Kihei, on Maui’s southern coast, is one of the island's most heavily populated areas. About 17,000 people live in Kihei, and many visitors stay in the town’s vacation rentals, hotels and more than 60 condominium complexes.
Kihei has lots of shopping opportunities with malls and shopping centers of all types. The town has a vibrant night life with dance clubs, sports bars and karaoke spots. Kihei is also lined with white-sand beaches making it a popular tourist destination. Kihei offers diverse dining, from Hawaiian barbecue and pizza to poke markets and food trucks.
Beaches of Kihei include the “Three Kams” at Kamaole Beach Park encompassing 36 acres of beachfront with restrooms, showers, a grass lawn and plenty of trees that provide shade for relaxing. Waipuilani is a nice beachfront park with grass lawns and shade as well as tennis courts.
The coastline along the six miles of beaches in Kihei provides great views of West Maui as well as the islands of Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. Popular activities include kayaking and snorkeling as well as swimming, sunbathing and beachcombing. During the winter months the Kihei coastline is a great place to see humpback whales passing by offshore.
Off South Kihei Rd. is a small boat harbor called Kihei Boat Landing which is the departure point for whale watching tours, fishing charters, and snorkeling and scuba diving excursions to Molokini. The Piilani Highway borders Kihei on one side and South Kihei Rd. borders the town on the other side.
Kihei was once a very small and arid southwestern Maui town until the 1960s when water was diverted to the area from west and central Maui fueling the area’s rapid growth. Between Kihei and Maalaea is the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Reserve where you can see several endangered Hawaiian waterbird species.