Wailea Ekahi vs. Elua vs. Ekolu
Austin MacArthur October 28, 2026
Austin MacArthur October 28, 2026
Wailea's three original condo villages share a name pattern — Ekahi, Elua and Ekolu mean one, two and three in Hawaiian — but they suit very different buyers.
Wailea Ekahi is the largest and has the widest price range, from studios to two-bedrooms on 34 acres with access to Keawakapu Beach.
Wailea Elua is the only one of the three on the beach that is hotel-zoned, so its vacation-rental rights are not affected by Maui's Bill 9 phase-out.
Wailea Ekolu sits on the Wailea Blue Golf Course above Wailea Village, is quieter, and is one of the more affordable ways to get a one- or two-bedroom in Wailea.
If vacation-rental income matters to you, the zoning difference outweighs everything else on this list.
Unit counts and acreage come from the Maui County short-term occupancy list and published listing data; published sources differ by a few units for Elua.
Ekahi was the first condo village built in Wailea, finished between 1976 and 1978. Its 296 units are spread across 54 low-rise buildings on 34 acres, which keeps it feeling open despite being the largest of the three.
The lower part of the property runs down to Keawakapu Beach, and owners share a beachfront pool pavilion, four pools and pickle ball courts. The Shops at Wailea and the resort restaurants are an easy walk.
Ekahi is the only one of the three villages with studios, so it offers the lowest entry point into oceanfront Wailea. The trade-off is range: a garden studio up the hill and an ocean-view two-bedroom near the beach are very different purchases, so location within Ekahi matters as much as the unit itself.
Elua is a gated, oceanfront village on about 24 acres fronting Ulua Beach, one of the best snorkeling beaches in South Maui. The Wailea Beach Walk runs past the property, connecting it to the resorts and the Shops at Wailea.
Its floor plans run larger than the other two villages: one- to three-bedroom units of roughly 891 to 1,869 square feet. Elua is a walk-up complex of two-story buildings, which is worth knowing if you or your guests are hauling luggage.
Elua's biggest advantage is its zoning. It sits in a hotel district (H-1), not an apartment district, so the county's phase-out of vacation rentals on the Minatoya List does not apply to it. That certainty is a large part of Elua's appeal, and units here come up for sale less often.
Ekolu was built in 1979 and has 148 units in 17 two-story buildings on about 18 acres. It borders the Wailea Blue Golf Course and sits just above Wailea Village, so coffee, groceries and restaurants are a short walk, and Wailea Beach is a few blocks downhill.
Every unit is a one- or two-bedroom with two bathrooms, so even the one-bedrooms work well for couples traveling together or for guests. Owners share two pools and landscaped grounds, and some units have mountain or ocean views over the fairways.
Ekolu trades beachfront for calm. It is a good fit for buyers who want to live in Wailea full or part time, want walkable everyday errands, and would rather drive or walk a few minutes to the beach than pay oceanfront prices.
As of today, vacation rentals are allowed at all three villages. That changes in 2031 for two of them unless rezoning succeeds.
Maui County's Bill 9, signed in December 2025, phases out short-term rentals in apartment-zoned condos on the Minatoya List. Ekahi and Ekolu are both on that list; Elua is hotel-zoned and is not.
There is a possible way out. The County Council passed Bill 88, which created two new hotel zoning districts, H-3 and H-4, that would let qualifying Minatoya properties keep renting short-term. Ekahi and Ekolu are both included in Resolution 26-111, the proposed rezoning, but that list can still change during Planning Commission review and a final Council vote. Bill 9 also faces legal challenges.
What this means for you:
Buying for rental income: Elua carries the least regulatory risk. Ekahi or Ekolu can still make sense, but price in the chance that rezoning fails.
Buying to live in or as a second home: Bill 9 matters less to you, and any discount the uncertainty creates at Ekahi or Ekolu may work in your favor.
Already own at Ekahi or Ekolu: Follow the rezoning closely. The outcome will shape both your rental plans and your resale value.
We update this page as the rules change. Check the date at the top before relying on it.
Elua costs roughly twice as much as the other two villages, while Ekahi and Ekolu overlap in the $1M–$1.8M range. Figures below are from the REALTORS® Association of Maui MLS, January 1 to October 28, 2026.
Across all 15 sales, buyers paid on average about 4.7% below list price. Ekolu is the best value per square foot, sold fastest, and has the most pending sales right now.
Location within a village moves price as much as the village itself. Elua's top 2026 sale, $5.99M, came from one of the most desirable sections of the complex, where units rarely reach the market. Elua's other two 2026 sales closed at $2.30M and $2.75M, and current asking prices run $2.4M to $3M.
What do Ekahi, Elua and Ekolu mean? They are the Hawaiian words for one, two and three. Fittingly, Ekahi was the first condo village built in Wailea.
Which Wailea village is on the beach? Ekahi and Elua are both oceanfront. Ekahi fronts Keawakapu Beach and Elua fronts Ulua Beach. Ekolu sits on the golf course a few blocks above Wailea Beach.
Can I vacation-rent a condo at Wailea Ekahi, Elua or Ekolu? Yes, at all three today. Under Bill 9, rentals at Ekahi and Ekolu end on January 1, 2031, unless the properties are rezoned to H-3 or H-4. Elua is hotel-zoned and not affected.
Which is the most affordable? Ekolu, per square foot. Ekolu's 2026 sales had a median of about $1,208 per square foot, compared with $1,340 at Ekahi and $2,581 at Elua. The lowest single sale this year was an Ekahi one-bedroom at $950,000, and the lowest-priced active listing is an Ekolu one-bedroom asking $975,000.
Is Wailea Ekolu on the Minatoya List? Yes. So is Wailea Ekahi. Both are included in the proposed H-3/H-4 rezoning, which has not been finalized.
Do the units have elevators? All three villages are made up of two-story buildings. Ask about the specific unit if stairs are a concern.
MacArthur Team Maui is a three-generation South Maui real estate family. Helen MacArthur co-founded one of the first real estate companies in Wailea; today Brad, Austin and Tyler MacArthur bring more than 40 years of combined experience to buyers and sellers in Wailea, Kihei and Makena.
Our current listing in Ekahi, Elua and Ekolu: Wailea Ekolu 1403, a one-bedroom, two-bath unit asking $975,000, the lowest-priced active listing in all three villages. Our recent sale in these villages: Wailea Elua 708, closed August 2026.
See all MacArthur Team Maui listings across Wailea, Kīhei and Mākena
Thinking about buying or selling at Wailea Ekahi, Elua or Ekolu? Contact MacArthur Team Maui for recent sales, unit-by-unit rental history and the latest on rezoning.
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