Makena Surf versus Elua Village
 

Hello,
My husband and I would like to rent a condo in Maui for a week next year and I am trying to decide between Makena Surf and Elua Village. We are primarily interested in a quiet and lovely beach and good snorkeling. It would be nice to be able to walk to restaurants, which it appears is not possible from Makena. Is it difficult to drive to restaurants, as far as parking, etc, goes? Other than the restaurant issue, Makena looks a little more up our alley, but I would be open to advice on this.
Thanks in advance,
Annie

I like the location of Elua Village as you are very close to Ulua beach which is good for snorkeling and has turtles, also it is not a surf beach so is nice and calm for swimming and snorkeling. You will be able to just stroll over from your condo. Plus you can walk to restaurants.
If you do choose Makena Surf you can drive to restaurants and yes there will be parking and it’s not a long drive. Makena is a beautiful beach but has strong surf and be careful there as quite a few tourists get themselves in trouble there by not paying attention to surf conditions. There used to be a food truck or two parked at Makena-handy for lunch but not sure about that now with Covid and all.
It’s a beautiful area on a gorgeous island, we have spent many happy vacations there. Enjoy!

Thanks for your advice. I did hear that the snorkeling in front of Makena was also good, but if it's rough that would be a problem.

Yes I think Ulua is more of a sure bet. Makena is typically better in the morning, there tends to be a wind that comes up after lunch, but it is definitely rougher there. Polo beach is also nice. It’s nice to check out a few different ones which you can easily do from anywhere you stay in Wailea. The beach in front of the Four Seasons is nice too although not sure about the snorkeling there.
Can’t tell you how many times we went to Ulua and saw turtles swimming past close to the shore right from our beach towels!

The beach in front of the Makena Surf is not typically called Makena Beach, which is south of the Makena Surf a mile or two, but is called Po'olenalena Beach. We love this beach as the waters are great for snorkeling and it is usually much less crowded than the main beaches in Wailea. I like the layout and design of the Elua condos better though. It's always a tough choice between the two!