Start Time
6:00 AM
Distance
~5 miles
Beaches Covered
3 (+ Charley Young)
Back at P410 by
8:00 AM
Andrew's Favorite Start to the Day
Five miles before the day starts
I do this walk most mornings when we're on Maui. Leave P410 at 6:00 AM, before the sun gets high, before the beach fills up. The air is still cool. The water is glassy. You have the sand mostly to yourself — plus the regulars, the joggers, the dog walkers. Everyone says good morning. It's that kind of walk.
By 7:00 AM you've already walked three beaches. The Wailea Canoe Club is out on the water. Sometimes the Paradise Sandman is already at work on Kama'ole I or II. The surf school is just starting. Everything is waking up, and you're already out ahead of it.
Leave at 6:00 AM and you're back at P410 by 8:00 AM — five miles done before the day has properly started. If you want breakfast, Kihei Caffe is right at the turnaround point at Kalama Park and you'll be back a little later. South Maui Gardens doesn't open until 8:00 AM (check their website for current hours), so if that's your destination, plan to start a bit later or walk slower — and note it'll be warmer heading home. One of the best things about staying in South Kihei.
Best for
Early risers · fitness walkers · anyone who wants to see Maui before the crowds arrive
Surface
Sand, paved path, grass walkway, some lava rock transitions between beaches
Step by Step
The Route
P410 → Kama'ole III
Head south on South Kihei Road, turn left into Kama'ole Beach Park III. Loop the park or head straight down to the beach. At this hour the sand is empty and cool.
Kama'ole III → Kama'ole II
Walk along the water north. The transition between Kama'ole III and II is over lava rocks — they're like natural steps, easy to navigate. Kama'ole II opens up ahead of you.
The full length of Kama'ole II
Walk the length of Kam II. This is where you might spot the Paradise Sandman at work — he appears seasonally, usually mornings. No guarantees, but it's always a treat when he's there.
Up to the grass walkway
A path leads up from the north end of Kam II past a condo building to a public grass walkway. The elevated view from here — neighbor islands, open ocean, the whole South Kihei coastline — is one of the quiet rewards of this walk.
Kama'ole I
Down to Kama'ole I — another long, wide beach. Walk its length. There's another elevated overlook area at the far end with views north along the coast.
Charley Young Beach + Canoe Launch
Continue north to Charley Young Beach. The beach access here — on South Kihei Road just before Auhana Rd at the edge of Kalama Park — is where the Wailea Canoe Club launches their canoes and Maui Wave Riders runs surf lessons. The Maui Wave Riders shop is directly across the road. By this point you can see the paddlers you spotted earlier are launching right here.
Kalama Park → Head Home (or Breakfast)
Left into Kalama Park — walk the ocean path past the skating rink and ball fields. Foodland is across the street at the far end. Turn back south toward P410. Back by 8:00 AM if you head straight home. Optional: stop at Kihei Caffe (directly across from the park) — it opens around 5:00 AM (check their website for current hours), so it's ready when you are, and you'll be back a little after 8:00 AM. South Maui Gardens (off Auhana Rd near Maui Wave Riders) doesn't open until 8:00 AM, per their current posted hours — if that's your plan, start the walk a bit later or take it slower, and expect a warmer walk home.
Sights Along the Way
July 1 · 6:00 AM
The Walk in Photos
Photographed on a recent morning walk — in order, start to finish. What you see in that first hour depends on the light, the tide, and whether the canoe club is out. It usually looks something like this.
5:59 AM · Kama'ole III
First light. Haleakalā on the horizon.
6:00 AM · KamIII → KamII
Walking north. KamII ahead.
6:02 AM · KamIII
West Maui Mountains catch the first light.
6:15 AM · KamI
The elevated walkway.
6:41 AM · Kalama Park
Kahoʻolawe.
6:41 AM · Kalama Park
Molokini.
6:42 AM · Kalama Park
End of Maui.
6:43 AM · Kalama Park
Haleakalā.
