This is a continuation of the Hawaii Trip Report: Beaches post... I thought I had left a good cliffhanger... but didn't get any feedback...
So I don't know if there is any demand for the rest of the story... or if it is just a little too much "sharing"... but here it is, whether you like it or not... haha!
One of the things on my (I'll take responsibility for this one) Maui checklist was Little Beach... arguably the nude beach in all of Hawaii. But those plans almost got derailed... midway through our Maui stay we both got some serious sun (headache, throbbing, "shrieking" skin), so the brakes were pretty much put on any further related activity that was in the sun (which is pretty difficult to do on a tropical island).
After taking a drive to central Maui to see the 'Iao Valley, we found ourselves with still a good chunk of the day... so we drove down to South Maui where we saw some amazing scenery (which I am so glad we did)... but it also offered us an opportunity, despite our bright red skin, to detour to the beach.
It is not difficult to find. You pretty much take the one road down to South Maui (past Kihei, Wailea, and Makena)... keep an eye out for the Big Beach parking lots (if Little Beach is your destination, take the first/most northern lot you hit) ... walk to the beach... look north for this lava flow...
... and make the short climb up and over... and there you are (The picture of Big Beach from the last post was taken from that sandy portion, near the tree, at the top of the lava "hill")...
And... well, hello... there you are with a lot of folks enjoying the sand and surf in the buff... and while one might stand out, there were certainly many folks who chose not to go "the full monty."
For my heterosexual readers, you will want to claim any spot you see once you get to other side... because oddly enough at the far/north end of the beach... it seems like it is just the guys... hmmmm?!?! Yes, for "family" this is a sorta perfect storm... a nude and gay beach (well, at least a portion of it).
As you'll hear over and over from naturists, there really is nothing sexual about it... and I certainly agree. Swimsuits that leave something (particularly little) to the imagination, have far more sexual "power" than being naked. Even at the north end of the beach, there really was no palpable tension in the air... though I certainly sensed a bit more "looking" and "being looked at" going on (guilty as charged!).
A bit surprising (maybe, maybe not?!) was that there were a lot more guys at the "gay" end wearing swimsuits than anywhere else on the beach. But there was certainly a sense comaraderie just being there... so I understand it just being nice to be in that setting... no matter what the comfort level was in how much skin to share or not share.
But overall there was nothing to be ashamed about... there were all shapes, sizes, ages... men and women... it was all pretty liberating.
That said, you know how it works... there were people I likely would have chosen not to have seen naked... and swimsuit wearers who really should have lost 'em... but there were exceptions!
It got to the point where I played a little game with new arrivals... guessing who would and wouldn't take it off... and, unfortunately, in most cases I was guessed correctly using those Murphy's Law "rules."
Funny enough, there were a few guys that were staying at our hotel in Maui that we sensed (ok, knew) were "family"... so guess who shows up to the beach (and the north end!) shortly after we arrived? I think there were a few discreet back and forth double-takes... but no full acknowledgement... and we never did met up face-to-face at the hotel after that.
So I guess that's it... like I said, we didn't stay too long given our previous day sunburns... and, oh... do I really have to say whether or not I dared to bare? Definitely a fun little excursion!
And if Little Beach is not your thing... I still very highly recommend a trip to South Maui to spend a day/afternoon at Big Beach... both Big & Little Beaches had the most wonderful silky beaches and amazing crystal clear waters in every shade of blue imaginable.
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