A beach with an interesting name, Shipwreck Beach is located on the south shore of Kauai, close to…read morethe more popular Poipu Beach. It is easily accessible by car via a paved road (Ainako Street) betwen the Grand Hyatt and the golf course. My wife and I spent a couple of hours here, mainly because ironwood trees grow in the sand towards the back of the beach, and provided shade for where we sat down (it wasn't too crowded even in the early afternoon, and found parking in the small dirt parking lot adjoining). This is the beach that the folks staying at the Grand Hyatt would use, so saw loungers and umbrellas setup specifically for them. There was also good 5g reception so was able to surf the web while watching people surf the waves. The surf here is strong, and the shore break is very close to shore. This meant that folks were surfing and body boarding very close to shore, and I was amazed how they were able to avoid each other (and swimmers)...it definitely takes skills to do that...this is not a surf learning beach. Even saw one guy enter a barrel, being engulfed...have not seen one so close to shore before. I did enter the water and enjoyed it until a big wave caught me good and threw me ashore like a rag doll. Luckily I didn't pull anything, so decided not to push my luck anymore for the rest of the trip.

Beautiful beach great views. They have public restrooms that are clean. There is three public…read moreparking and they also offer handicap parking..

Now I know why this was on the list of the best beaches in the US in 2026! This is clearly one of…read moremy favorite beaches in Hawaii and maybe the US. Plenty of parking (gets busy during sunset so come a bit early). There are clean restrooms and lifeguards on both ends of the beach. Monk seals and turtles come very morning to sunbathe and you can see tons of turtles in the evening as well. It's got shaded picnic tables and grassy areas as well. Also has a nice protected area if you have little kids. Be mindful that the waves can be crazy during the afternoon but that made for a fantastic day at the beach for me. I came here 5-6 times, some times alone in the morning when my family was still sleeping and sometimes with everyone for a beach day. Be prepared to wait for a long time if you plan to get puka dog for lunch which is across from the beach. There are also lunch options in the shopping area 5 min drive (or 15 min walk) near by. Overall, I love love this beach! I will be back in Kauai again next year just to come here.

(Visited 05/26/26 SU @ 10:00am): There were definitely "crashing waves" albeit small ones along…read morePoipu Beach Located on Kaua'i's "sunny southside", I spent a lazy Sunday at Poipu Beach people-watching, reading, sleeping, snorkeling, sunning, and swimming. Right along The Sheraton Kaua'i Resort Villas where I was staying, I haven't had a day-long beach day for awhile, and I really needed a day just to recharge, refresh, and regenerate my body, mind, and soul. Having been ranked as one of the top beaches in the U.S. over the years, was there anything to poo-poo about Poipu Beach!? EXPERIENCE The word "poipu" in the Hawaiian language meant "crashing waves" and was actually two beaches in one. A "tombola" (known as Nukumoi Point) separated the two bays, and in this case it was a narrow sand spit that extended from the shore to an island. This particular area was a favorite spot for endangered napping Hawaiian monk seals. The area on the western side of the beach was a favorite for beginner bodyboarders while small waves broke gently on the shallow sandbar created a fun area for children to play. The area on the eastern side of the beach was a lava rock-protected and shallow spot for swimmers and another play area for families with small children. On this comfortable sunny day, what was initially a quiet beach progressively got crowded and noisy as the day wore on. I swam for hours back and forth past the shorebreak along the coast, took breaks to drink water and eat a snack, napped, read, and then went back out with snorkel gear in hand. An exhausting exhilarating stress-free day - perfection! SERVICE Specifically on this section of the beach, there weren't any bathrooms nor lifeguard stations. Generally speaking, there weren't any facilities whatsoever except for what the adjacent Sheraton Kaua'i Resort Villas may offer. It was a completely open public beach - 'nuff said. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance) I had no vehicle, so I simply walked from my room. However, there was a nightly $40.00 fee for guests who stayed at the Sheraton Kaua'i Resort Villas if they parked on the property, and there might've been some free parking along the many nearby roads and streets. Make sure to carefully read any posted signs. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE I made a spot directly out past the middle opening from the resort's pool and the sand, the beach was clean and smooth, somewhat spacious, and fairly empty early-on but no shady trees to deflect the sunlight. There was a lone monk seal https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=120&select=xDFNXkdOMhOO9W7Nv7YtuA which was a protected specie, so people must please stay away. Sizable waves were much further out, this beach was perfect for light water activity (no real surf breaks while snorkeling was better once you got considerably past the shore break). No benches, chairs, or tables, so bring your own chairs or towels to lay or sit on. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting with only the glowing stars left to guide you when nighttime came. There were no TVs nor any background music except for any electronic device you brought along with you such as your mobile phone. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=120&select=GN-CeJWbv9VNt_FU7MhmDg ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL Poipu Beach was another little piece of island heaven which I hoped would stay that way. Online research culled many articles and reviews of this beach that also alluded to what I experienced, so none of this was a secret. However, on this given weekend, I was thankful for the peacefulness and solitude. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, there was no need for funds of any kind which included my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

