Little Beach
Makena, south Maui · United States
Maui's clothing-optional cove over the headland from Big Beach, with a gay end and a Sunday drum circle that turns into a party. Hawaii at its loosest.
- Status
- Tolerated
- Crowd
- Gay-popular
- Country
- United States
- City
- Maui
- Water
- Sea
- Rank
- #18 where the boys go
- Best time
- All year
- Confidence
- Medium
Find it
20.6318° N, 156.4478° WGood to know
Nudity is not legal in Hawaii; here it has been tolerated for decades, with periodic enforcement. Sundays are the safest bet.
The gay end
The far left of the beach is the gay end. Sunday afternoon is the drum circle and the crowd.
Crowd A nude beach for everyone with a gay end everyone knows about. Walk in the direction the guide says and you will find the boys.
Getting there
Park at Makena State Park (Big Beach), walk to the north end and over the lava headland. Five minutes.
The rules
Tolerated. Not designated, but nude bathing has been the custom for years and is left alone. Rules and patrols can change, so read the signs when you arrive.
No photos of anyone, sunscreen everywhere, cover up the moment you leave the nude stretch, and go home with the light. It is a beach: sunbathe, swim, talk, flirt. Anything more belongs somewhere private.
Questions people ask
Is Little Beach a gay beach?
It has a gay end. The far left of the beach is the gay end. Sunday afternoon is the drum circle and the crowd. Maui's clothing-optional cove over the headland from Big Beach, with a gay end and a Sunday drum circle that turns into a party. Hawaii at its loosest.
Is it legal to be nude at Little Beach?
Tolerated rather than designated. Not designated, but nude bathing has been the custom for years and is left alone. Rules and patrols can change, so read the signs when you arrive. Nudity is not legal in Hawaii; here it has been tolerated for decades, with periodic enforcement. Sundays are the safest bet.
How do I get to Little Beach?
Park at Makena State Park (Big Beach), walk to the north end and over the lava headland. Five minutes. Best time: All year.
More in United States
Method
Status says what the law and the locals allow; crowd says who is on the sand. Both come from gay-travel guides, the national naturist federations and members who were just there, scored on sources, recency, crowd, legal footing and safety. How we rank. Pins mark the beach; the gay end is described above. Last reviewed September 2026.