Beautiful Baldwin Beach, on Maui's North Shore
Beaches on Maui are beautiful, with picture perfect scenery – palm trees, sunsets over the water, whales, turtles and dolphins…
But if you’re fresh off the plane, here are a few tips to make your beach time more enjoyable.
1. Beaches are often better in the morning, when the water is crystal clear and very calm. With Maui’s unique geographic shape, sometimes it gets windy later in the day, which also why windsurfers love Maui. This is the same reason to go snorkeling or kayaking earlier in the day.
2. Use sunscreen and apply it often. It’s all too easy to get burned by overdoing the sun. A good idea is to apply sunscreen before going to the beach, so it has some time to be absorbed by your skin.
3. Use a beach umbrella. They are cheap and readily available. It’s good to get some sun, then go under the umbrella for a while. Alternate your sun exposure with umbrella time. If it gets windy, it’s good to weigh down your umbrella or fold it down.
4. Use a beach hat. A nice big floppy one. If it ties under the head, that’s even better on windy days.
5. Drink plenty of water. You may not be used to this much sunshine, and it’s easy to get dehydrated.
6. Aloe vera is our friend for sunburns! Sometimes you’ll see it growing in wild patches, and the gel is readily available in bottles.
7. Do not leave your valuables in the car. Maui is a laid back place, but it is a worldwide tourist destination and it’s good to use common sense. Don’t leave any backpacks or bags in your car in plain sight.
8. Sunsets happen much more quickly here than other places, as we are closer to the equator. A sunset that may take a good half hour further north or south, may be as quick as 5 minutes here. Make sure your camera is ready. Some folks say there is a “green flash” that happens just when the sun hits the water. If you ever get a picture of it, please send it to us!
9. There’s an old saying: Don’t turn your back on the ocean. Keep an eye on the water, since sometimes waves are unpredictable. It can look calm, but conditions can change. Know your limits with the ocean.
10. If you insist on wearing your hat and sunglasses in the ocean, the ocean also loves these “gifts” and may take them away from you with a playful splash.
11. When wearing slippers (also known as flip-flops or thongs or “slippahs”) at the beach, sometimes the edges can kick up sand on other people’s towels or beach blankets. Please walk with awareness if your feet are flinging sand.
12. When shaking out towels and beach gear at the end of the day, sometimes it’s easy to flip sand onto other people. Try to shake sand away from others.
13. Be aware of your keys! It’s a sad thing to scour the sand for lost keys… Make sure your keys are safely tucked away, and not somewhere underneath your beach blanket.
14. If you think you may get hungry, bring a snack to the beach. Unlike many other places in the world, Hawaii does not allow vendors at the beach. There may be roadside stands before you get to the beach or a nearby resort cafe, but there is nothing to buy once you’re on the sand.
15. Beaches in Hawaii are “public property.” You don’t have to pay a fee to be on the beach. There are plenty of great beach parks all over the island which have public parking and restroom facilities. There are also other beaches that may not have any public parking or restrooms, sometimes in residential areas or near hotels. If you look, you may notice blue beach access signs showing a public path to the beach. Sometimes they’re hard to find, but they can be worth exploring.
If you have any other tips, feel free to comment.
Aloha! – posted by Courtney
