Secret Beach Maui Photo Gallery | Makena Cove

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.