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West Maui's Rugged North Shore by the Honoapi'ilani and Kahekili Highways

By John Fischer, About.com

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Punalau Beach (Windmill Beach)

Punalau Beach

Punalau Beach

On the other side of the pineapple fields you can pull over and get a view of the next beach Pulalau Beach, The actual beach is located down the hill at mile marker 34. This beach is referred to by many names, You'll also see it referred to as Pohakupule Beach, Keonehelele'i Beach or Windmill(s) Beach. The name "Windmills Beach" derives from an old windmill that used to be nearby that drew water for the Honolua Ranch. The windmill is long gone.

This rocky beach is about 100 yards long and not clearly marked. Look for the "Private Property" sign on the left. There's a dirt access road for the beach near the sign.

The beach itself is lovely. Trees and steep rocky slopes surround the beach, as you can see in our photo. The sand on this beach is a mixture of white sand, small grains of black lava and shells of all sizes. Coral and rock flats extend about 100 yards from the shoreline.

The beach is a popular launching point kayaks used for fishing. In the winter months it's a popular surfing beach. The wave break is produced by a ridge that extends about a mile off shore.

This land is also owned by Maui Land and Pineapple and for a small fee they allow folks to camp here. There are no facilities available.

As with most of these north shore beaches, they are potentially dangerous during heavy winter storms.

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