Honolua Bay snorkeling, West Maui

Honolua Bay is a bay of crystal clear water and high cliffs. It looks absolutely stunning from the Honolua Bay Lookout, especially if the sun is revealing the many shades of blue and blue-green of the water. The beach itself has huge pebbles so it is not a spot to hang out. There is some pavement where you can access the water, but you still have to walk on the rocks once the pavement ends. Although some people say there is a magical enchanted forest here, it is really not very magical. It is just vegetation, with a dirt trail to the beach. Be careful which trail you take. The northernmost trail, with the dirt parking lot across the road, is the one most people take. The trail south of it is a homeless encampment trail and has signs warning of dog bites. Both trails are a bit sketchy, with weird handmade signs, but the northernmost trail is the least risky. If you're not planning to snorkel, you can skip this beach and stop only at the amazing Honolua Bay Lookout. 

In winter, people come here to surf a long surfbreak.
Fleming Beach, 4 minutes south of here, is a better place to sit on a sandy beach and swim. It has lots of shade from ironwood trees.
For a crystal clear swim at a resort beach, head to Kaanapali Beach, a 15 minute drive south.

Directions

The dirt access trail that is the least sketchy is located at 6860 Highway 30, Lahaina. There is a dirt parking lot across the road from the trail.

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