Maui has a wide variety of beaches to visit. Each beach has its own unique beauty, but my favorite is Airport Beach (so-called by the locals). This beach is on the north side of black rock on Kaanapali Beach. There is plenty of parking, showers, restrooms, picnic tables, and grills. This section of the beach offers a wide stretch of golden sand, great snorkeling without taking an expensive trip, shaded areas, and it's great for sunbathing or enjoying the blue Pacific water. I spent most of my time snorkeling here. I saw all types of fish, small sharks, eels, and sea turtles. One part of the ocean is restricted because the turtles are nesting. You will see people dive in this area. I was told this is a great snorkeling and dive area because the ocean drops off very fast. On my last visit, I had an added surprise and was entertained by the spinner dolphins. If you are visiting during the winter months, you will spot the humpback whales. I highly recommend coming to this beach.

Flemming Beach is located north of Kapalua Beach. This beach offers showers and restrooms, plenty of parking, and a great place for boogie boards. The beach is on the north side of the island, so the trade winds really pick up, and the waves can get pretty rough. I enjoyed sitting back and watching people ride the waves.

Honolua Bay is the place to watch surfing. In the late afternoon, take a drive up the north road to see the surfers. It amazed me how the surfers would climb down the rocks with their surfboards, then swim out into those rough waters and ride those treacherous waves.

Kapalua Beach is on the northwest part of the island. It has a beautiful moon shape and is another fabulous place for snorkeling. This beach has limited parking, showers, and restrooms. If parking lot is full, you can park along the Lower Road. You can rent snorkeling gear or rafts because the exclusive Kapaula Resort sits on this beach. This beach rates high because of the beautiful setting, protected beach, and great snorkeling.

Kannapali Beach is the longest and most popular beach in Maui. This beach is very wide in most areas -- you have hotels that are lined up along the beach, many water activities, or you can just hang out and enjoy the sun! My husband and I were snorkeling off Black Rock and saw the largest stingrays we have ever seen! The snorkeling is much better earlier in the day -- later in the day, there are too many people and the way the sun hits the water you have a hard time seeing what's in front of you.

Honolua Bay is a world-famous beach where surfing competitions are held yearly for men and women. The surf is far too rough for anyone but an expert surfer to swim in in the winter, but it's still a great sight to see. We went in the summer and the water was far more calm, but it really rips in the winter. To get there, you'd have to rent a car and ask your hotel concierge for directions, but you basically drive north and come to a road where you're driving upwards with the ocean on your left. Once you see the sign for Honolua Bay, you can pull over, but there's not a lot of parking, as the site is on its way up a big mountain. You can look down to Honolua Bay from a point or you can climb down the steps and go on the beach. It's a small beach, but SO beautiful and worth the trip, especially if you're a fan of surfing. I wouldn't recommend going farther past Honolua Bay though - the farther you drive, the harder it is to turn around and go back. The road is narrow and there's no place to turn.

Kaanpali Beach is the longest and most popular beach. There is shopping at Whaler's Village with places to lunch. Public restrooms and showers are abundant. Check out Wailea Beach; you can rent a boat or just lay out on the beach and see the island of Lanai from your towel! Or head north to Honulua Bay and swim with the friendlist fish! This area is a marine preserve and the fish love to be fed!