Secret Beach Maui Photo Gallery | Makena Cove

This is a gallery collection of fine art photography from Secret Beach in Makena on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Also known as "Makena Cove" or "Wedding Beach", it's one of the most beautiful and iconic beaches in all of Hawaii. To purchase a print, click on the image and then scroll down and choose your size from the drop down menus. All payments are processed using the latest secure technology from Stripe and PayPal. Please feel free to browse all of the Galleries.

panorama of a perfect morning at Secret Beach (also known as Makena Cove) on the island of Maui, Hawaii.  Blue sky, turquoise water and palm trees
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panoramic sunset with purple and violet tones at Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
A very special panoramic view of sunset at a very special Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui, Hawaii.  Hawaii sunset pictures by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a picture perfect morning at the iconic secret beach in south Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panorama of the beautiful Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui at sunset
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panorama of Secret Beach on the island of Maui with no people, foliage and red flowers in the foreground on a crystal clear Hawaiian day
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
vertical view of a coconut palm and black lava rock in the foreground at Secret Beach in Makena, Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
The Milky Way Galaxy rises over Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui.  The moon low on the horizon provides lighting for the foregound.  MIlky Way Photo
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a picture of secret beach in Makena on the Hawaiian island of Maui featuring coconut palm trees on the right and an incoming wave along the white sand
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
sunset of the left cove at secret beach on Maui in Makena
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
secret beach in the morning with pink flowers in the foreground and an incoming wave to the beach.  Hawaii fine art photography by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a beautiful photograph of Makena Cove (Secret Beach) on is the Hawaiian island of Maui framed by coconut palm trees.  Hawaii Photography by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
serenity is a beautiful beach sunset picture photographed at Makena Cove on the Hawaiian island of Maui by Hawaii landscape photographer Andrew Shoemaker
Makena Cove | Maui, Hawaii
daytime view of Secret Beach on the island of Maui with the shadows from the palm trees in the foreground as a wave comes in
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a daytime photograph of Secret Beach (also known as Makena Cove) on the island of Maui.  Hawaii Fine Art Landscape photography by photographer Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a mix of two long exposure photographs and one with a zoom lens gives a hyperspace effect to this milky way night scene at Secret Beach in Makena Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
afterglow of sunset vertical orientation of secret beach on maui with coconut palms on the right and water in the foreground
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
A beautiful vertical photo with silky water, coconut palm trees and a colorful pastel sunset at Secret Beach in Makena.  Photographed by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a panoramic view of a vibrant orange, red, and blue sunset at Secret Beach in Makena Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
stunningly vibrant sunset at secret beach in Makena on the island of Maui with incoming waves over the lava rocks.  Photographed by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
pink, purple and magenta sunset panoramic photograph at secret beach in Makena on the island of Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
The core of the milky way galaxy rises over Secret Beach (also known as Makena Cove) at night on the island of Maui, Hawaii
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
A huge incoming wave at Secret Beach (Makena Cove) impacting the coastline during a large swell in Makena, Maui.  Photography by artist Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
the core of the milky way galaxy is visible over the ocean with Makena Cove in the foreground illuminated by the moon
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panorama of a very dramatic and vibrant colored sunset erupts at Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panoramic view of Secret Beach on the island of Maui with the shadows from the palm trees in the foreground as a wave comes in
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panorama of a perfect morning at Secret Beach (also known as Makena Cove) on the island of Maui, Hawaii.  Blue sky, turquoise water and palm trees
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
A very special panoramic view of sunset at a very special Secret Beach in Makena on the island of Maui, Hawaii.  Hawaii sunset pictures by Andrew Shoemaker
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a picture perfect morning at the iconic secret beach in south Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
panorama of Secret Beach on the island of Maui with no people, foliage and red flowers in the foreground on a crystal clear Hawaiian day
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a panoramic view of a vibrant orange, red, and blue sunset at Secret Beach in Makena Maui
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
aerial panoramic view resembling a planet while above secret beach on Maui at sunset
Maui, Hawaii
a beautiful sunset lights up the sky as an incoming wave draws you into this beautiful scene at Secret Beach (also known as Paako Cove or Wedding Beach)
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
a beautiful panoramic photograph captured by Andrew Shoemaker at Secret Beach on Maui, Hawaii featuring calm aqua blue water and palm trees.
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
Ebb and Flow is a beautiful tropical photograph at Secret Beach on the Hawaiian island of Maui featuring palm trees and incoming and outgoing waves
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
Secret Glow is a stunning beach sunset landscape fine art photograph featuring moving water, palm trees, rocks, and a stunning beach.
Secret Beach | Maui, Hawaii
Caress is a beautiful beach abstract images featuring amazing sand textures and an incoming wave coming into the frame.  Photography by Andrew Shoemaker
Maui, Hawaii