To get the right directions look for the beach parking lot on Google maps. When you get to the…read morestables keep left at the fork. Pretty rough road. Don't suggest if you have a low riding car. You park up top and walk down the trail to get to the beach. Didn't find the trail rough or slippery as others had mentioned. Interesting caves along the way. Long strip of beach good for walking and there are tide pools at the other end which have some interesting stuff to look at. This beach was listed online as good for body surfing and boogie boarding. Absolutely not! It's very very rocky. You would be thrown into rocks and very scraped up. Shipwreck beach nearby is a bit rocky but not this much... And much more suitable for boogie boarding.

I hesitate to give 5-stars (to hide it away from other) but this it fabulous. No showers and the…read morescenery is spectacular...

This was a fun, chill beach that we checked out during our stay. It was within walking distance of…read moreour condo. It wasn't really crowded and the waters were really calm. There were a couple families with younger kids which was understandable because it was so chill. My girls and I enjoyed our time here playing in the water, sunbathing and beach bumming. The waters are super shallow even pretty far out, so it wasn't super conducive for snorkeling. I did a small amount of snorkeling, but noticed there were a TON of aha needlefish just hanging out right below the surface of the water. They were all looking straight at me while I was swimming around and were kind of freaking me out! It was then I decided to stick closer to shore and no longer snorkel lol!

Baby beach is a really great beach next to the road with homes across the street…read more This is a great beach to bring young children where they can play and swim in shallow pools. Another beautiful beach hardly anyone there and it was easy to find parking. They had 1 picnic table, but no restroom area. On Kauai you will see the occasional Rooster or Chicken running around where ever you might go too.

This was probably my favorite beach we visited this time around. It's not a very large beach and…read morecan get crowded with those who are wanting to snorkel. Even surfers set out here to catch some waves. There are a lot of rocks, more rocks than sand, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I highly recommend water socks to protect your feet. There's a great entrance point that's pretty smooth and easy on your feet, but the waves can be choppy. The snorkeling reminded me a lot of Two Step Beach on the Big Island because you didn't have to swim out very far to see fish. There were a ton of fish out there! There were also a couple of turtles further out, but there were quite a few people hanging out around them. Remember not to get too close to them! :) We visited this beach several times because it was right outside our condo complex. At one point we were just sunbathing and playing in the water and ended up having the whole beach to ourselves late in the afternoon! It was awesome!

This beach is perfect to watch the sunset at, & is right next to the nice restaurant The Beach…read moreHouse. There is a very small sand area, but the ground is leveled so that it's very easy to sit & watch the sunset. The water is full of rocks, which actually made it very good for snorkeling. There were lots of fish around, eating off of the rocks. It was also in a little cove, so the waves were a bit smaller & easier to snorkel around in. This was one of the best beaches to snorkel at to see fish of the ones I went to (Anini Beach, Poipu Beach, & here).

I came here after being sadly underwhelmed with the vibes at Poipu. We opted to set up a little…read morespot and jump in the ocean. The waves here are all shorebreak and the bottom drops out fairly quickly so prepare to tread water! We enjoyed our swim and worked up an appetite. The crowd can be a bit on the busier side since it's close to the resorts but Poipu was crazier in my opinion.

Amazing beautiful beach. Great waves, super close to the resorts, and the beach bar what else could…read moreyou ask for.

Anything regarding nature in Kauai is an automatic 5 stars. That being said,I don't spend a lot of…read moretime on this side of the island. It's beautiful but, arrid compared to the tropical " wet" side. However,I've put my time in exploring this side and as with the entire garden isle, beautiful. This trail can get hot but the cliff side views and multiple color blues of the ocean make it worth it. One of the things making Kauai my favorite island is the diversity. I a single day you can experience several unique ecosystems. If you do Maha'ulepu trail,make sure your sunscreened and hydrated. Shaka Brah

Beautiful trail along the hike that is fairly easy to moderate. A few bumpy parts, but no major…read moreelevation. Easy parking by Shipwreck Beach at the starting point. Took us a little over 2 hours with some photo opps.

This is a great beach right across from the broiler. Good spot to walk after dining and drinks…read more We saw sea turtles and monk seals in a natural setting. Lots of picnic benches. And clean beach restrooms. Feral chickens abound.

I have old memories of this beach. Before hurricane Ewa, this beach was the bomb! Good size waves…read morefor bodyboarding and body surfing. After hurricane Ewa, the personality of the beach changed. Ewa brought in a lot of rocks. The waves had become timid. No more bodyboarding and bodysurfing. To my surprise, today I see decent size waves And a good amount of bodyboarding and body surfers! Perhaps hurricane Iniki returned back to its ole' self? Well something happened! Maybe one day I'll enter the water once more here... after 39 years:)