Makena Cove

Makena Cove is a hidden gem with stunning scenery, dramatic lava rock formations, and crystal-clear water. It's a popular spot for weddings and photography, especially at sunrise and sunset. The cove is small, so it can feel crowded, but the views make it worth the visit. Parking is limited to roadside spots, and access is through a small opening in a stone wall. Swimming isn't ideal due to strong waves and rocky terrain, but it's a great place to take in Maui’s beauty. Arrive early for the best experience and bring what you need, as there are no amenities nearby.

Best experience EVER! So glad to have Shane & Eric the father & son duo for our special day! They were awesome & had great energy! I highly recommend Affordable Barefoot Maui wedding!

This is a public beach cove accessible to anybody. You can reach it by a marked cross walk in the road that leads to a gap in a stone fence. You can't see the cove from the road, but it's only 100 feet from the road. Parking is on the side of the road and free. Expect people around sunset. You might even find photographers. It's great for easy fun swimming in the waves that crash through the rocks. You can also jump off the cliffs thanks to the water being so deep.

We shot a destination micro wedding couple in Feb 2024 for both photo & video. Beautiful small beach with lava rocks and corals! The sand was white and it was very photogenic.

I'll make this quick and simple because you shouldn't spend your time on your phone reading lengthy reviews 😎🤙🏼 let me save you time. This place is also called Secret Beach because it's kind of hidden and small.✅ Parking is very limited. ‼️ Park on the side of the road. Be mindful of the parking limitations/instructions to avoid getting a citation. You will see cars on the roadside; park there if you see a parking space. ✅ Visit in the morning ✅ it's so relaxing and peaceful. Also visit for the sunset ✅ it's beautiful 😍 My wife and I did both 😍 see pictures and videos. 💯 If you're lucky, you'll spot sea turtles 🐢🤩 Not too busy. Good for relaxing only. I wouldn't recommend swimming. ‼️ No rinse ❌ but it's worth it. ✅ If you like to walk over the rocks, be sure to bring water shoes. Also be very careful. It can be slippery. ‼️ If you have any questions, feel free to follow me here. Enjoy! 😎🤙🏼 Mahalo!

I don't wanna say how nice this spot is because too many people are coming to this location... waves are very strong, not good for snorkeling, very sharp rocks. Dangerous

I've had the pleasure of photographing numerous elopements and intimate weddings at this beach. It's a stunning location, with a few different options for placement of the wedding party during the ceremony and some variety for bridal portraits. There are lava rocks, palm trees, and a small amount of white sand! As beautiful as it is, there are a few downsides to choosing this beach as a ceremony site, and it's not the right spot for every wedding. It is small and it can be crowded during certain times. I love helping my clients choose the right location for their ceremony. Aloha!

This beach was quite a surprise with the water crystal clear and the beach perfect for swimming! The sunset was gorgeous and we were simply left awestruck by the golden light!

This is a public beach cove accessible to anybody. You can reach it by a marked cross walk in the road that leads to a gap in a stone fence. You can't see the cove from the road, but it's only 100 feet from the road. Parking is on the side of the road and free. Expect people around sunset. You might even find photographers. It's great for easy fun swimming in the waves that crash through the rocks. You can also jump off the cliffs thanks to the water being so deep.

Love this beach. Waves can be a little crazy, especially with so many rocks. But we enjoyed it a lot.

This cove is beautiful, the view is amazing and don't let the photos fool you, this cove is NOT and NEVER empty. Last November, the babe and I eloped here, it was perfect, we were able to climb up a tiny little rock area and had the small space to ourselves. The weather was perfect as well, we missed the mist/sprinkle and we finished right before it started to rain. Parking is all on the side of the road, it is limited and hard to find a spot, I had Uber pick us up and drop us off. It was 4 miles away from my hotel, but the ride was a about 25 mins long. Whenever you are in the area, def pop in to lay around, the sand is amazingly soft, the view is breath taking and there is a lot of random spots to take memorable pics.

There was a couple renewing their vows here. I'm told many people like this location for marriage ceremonies because it's a bit secluded and the views are picture perfect. This place is hidden so you have to pay close attention for the entrance. We were riding our moped scooters and saw a bunch of cars parked right outside so we found it easily. Water is really beautiful and I would say this is the perfect spot to take little ones -- water is calmer than nearby beaches and it's small enough for younger kids to enjoy. Bring some chairs, a picnic lunch, and enjoy some Maui sun!

I almost hate to leave a review, wanting to keep this place a secret, but I hate to deprive anyone of this really cool little spot. A little tricky to find, but well worth it once you do. A little slice of heaven on Maui. Small, intimate beach and decent tide pools.

Absolutely to die for! Breath taking views! Go for sunset! Very relaxing. We did sunrise and even though the views are amazing, the sun is on the other side of the island.