Along the Way
What you'll see
Wailea Canoe Club
One of the serene sights of early morning South Kihei — the Wailea Canoe Club launches from the Charley Young beach access, their outrigger canoes cutting silently through the glassy water. You'll spot the paddlers from the overlook above before you see the launch point. Worth pausing to watch.
The Paradise Sandman
A sand sculptor who appears — seasonally and without announcement — on the Kama'ole beaches in the early morning hours. The work is detailed, signed, and remarkable given the medium. No guarantees he'll be there, but if he is, you'll stop. See our Sand Castles guide for more.
Maui Wave Riders
The surf school launches right from the Charley Young access point. Early morning lessons are usually underway by 7:00–7:30 AM. The shop is directly across South Kihei Road from the water. It's all right there — canoes launching left, surfers entering right, a good Maui morning scene.
The Neighbor Islands
From the elevated grass walkway between Kam II and Kam I, the view opens up. Kaho'olawe and Molokini are clearly visible across the channel to the south. On clear mornings the Big Island appears on the distant horizon. The early light makes the water colors vivid.
Morning Swimmers & Locals
The early morning beach crowd is a different world from afternoon Kihei. Mostly locals doing their morning routine — swimming, walking dogs, fishing from the rocks. Everyone says good morning. It has the feel of a neighborhood rather than a tourist destination. That's the real Kihei.
Sea Turtles
Hawaiian green sea turtles sometimes haul out onto the Kama'ole beaches overnight and rest there in the early morning. You may find one sleeping on the sand — give it space (50 feet per law). They're federally protected and perfectly comfortable being observed from a respectful distance.
The Seawall Stretch
At Kalama Park the sand gives way to the ocean path — water on your left, ball fields on your right, the whole channel laid out ahead.
Under the Palms
From the north end of Kam II a path climbs past royal palms to the grass walkway — the elevated view is one of the quiet rewards of this walk.
The Finish Line
Where to end the walk
Andrew's Regular
Kihei Caffe
Directly across from Kalama Park. Opens around 5:00 AM — check their website for current hours. Get there by 7:00 AM before the line builds. Sit outside while it's still cool. Loco moco, banana mac-nut pancakes, eggs any way. The local breakfast experience, right at the end of your walk. We go often.
kiheicaffe.com ↗The Garden Alternative
South Maui Gardens
Off Auhana Road near Maui Wave Riders — just a couple of minutes from the Charley Young launch point. The Kihei Food Oasis with 16+ food trucks, coffee, and a shaded garden setting. A lovely place to sit with an acai bowl or a coffee after five miles of beach. Opens at 8:00 AM (check their website for current hours) — if this is your destination, plan to start the walk a bit later or enjoy the pace, and note it'll be warmer heading back to P410.
southmauigardens.com ↗From Andrew
Tips for the walk
Go early. 6:00 AM is ideal. The beach is quiet, the light is golden, and the water is glassy. By 9:00 AM the Kama'oles are filling up and the magic of having the sand to yourself is gone.
Bring water. Five miles in the tropics, even at 6:00 AM, warrants a water bottle. There are no fountains along most of the route.
Wear shoes. The lava rock transitions between beaches are easy but uneven. Flip-flops work; barefoot is fine on the sand but not recommended on the rocks.
The walk is forgiving. You can cut it short at any beach and head back to P410 — all three Kama'oles are directly accessible from South Kihei Road. Do as much as you want.
Bring a swim suit. If you feel like a morning dip at any of the beaches, the water is yours. "By the time you get back to Kam II beach, it's 8:00 AM and time for a swim."
Walk Stats
Total Distance
~5 miles out and back
Beaches
Kama'ole III · Kama'ole II · Kama'ole I · Charley Young
Surface
Sand, path, grass, light lava rock
Difficulty
Easy — flat, no elevation
Extends to
Wailea Beach (~4 miles south of P410 along the water)
Start Here Every Morning
P410 puts this walk out your front door
Five miles, three beaches, back at P410 by 8:00 AM — before the day has properly started. Breakfast optional. This is what it means to stay in South Kihei.