Secret Beach in Makena on the Hawaiian island of Maui is no longer a "secret" but it's still one of the most beautiful and iconic beaches anywhere in the world. Also known as "Makena Cove,"Pa'ako Cove," or "Wedding Beach," it's on the southwestern side of the island in between Big Beach (aka Makena State Park) and Cape Kinau's nature preserve and is one of the best beaches to photograph. This gallery is a collection of fine art photography from Secret Beach in Makena from photographer Andrew Shoemaker. To purchase a print, click on the image and then scroll down and choose your size from the drop-down menus. Please feel free to browse all of the Galleries.

Why is Secret Beach so special?

Hawaii is full of beautiful beaches - so why is this small, out-of-the-way and hard-to-access beach so special? Secret Cove Beach is a small crescent-shaped public beach comprised of golden sand, rocky terrain and lush vegetation. The cove provides some protection from the torrents of the Pacific Ocean, making it an ideal spot for sunbathing, turtle-watching, photography, sunsets, and simple sightseeing.

It's nicknamed "Wedding Beach" because it's also a popular backdrop for destination weddings in Hawaii. Brides from all over the world choose this special spot for their special day. When people in picture an idyllic beach in Hawaii, the chances are that what they're envisioning is pretty close to how Secret Beach looks in reality.

What photographs work best at Secret Beach?

It's hard to go wrong taking pictures of this beach, however, because the beach is out of the way and somewhat undeveloped it lends itself quite nicely to beach nature photography. Additionally, photos taken at odd hours of the day or night can work well. You'll see several sunset or night sky pictures as part of this collection. The beautiful skies as a backdrop to the amazing-looking beach make Secret Cove Beach photos pop to the eye.

If everyone knows about it, why is it called Secret Cove Beach?

Well truthfully, this beach isn't a secret anymore but the name remains as it's very easy to miss it without knowing it's even there. Also, people spending their time on the southwest side of the island are usually more interested in the larger beaches with more things to do and amenities or enjoying the ecology in the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Reserve with a hike.

The Makena Cove beach is in between these two attractions that are geared toward visitors and unless you know about the beach, you'll likely drive right by it so people started calling it a "secret" because it's not at the top of the list of things to do in southwest Maui. While folks may not agree on a name, they can all agree it's one of the most breath-taking beaches in Hawaii.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes and no. For me as a photographer, I love the beach for its unique and stunning beauty and have taken some of my best pictures there, so yes, obviously it's worth it. For a visitor to Maui, the beach is a one-of-a-kind experience but also lacks public facilities, has limited street parking, is hard to access, and doesn't have other amenities that most people may want. In other words, it's "secret" to most tourists for a reason: it's not designed to be a tourist destination.

If you're thinking you're going to have it all to yourself, well those days are long gone but regardless, it's a fabulous place to just sit and enjoy the grandeur of Maui. On most days, you can see the islands of Kaho'olawe, Lanai and Molokini Crater on the horizon. Unless conditions are very calm, it's generally not the best beach for swimming as the currents and waves can be very strong here. If you want a different type of beach experience that is also amazing to look at, yes, go to Secret Cove Beach, if you want to experience a more typical beach-going time, stick to the beaches just north of Makena Cove.