South Kīhei Road: The Complete Visitor Guide

Where does South Kīhei Road start and end?

South Kīhei Road begins at its junction with North Kīhei Road near Sugar Beach, at the north edge of Kīhei town, and runs about six miles south along the shoreline before ending at Keawakapu Beach, where it becomes Okolani Drive and climbs to Wailea Alanui Drive. The ocean sits on the makai (seaward) side the entire way; shops, condominiums, and neighborhoods line the mauka (inland) side. Piʻilani Highway, Route 31, runs parallel a half mile uphill and is the faster way to cover the full distance by car. The Hale Pau Hana sits at 2480 South Kīhei Road, roughly two thirds of the way down, in the middle of the Kamaʻole beach stretch.

What are the main landmarks on South Kīhei Road, north to south?

The master table below runs the full corridor from the Māʻalaea end to the Wailea border. Distances and times are measured from The Hale Pau Hana at 2480 South Kīhei Road; walk times assume an easy pace on the sidewalk.

Beyond the road itself: Wailea is about 3 miles south of HPH, about 10 minutes by car, and Māʻalaea Harbor is about 15 minutes north, where the Molokini snorkel boats depart between 6:30am and 7:30am.

What is at the north end of South Kīhei Road, toward Māʻalaea?

The north end is the quiet end. Sugar Beach, a roughly five-mile strip of undeveloped sand, curves from North Kīhei toward Māʻalaea, and Mai Poina 'Oe Ia'u Beach Park puts restrooms, showers, and parking on it just off the road. The water here is shallow and often windblown by afternoon, which makes it better for long morning walks and whale watching than for swimming. Farmers Market Maui, the daily produce market at 61 South Kīhei Road, is about a 10-minute drive north of The Hale Pau Hana.

A little farther south, Kalepolepo Beach Park wraps around Ko'ie'ie Fishpond, a three-acre Hawaiian fishpond built more than 400 years ago and listed on the National Register of Historic Places; its rock walls create a calm, shallow pool that small children love. Next door at 726 South Kīhei Road sits the headquarters of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, a fitting address since this whole shoreline faces the sanctuary's waters. During whale season, late November through early May, whales are visible from shore along the entire road; see Whale watching from Kīhei. Continue past the road's north end and Māʻalaea Harbor is about 15 minutes from HPH.

What is in central Kīhei, around Kalama Park and Kihei Kalama Village?

Central Kīhei is the corridor's commercial heart. Azeka Shopping Center spans both sides of the road at 1279 and 1280 South Kīhei Road with more than 50 restaurants, shops, and services, about a 5-minute drive from HPH. Kukui Mall at 1819 South Kīhei Road hosts the Ko Mahi'ai Makeke farmers market on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and Foodland at 1881 South Kīhei Road, the closest full-size supermarket to HPH at about 2 minutes by car, anchors the grocery runs.

Kalama Park, at 1900 South Kīhei Road, is the 36-acre county park marked by the bronze whale statue at its entrance, with a skate park, tennis and basketball courts, ball fields, twelve pavilions, and a playground. It is 0.6 miles north of HPH, a 12-minute walk. Directly across from the park, Kihei Kalama Village at 1941 South Kīhei Road packs 14 restaurants and more than 40 shops and stalls into an open-air marketplace that locals call the Triangle; it is the corridor's default night out, about 0.9 miles from HPH, roughly an 18-minute walk or 3-minute drive. At the park's south end, Cove Park, known simply as the Cove, is South Maui's beginner surf break, 0.7 miles from HPH, about 14 minutes on foot, where surf schools such as Maui Wave Riders and Big Kahuna Adventures run morning lessons on soft, rolling waves.

What is on the Kamaʻole stretch of South Kīhei Road?