There is a small opening in a stone wall just past Makena state park. You will need to park on the side along the wall and walk up to the opening. There are a couple of rocks to walk down and duck under a big tree, and then there you are in a small piece of paradise. There are two areas where the water washes up. I've only seen people swimming on the right. The waves come in pretty fierce on the left and the rocks are pretty rough looking, don't think I would chance it. The first time I came there was a wedding going on. You could still use the beach though. The second time, just a few people hanging out. It's a nice tucked away spot to relax.

Came here early morning and it was just a beautiful site. Not many people wandering or sitting around but just truly a special little hidden gem in the middle of a quite neighborhood. Def recommend but keep it a secret!

One of the things I love most about living in Maui is that there is so much untouched, undiscovered land! From beaches to coves to hikes, there's so much beyond what's listed in the tourist maps and often times for good reason. The island may seem small but if you're brave enough to venture off the map and even Yelp, you'll be surprised at what you might find. We've lived on island for years and have yet to see it all! One of the spots that we recently discovered is ...ready for it? Secret Cove/Beach! It's so secret even the locals don't even know about it. lol We learned of this location recently when we did our family photo shoot. It's got all the makings for a beautiful photo session. Spectacular views. Gorgeous sunsets. Soft sand. Some greenery to add color to the view. The best part is that it's isolated and not nearly overcrowded like the Kam Beaches. Parking on the street is a bit limited. The small trek through some rocky pathway is not so bad. I definitely wouldn't forgo your slippahs if you value your feet. Once you reach the end of the path, it'll all be worth it. I would definitely come here if I was looking to take any sort of photos or even just to get a moment of solitude.

Simply beautiful!! I wish I could come here every day. There isn't much parking nearby. We ended up parking on the street in front of a house. There were other cars parked there too, so we figured it would be ok.

This spot didn't disappoint! There was one creepy dude that was checking every lady out, from 16 up to 40 but he left with his wife and what I hope was his step daughter?

Wow literally a hole in the wall! There's a small entrance hidden along the stone wall that leads to Secret Beach. This place is beautiful!! I got married here and there was another couple renewing their vows here. So many areas here for a picturesque background!!

It's a gorgeous little cove. But hard to get to. And there was a wedding there every single time we tried to go hang out. Didn't get in the water, but heard that it's not really easily swimmable.

While this is a very picturesque beach, it's unfortunately chocked full of marriage ceremonies, especially in the afternoons because of the gorgeous foreground, background (Molokini & Kahoolawe,) and sunset. The poor beach goers got inundated by two weddings on this particular Saturday afternoon. The soft white sand beach is small and very intimate because it's surrounded by a high wall on the back (road) side and natural outcroppings on either sides. The sandy area is fairly long to the water and has no real swimmable area, just a narrow entry point and rocky splash area. Parking is only along the narrow road and only a few spots are available. There are no facilities at all here. OVERALL: Very beautiful but your day will be interrupted by couples tying the knot.

Small lava formed beach with beautiful view, turtle swimming in the water.... lush trees for shade and warm salty water.

Beautiful location for photo shots and weddings. Not really swimable due to lava rock and crashing waves, but a gorgeous, tiny beach. Only street parking.

Aloha! Everyone loves secrets, right? Me too! This beach popped up on Yelp! when we were driving near by. Of course I wanted to see. And it's beautiful. Send, lava, palms, sunshine makes this place just lovely. DEFINETLY get there at least for half a day. PS: along the road somebody sells coconuts from the truck. Do not buy anything! It's way to overpriced and they hate tourists. Just keep a distance! Mahalo for reading this!

By far my favorite beach on Maui. If you are lucky enough to go here when there isn't a wedding, consider yourself very lucky. You have to park on the road and walk past this rock wall and down some stairs so keep your eyes open. The sand is unreal, and you can stand out on these sand/rock outcroppings while the waves slide around them and take some incredible pictures at sunset. There is also some great fishing here and snorkeling. There is no way to describe it. So good luck finding it! (it's south of Big Beach but before La Perouse...hope that helps)

Stunning, but not very secret. There was roughly thirty people there when we arrived.

Secrets, secrets, are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. My Family from Hawaii would loving call this place Macalma beach, to match our family name, drawing stares from other locals, i didn't care. The secret about this place is that it's perfect. Easily accessible, fairly small, but relatively unknown, i feel bad for the local residents having so many people invade their neighborhood daily. I find the weddings they hold here to be wonderful and beautiful. In an island where many things are picturesque if your complaining about a wedding as a tourist you need to maybe be on vacation, instead of just going here. If your a local, there are other beaches and nothing to get huffy about. If you come early your ok, let the tourists have the afternoon. If your snorkelling here, there are better places, so really not worth it. It's the type of place you come to wade and enjoy, not swim or surf or snorkel. If you want to Surf go to Big Beach, if you want to snorkel go to Kamaole. If you want there is a nude beach area over at Little beach from time to time. It's got a unique western view of Molokini & Kahoolawe and when the clouds are right, you get an almost changing sunset. It really is a magical place, but Kauaii will always have my heart.

