Wailea Beach, Beach on the south coast of Maui, Maui County, US
Wailea Beach is a beach on the south coast of Maui made up of five smaller adjoining beach sections. It has white sand made of coral that slopes gently into the water, and large hotels are set back behind a wide green area with tropical trees and flowering bushes.
The beach was formerly known as Kahamanini, meaning 'place of the surgeon fish.' The name shifted to Wailea, which in Hawaiian tradition is linked to the goddess Lea and reflects the long use of this place by the island community.
The name Wailea comes from the Hawaiian language and means 'the water of Lea,' named after the goddess of canoe makers. Visitors can see today how the beach is surrounded by landscaped green areas with tropical plants that define the resort setting and separate the shoreline from modern hotel architecture.
The beach has showers and rental areas for chairs and umbrellas, with paved paths that make it easy to explore. Going in the morning or late afternoon helps find quieter spots and avoid stronger sun exposure.
On calm days, visitors can snorkel from shore and see coral formations and various fish species in shallow water. The rocky ends of the beach offer especially good spots to observe this underwater life.
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