Maui Fails To Make List Of Top 100 Beaches

Ever since 1991 when the legendary “Dr. Beach” started ranking the best beaches in America, the island of Maui has had four different beaches take home the coveted title.

What’s more, noted early travel scribes such as Mark Twain and James Michener referred to Hamoa Bay on the island’s east shore (which is pictured here) as the one the nicest beaches of anywhere in the world.

In a new article by CNN which boldly ranks the top 100 beaches in the world, however, there isn’t a single beach from the island of Maui to be found anywhere on the list. The state of Hawaii makes an appearance on the list twice (with the black sand beach at Punalu’u on the Big Island of Hawaii and Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai taking home numbers 70 and 27, respectively), but perennial favorites such as Hamoa, Ka’anapali, Wailea, Napili, Fleming, and Kapalua have been scrapped from the list.

In their place, selections of beaches from Lampedua (Rabbit Beach, #2) to Little Corn (#53) populate the international list, but there is no mention of the island which has been voted by Conde Naste readers as the “best island in the world” an astonishing 19 years in a row. Places with beaches making the list also include everywhere from Malawi to Oregon and Northern Ireland to Denmark, but yet again, no Maui.

I’ve personally visited 22 out of the 100, and while are definitely some worthy selections, I question the decision to omit a stalwart in lieu of an international novelty.

What do you think? Should Maui have a selection among the world’s top 100 beaches?