One of Maui's little gems, this beach is tucked away in a residential neighborhood and "hidden" behind a serious stone wall (seriously, it's like.. a very "formidable" looking wall). If you read the "Maui Revealed" book, you'll find the best route to get here in South Maui. I think it says something ridiculous like it's telephone pole #X and across the street from house address Y. Why haven't more reviews been written about this beautiful pocket beach? The little beach can be divided into three little portions: the left side is rocky and great to gaze out into the blue green ocean and meditate; the middle of the beach has a mildly rocky outcropping that lets you walk out into the ocean so you can view turtles surfing in the waves to the left; and the right side is a gently sloping beach where you can wade in the water. The three portions of the beach are bordered by soft sand that extends 20 feet or so behind the water. On the right side you'll also notice a cute door and a few stone steps leading from the door to the water because the owner of the house built a private, quaint passage to the beach. These little touches make this beach SO idyllic and simply one of the sweetest beaches. It's too bad the little tidal pools created in the middle by the rocky outcroppings don't contain a lot of sea life. That would make this place even more awesome. It's no wonder that people get married here! I've seen so many weddings and engagement photos taken at Makena Cove. When I arrived at Makena Cove, we saw a handful of people sitting on the beach, watching the waves break across the rocks and beach. This beach is worth checking out, even to just walk around and relax. It's like sharing a little secret with Maui, even though you know this secret is cherished by many. Also, I love the private feeling of the beach. It has a secluded, zen-like feel to it. Have fun!

We were married here 10/11/12. It's a really beautiful beach, amazing place for photos.

Came to peep the scene and that's about it. Very pretty, peaceful, and small. There were a few people hanging out--just enjoying some quiet time, but no weddings when we stopped by. It's worth visiting even for a brief moment to take in the view.

I had some difficulty finding the place at first, but re-read the directions of the reviled, "Maui Revealed" and summarily located it. It's nothing really to rave about except to tell your grubby little friends back in the lower 48 that you found it and went there. You can then rub it in that their lives are worthless for having never seen the "Secret Cove." I personally rather be at The Blue Lagoon with 1980s Brooke Shields, but hey, it's your world; I'm just living in it. It's a small sandy area surrounded by homes and lava rocks. It's inbetween two houses and I get the feeling that it may have been a plot of land for a home. I feel bad, and then I don't, for the poor rich schmucks who have to watch the hoi polloi stink up their nice private beach. *Shakes fist...no...shakes BOTH fists vehemently!* Damn the 47% who believe they're victims and are entitled to their entitlements! I hope I can be a 1%er someday: not like Sons-of-Anarchy, more like Mitt Romney. Getting back to the cove... I couldn't see anywhere I could go swimming safely unless I wanted my fiancee to drag my bloody battered corpse out of the water. The waves come in pretty hard against those lava rocks. It wasn't safe for swimming, but it was good for pictures. Snapped a few mandatory photos of us doing something stupid and some of the landscape that we'll probably never look at again anyways, and we were off.

Best kept secret on the island... I really don't want to share it... so it's got horrible parking, no facilities, I drowned an I Phone here once (later fixed by CPR) the water seems in-swimmable even though it's not, there is a mysterious door that looms as if it could be haunted... stay away stay away there is no reason to visit this secret beach ... especially in October every year when my wife and I make our journey to Maui!

The amazing view, beach, and snorkeling area that is just awaiting your presence to come soak up the beauty! Get here in the early morning as this place is no secret, even though it's referred to as the "Secret Cove." It's obvious that locals love this place too because we saw quite a few there while chillaxing on the hill overlooking the water.

Vince N's review is completely accurate. But look close at what he says. "No real swimmable area." He's not kidding. It's cute to look at for three minutes, and fine if you're an experienced snorkeler who feels fine getting into the water between lava outcroppings. Otherwise, go to an equally beautiful beach that you can use. Where you're not in the way for the wedding photos/ceremonies.

First time I've been here when the water was low - absolutely beautiful location. We got to go out on the rocks and walk in the water, waves were fairly big. I go there every time I go to Maui.

Absolutely stunning! This is a must see in Maui.Beautiful views of Molokini & Kahoolawe in the horizon. Located in a residential area, right after Big Beach. Protected by a rock wall-easy to miss if you do not know where you are going. After a storm several months ago, several rocks had washed away, making the walk down from the top a bit harder, but tolerable for the beauty to be seen here! We got married early in the morning, on a weekday, and thank goodness we did choose an earlier time because as our ceremony was ending and we moved on to pictures, 3 other couples arrived to be married!

definitely doesn't seem like much of a secret anymore but a cute little spot nonetheless