-
"Who Pooped in the Park?"
If you haven't read that book, you should. It's…
-
Where I Have Adventures
Places to see on Maui. My favorite spots for…
Ahihi Kina'u Natural Area Reserve
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Ahihi Kina'u Natural Area Reserve
Hands down the nicest place to snorkel especially if you have young children. The waters are very calm in the mornings -- go early -- the water is pretty clear and there is quite a lot of fish to see.
I wasn't even planning on going snorkeling that day, but it was so beautiful and after my friends said it was nice in there, I relented and went in. I saw a needle fish, plenty of parrot fish and even a baby puffer fish. It was really awesome!!
It can be a little difficult to get into the water. Try going in via the right side where there are lots of rocks and float yourself out. DO NOT STEP ON THE CORAL! You will kill it if you touch it.
There were small turtles hovering around farther out -- not like those Honus at Black Rock but still a sight when you see one -- so if you go early and the water is calm, you can venture out farther.
Very little parking space or area to camp out -- try not to go on the weekend!
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (4)
This place is so beautiful. I would go as early as you can as the seas start to break and cloud up the visibility. Also, the coral begins almost immediately when you enter at the beach, be careful!
There are a ton of super cool fish here, and a ton of coral, but again please be careful, you can get turned around very easily and get stuck in some u shaped coral and it can get a little freaky when you're trying to get out and can't.
I also heard the dolphins cruise by here pretty early in the morning.
The sandy beach you see to the right is a 'private beach'. Normally I would argue with this, since I believe all beaches in Hawaii are public up to the high water line, but this beach has quite a few large scary dogs hangin around.
There is a trail that goes south-east to several other beaches you can snorkel at including this crazy one in the maui revealed book called black and white sand. Lord, do not attempt this. My fiancee are very experienced hikers and strong swimmers, and once you get onto the lava highway, it says it's only a half mile. It took us almost an hour to get there. and the seas were incredibly rough and windy with no visibility. We saw some super cool little mountain goats though.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Awesome snorkel site in a cove that is a protected reserve. You can see dozens of varieties of fish as soon as you pop your head in -- you don't even have to swim out.
A small note: please do not touch (with your feet, hands, legs, etc) the ground here as it is all live coral. The only place your feet and hands should touch is the rock slab that marks the entry into the water. As soon as you leave that slab, you should float only -- and make sure to wear eco-sensitive, earth friendly sunscreen that doesn't deplete the reef. There is so much coral that has been damaged in this area by tourists; let's keep that to a minimum!
The only issue here is that some parts are quite shallow so it's difficult to avoid getting scraped sometimes on the reef.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
This Natural Area Reserve has so many great spots to snorkel! There are a few small, protected areas that had quite a few snorkelers in them. We drove all the way to the end of Makena Alanui and parked there. There are about a dozen or so parking spots and on the way there you drive by some pretty impressive lava fields.
The snorkeling here was nice in the early morning. It got too windy in the afternoon. The water was about knee deep where we entered, but a little further north, we watched someone just jump in and he said it was over his head. The snorkeling is great because there is a mixture of lava rocks and coral, and it seems that if I focused on one area for a little while, I would see tiny fish come out of all the crevices. We saw some sea turtles here too.
Definitely a worthwhile snorkeling spot.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Snorkeling at its best. Bigger fish than the other places I snorked.
Ahihi Kina'u Reserve is a beautiful spot on Maui. There is great snorkeling at La Perouse Bay, please keep in mind that you're in a nature reserve.
There's a very informative sign on the way to the snorkel spot, please read it.
This is one of my favorite places to snorkel on the island. But the coral here (and everywhere) is suffering from human impact. Please be careful to minimize the impact of your visit so this spot can continue to be enjoyed.
Much of the reserve is closed for the next two years, due to being too trampled by people.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (2)