Black Sand Beaches

A major appeal of visiting Maui is relaxing on the white sandy beaches and enjoying the tropical nature of Hawaii. Maui is home to more than white sandy beaches though with shades ranging from green to black.

There are more than 80 beaches on Maui and some of the black sand beaches on the island are black in color because of tiny fragments of lava from nearby volcanoes. These lava fragments are created from lava contacting the ocean water and cooling rapidly until it shatters. These beaches are quite a sight compared to the normal sandy beaches and worth a visit. A few Maui black sand beaches include:

Black Sand Beach on Maui

The remote beach, Oneuli, is named after the dark sand found on the beach that was created by the cinder cone of Puu Olai. This black sand beach on Maui is next to Makena Beach, along Makena Alanui Road in South Maui. This beach and area is popular for snorkeling though swimming conditions are not ideal.

Waianapanapa State Park

The beach at Waianapanapa State Park is located along the Hana Highway is about 120 acres along the eastern shore. The black sand is made up of small black pebbles.

Waianapanapa means “glistening water” in Hawaiian and the park is nestled between lava cliffs with beautiful tropical flora.

These beaches can be fun and unique to visit, but it is recommended to keep shoes on as black sand absorbs heat very well and the sand can be extremely hot. Many of these black sand beaches have tides that can get rough and conditions should be observed carefully.

Please also note that it is illegal to remove the black sand from the beach.