RJ, The Big Kahuna says that Puamana does have a swimmable beach- to the left of the ocean front pool. Swam with several res. sea turtles last time there, a few years ago. For other oceanfront condos try Makena Surf, Polo Beach Club,or Wailea Elua in South Maui.

The Big Kahuna is right. It is POSSIBLE to swim them, but it is not very pleasant.

I have not been to Puamana, but DO have a Maui Revealed book and can tell you that they rate the place a 'Solid Gold Value'and 'an easy place to recommend'. They describe it as 'relaxed, soothing and lovely', with 'nicely furnished' units. Reportedly a 5 night minimum.

In reference to the beach the book states that it is a 'walking beach, not good for swimming because it's reefy and cloudy'.

Hope this helps. I do recommend you get the book. Loads of info!

We have had a couple friends stay at http://mauicondos.topcities.com and really enjoyed being right on the beach. They are reasonably priced, quiet and clean. You can check them out - Have a great trip :)

South Maui is beautiful! We have stayed at the Polo Beach Club 3 times and LOVED it, however it's become very pricey! We will be staying at the Wailea Elua in three weeks. If it's not too late you may want to consider this area. We are staying in a condo owned by a couple in Canada, and Laura has been lovely to work with. There is on-site management as well as a couple who take care of the condo and their guests. They recently gutted and restored their condo, so everything is brand spankin' new. There is a wonderful boardwalk right in front of the Elua which will take you oceanside, along lovely hotels in the area. Have a look at their site; www.wailea101.com, where you can find out about their condo and other info about the area. Hope this helps!!

Wintimra, the condos you mention look like a great bargain! However, there is no beach to speak of along that stretch of coastline.

Hi ndrvlvr,
My wife and I are planning a trip to hawaii in sept. We are spending 5 days in maui and I tried to click the link for www.wailea101.com and it failed. Is this the correct link?

I would like to find out more about it and also if you could reply when you return from your trip with your impressons of the place. We may consider it depending on your feedback.

Thanks much
Ntgeek

Hi ntgeek, I posted the site incorrectly. It's waileaelua101.com. Have a look, I can post our personal experience tomorrow.

ntgeek, our family (two girls, 13 and 10) stayed in Elua 101 for 5 days in June. We walked in and felt it to be quite comfortably suited for us. There is brand new furniture, carpeting and lovely art throughout. The kitchen area is pretty basic, but has everything you'd need for cooking meals. There is free wireless internet and phone use, even to the mainland. The patio area is large and offers a distant view of the ocean. You'll find everything you need to enjoy time there, plenty of lounge chairs and tables, a brand new gas grill and a lovely little garden area, (they are ground level.) The bedrooms are well appointed, both with new furniture and lovely linens, however we found the a/c in the master not adequate for our needs. The bathrooms were a bit dated but it didn't really bother us. There are plenty of beach items; umbrellas, chairs, beach towels, mats, sand toys... The lower pool and beach are a bit of a walk so we loaded up the car and found parking closer, which took us only a minute or two. The lower pool is steps from the beach. This pool is lovely, just off the beach and eventhough it is small, it never seemed overly crowded. This pool has a covered area for dining, with it's own kitchen and barbecue. The fridge was very handy to keep food and drinks cold and available while at the pool/beach. The pool is small but we never felt crowded. The Elua complex is beautiful and very well taken care of. If you are unfamiliar with the beach in this area, it's wonderful! The only draw back to condo 101 was the constant traffic noise. Their condo backs to the lower Wailea highway, and you cannot escape from it, even with the doors closed. So if that is not an issue, I think you would enjoy your stay. Would we stay at Elua again, YES. Would we use 101 again? Unfortunately not, only because of the noise. I really hopes this info helps. Enjoy your trip!

Thanks lndrvlvr!

That is great information and while we don't mind the dated bathrooms the constant noise would probably be disappointing. Will keep looking for another option.

Ntgeek