Hawaii Snapshots: Spreckelsville Beach, Maui

A favorite with windsurfers, this wild beach offers a respite from the crowds

 

Most visitors to Maui will only see the Spreckelsville coastline from the air, as it is located just beyond the end of the runway at Kahului Airport. This two-mile stretch of less visited waterfront actually includes five individual beaches set in coves separated by headlands.

The distinctive red lava bluffs seen here are located just to the west of the stretch of sand known as Sprecks Beach or Euro Beach. Often buffeted by trade winds and washed by surf, this undeveloped beach is better suited for long walks or shore side relaxation rather than swimming.

But the same conditions that might discourage bathers attract windsurfers, and when conditions are right, some of the world’s best congregate here to harness the winds and ride the waves. Those seeking calmer waters can travel a half-mile to the east, where more benign conditions prevail at aptly named Baby Beach.