For some reason, one of the few phrases from high school Spanish class that I remember is “vamos a la playa,” which translates to “let’s go to the beach.” And that’s where this week’s Travel Tradition is taking us.

Growing up playing ice hockey in Chicago, I never thought of myself as much of a beach person. Yet, like many other things, that perception changed after our first trip to Maui. Maybe it has to do with the mystique of being on a small island in the middle of a giant ocean, but for whatever reason, I’m hooked now. Cindy, on the other hand, has always been a sun worshiper, so there’s no twisting her arm to head out for a beach day.

New Beach Tradition

We have a beach tradition of looking for at least 3 new beaches to visit on each trip. Obviously, it was easy the first time, since everything was new to us. Nowadays, however, it takes a some effort, and a little bit more driving.

While our Beaches page lists the different stretches of sand that we’ve already been to on the Valley Isle, there are even more out there just waiting for us. We’ve been to beaches all across the island; West, South, and East. We’ve seen white sandy beaches, golden crescents, black and red sand beaches. All on this tiny little island. How sweet is that?

By this point in our travels, we’ve hit most of the well known spots, so it’s time to discover some of the hidden gems. While we’ve been to beaches big and small, I’m not in the habit of comparing one beach against another and claiming one the very best. In our eyes, each beach has it’s own offerings, and challenges, so that no two are really alike. Depending on what you like to do, or want to do on a given day, there’s probably a beach for you.

Past Trips

Here’s a quick recap of beaches we’ve visited on our different trips. There’s usually no rhyme or reason for picking which beaches we want to see when making our plans, and it really comes down to deciding the day before, or the morning of one of our beach days.

Our First Beaches – June ’06

• Ka’anapali Beach
• Waianapanapa State Park – Black Sand Beach

Beach Hopping, Part Two – September ’07

• D.T. Fleming Beach Park
• Kahekili Beach – North side of Black Rock
• Kapalua Beach

The Most Recent Trip – April ’08

• Koki Beach – Red Sand Beach
• Kama’ole Beach Park I
• Maluaka Beach
• Big Beach – Makena State Park

What’s Next?

As I mentioned, we haven’t spent too much time selecting the beaches for our February trip, but a few ideas are out there. I’d like to, at some point, visit the other two Kama’ole Beach Parks, and go back up to Napili Bay. Then there’s the overnight trip to Hana, which will give us more than enough time to stop at Hamoa beach, Hana Bay, and even some of the beaches near Paia as well. You can see where this is going.

Talk Story

By the looks of it, this doesn’t seem to be a tradition that will be ending anytime soon. While it’s hard for us to choose, but maybe you have a favorite beach that you wanted to mention? Are you a repeat Maui visitor that has similar beach going habits, or maybe you stick to a select few? Jump on in and talk story.

Mahalo.

The Travel Traditions Series here at the blog features our habits and rituals that we have for various aspects of our frequent trips to the island of Maui. Getting to know the island so well after all these years, having a few traditions adds a little continuity to our visits, while still giving us so much flexibility to enjoy many new things each trip.

To follow along with future editions of our Travel Traditions Series, be sure to subscribe to our blog feed to get the latest posts and updates.

The Aloha09 Project

This post is participating in the Aloha09 project, aimed at spreading the Aloha Spirit throughout the world. Read more about our participation and at the official website.