The Kamaʻole stretch is the half mile of road where the three Kamaʻole beach parks line up makai, and it is where The Hale Pau Hana sits. All three beaches have Maui County lifeguards daily from 8am to 6:45pm in summer and 7:30am to 6:15pm in winter, restrooms, and rinse showers. Kamaʻole I, roughly 1,200 feet long with a dedicated lot, is a 6-minute walk north of HPH, with Charley Young Beach tucked into its north end 0.4 miles, about 8 minutes, from the property. Kamaʻole Beach Park II, about 1,600 feet of golden sand, fronts HPH directly at 2480 South Kīhei Road; HPH is the only condominium fronting Kam II directly. Kamaʻole III, with the largest grass park, is about a 6-minute walk south, and the reef between Kam II and Kam III sits about 40 yards offshore.

The mauka side of this stretch carries the everyday essentials: Kamaole Shopping Center and Rainbow Mall directly across from HPH with restaurants, snorkel rentals, and a general store, plus Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods a 5-minute walk north. For a head-to-head breakdown of the three beaches, see Kamaʻole Beach I vs II vs III.

What is at the south end of South Kīhei Road, toward Keawakapu and Wailea?

South of Kamaʻole III the road quiets down again. The Kīhei Boat Ramp at 2970 South Kīhei Road, about 0.6 miles south of HPH, is the launch point for small-boat snorkel and rafting charters to Molokini and the South Maui coast, and its parking lot fills with trailers before dawn. The road then ends at Keawakapu Beach, the long, soft-sand beach that runs into Wailea, 1.0 mile south of HPH, a 20-minute walk or 4 minutes by car, with parking at the road's end.

From there, South Kīhei Road becomes Okolani Drive and climbs to Wailea Alanui Drive. Wailea's resort core and shopping sit about 3 miles south of HPH, about 10 minutes by car. For how the two neighborhoods compare for a stay, see Kīhei vs Wailea.

Which stretch of South Kīhei Road is best to stay on?

Each section of the road has a different character. The comparison below is the short version, measured from a visitor's point of view.

The Kamaʻole stretch is the only section where lifeguarded sand, walkable dining, and groceries overlap, and The Hale Pau Hana is the only condominium property on it that fronts its beach directly: 68 individually-owned units across four buildings on two acres, every unit oceanfront, operating since 1970. Browse oceanfront condos in Kīhei or go straight to available units.

What is driving and parking like on South Kīhei Road?

South Kīhei Road is a two-lane county road with frequent crosswalks, so it moves slowly by design; expect 15 to 20 minutes to drive its full length in normal traffic, longer in the late-afternoon rush. For end-to-end trips, locals jump up to Piʻilani Highway, which parallels the road mauka and covers the same ground in about half the time. From Kahului Airport (OGG), the HPH stretch is about 16 miles, about 25 minutes via Mokulele Highway and Piʻilani Highway; the full route is mapped in Maui airport to Kīhei.

Parking along the road today is free: dedicated lots at Kamaʻole I, Kamaʻole III, Kalama Park, the Kīhei Boat Ramp, and Keawakapu, plus free parallel street parking along the Kamaʻole stretch, including the section fronting Kam II. Two things to know. First, lots at the popular beach parks fill by mid-morning in high season, so arrive early or walk. Second, Maui County's Park Maui paid-parking program charges non-resident vehicles at the paved lots at Kamaʻole Beach Park I and Kamaʻole Beach Park III, not Kamaʻole Beach Park II; Hawaii residents with valid ID continue to park free. Guests at The Hale Pau Hana skip all of it: the property includes free on-site parking, and the beach is at the bottom of the lawn.

How walkable is South Kīhei Road?

In sections, very; end to end, no. At about six miles, the full road is a half-day hike, not a stroll. The practical walking zone is the central corridor between Kalama Park and Kamaʻole Beach Park III, where continuous sidewalk, marked crosswalks at the beach entrances and shopping centers, and short blocks make a car optional. The Hale Pau Hana sits in the middle of that zone: restaurants and a general store are a 2-minute walk across the road, five beaches are within a 20-minute walk, and Kihei Kalama Village is 18 minutes north. Maui Bus Route 10, the Kihei Islander, runs the corridor daily and stops across from HPH at Kamaole Shopping Center. The complete on-foot inventory, from shave ice to the farmers market, is in Walking distance from The Hale Pau Hana.