawakapu at sunrise. For reliability, Polo, because it is long enough that if one end fills up I move to the other. For a big group, Maluaka in Makena.
Not with me. Wailea Beach is not on my permitted list. Polo is close by, and it is the beach I book most on this side of the island.
They are not on my permitted list, and I only book beaches I am permitted to shoot. Keawakapu is the nearest one I do.
Selected work
Open sand, and nobody behind you.
Next step
Tell me where you are staying.
I will come back with a beach, a time and the reason for both — usually inside the hour.