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I came here as a meeting spot for a bike tour but from what I could see it looked lovely. Smaller beach area but there are public restrooms. They don't open until 7/7:30a so if you're an early bird, ya may have to use the ocean :p or hold it! There's a parking lot that holds maybe 20 cars so keep that in mind. It's not a big beach! Some people were boogie boarding, others just swimming. There are palm trees by the restrooms so there is some shade for having a picnic. That's all I got for y'all! Enjoy! xo
Shipwreck Beach is a gorgeous beach along the south coast of Kauai. Certainly it will depend on when you come, but the waves were pretty strong and the tides were rolling around rocks along the shore. There were some surfers but people were pretty careful swimming out too far (which was reasonable). No lifeguard. Absolutely beautiful scenery!
What's better than saying you've visited paradise? My guess... Living in Paradise. And let me tell you, being blessed to have been able to visit the Hawaiian islands multiple times over my life, Kauai in particular in pretty much as close to Paradise as it gets. So if you are going to 'shipwreck' at any place in the pacific, shipwreck beach in Poipu, Kauai is definitely not a bad spot to wreck. your. ship. Located on the South Shore, Shipwreck beach is known to the tourists just as much as it is to the locals. Many come here to attempt the surf, or even to jump off the cliff into the ocean below. (Surf is very rough and the rocky shore below make it extremely dangerous) For those less adventurous, the short hike to the top of the cliff provides a beautiful panoramic view of the coastline, shipwreck beach below and Grand Hyatt hotel that has a front and center view of the beach itself. Also, highly recommended coming up here at sunrise and/or sunset to capture some IG (instagram) worthy shots.
Fun beach to tidepool at plus I believe there are hiking trails nearby. Bring water shoes as the rocks are rough and some are slippery. We saw crabs, hermits crabs, urchins and other sea creatures stuck to the rocks. We did family pictures here too the day before so beautiful! Flower lei would have been a nice touch against our white outfits.
Been here a few times. There's a hike on the eastern part of the beach. Climb the rocks and you'll be overlooking the cliffs onto the ocean. You can continue walking for a good bit if you would like. Lots of interesting vegetation and rocks to look at. The waves are pretty awesome for boogie boarding here. I've never been able to ride waves from so far out. Just be mindful of the rocks in the middle of the beach. The waves keep pushing you toward them so gotta keep making adjustments. Good spot to have a picnic... Quite a few tall shady trees. Parking seems a bit tight but you're allowed to park on the sides of the street.
Video of our hike- https://youtu.be/HkpLV5yEB8E One of the best trails for all ages on Kauai is the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail. This is a 2 mile point-to-point coastal trail that runs along side some of the most beautiful wave-crashing cliffs on South Kauai. The trail can be caught in two different places. We chose to watch the sunrise at Shipwreck Beach so started there. You can park in the beach parking or there is street parking a little further up the road leading to beach. It was an incredibly windy morning and the rain had just moved out, so the waves were in full swing. The surfers were taking advantage of this and we watched them for a while. I'm usually pretty good at singular sports, but surfing is the one thing that I continue to fail at, so I greatly admire those that have the agility and ability. So, instead, I whirled and played tag with the ocean waves on the shore and enjoyed the beautiful sand between my toes. Next, we started our trek. The trail starts between a grassy, picnic area and the beach; there is a small embankment to climb up, but nothing too hard, especially for Kauai. This hike is such a beautiful experience. There are areas where the trail is wide so you don't feel crowded by any others you may encounter. You can almost have your own journey, which is magical for a hike like this. By the way, we wore closed toed Keen sandals for the trek, but easily could've done it in sneakers. No poles are needed. The path takes you along cliffs, but if this makes you nervous, you can easily navigate more inland. It's the beauty of this hike. These cliffs are Lithified sand dunes- ancient sand dunes that have hardened into limestone and contain fossils of coral and algae. This process took over 125,000 years! The next part of the hike takes you to a Native Hawaiian temple or heiau. The cultural definition of heiau is a place of worship where mana (divine energy) is transferred and concentrated through ritual and prayer. Do not touch, play on or remove artifacts from this site. If you brought your family with you, please watch your children. This space is sacred and the whole area should be treated with respect. This is approximately half-way. If you decide to continue, the trail will take you along a golf course to Maha'ulepu Beach, also known as Gillin's Beach. The surf is pretty rough here usually; this beach is best known for windsurfing. Do not enter the water if you are not a strong and experienced swimmer. The beach is also known for monk seal sightings as well as sea turtles, so please do not disturb and keep your distance. You can also pop in to see the tortoises at the sanctuary near the beach, or duck to explore the Makauwahi Cave, but that wasn't on our agenda this day. This is the biggest limestone cave in the Hawaiian archipelago and includes an amazing sinkhole, where the cave ceiling collapsed. The cave is open for free guided tours (with a recommended donation) daily. You can park near CJM stables to access this side of the trail to start or to see the cave or tortoises. This trail should not be missed and is totally free! You can choose what side to begin at or how far to go. Even for a short jaunt, the views are worth it. I hope you enjoy my footage. It's some of my favorite from the trip.
Sometimes you just need someplace pretty to sit and relax. It was nice to kick back and watch the waves. I could hear Otis Redding singing "Sittin On The Dock of the Bay" in my mind as I was "wasting time". Nothing like being able to unwind without a care in the world. Almost as peaceful as my time at Infinity Beach at sunset during a previous trip to Hawaii. Imagine that. No stress. Got to take those times when they come along. They are few and far between.
It is a nice and quiet beach. There is no life guard here. The water is pretty rough though. There were used to have a wrecked wooden boat by the cliff but it is no longer here. The cliff at the end of the beach is 40 feet high. People do jump off the cliff times to times. I have not seen anyone diving off the cliff during our stay here at the Grand Hyatt. There are many local body surfers here daily and put on nice surfing show. It is a good place to see sunrise. For sunset, you can not see the sun going down from here. You can see sunset at Poipu beach park. Free parking is available next to the Hyatt. You can walk up to restaurants and shops at the Hyatt but will not be able to use their pool and lagoons. They have wrist bands for guests stayed at the hotel.
A beach with an interesting name, Shipwreck Beach is located on the south shore of Kauai, close to the 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. read more
9 months ago
What a great place to come hike up. Swim, waves can get a little strong and definitely need water shoes. So many rocks underwater. read more
2 years ago
My favorite beach in Kauai. Beautiful views, not as crowded as Poipu Beach, and parking available though can be a little trek if you're not lucky enough to grab a spot in the lot. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
Absolutely love this beach!!!! End of the beach is perfect for kids! Shallow and tide pools read more
I came here as a meeting spot for a bike tour but from what I could see it looked lovely. Smaller beach area but there are public restrooms. They don't open until 7/7:30a so if you're an early bird, ya may have to use the ocean :p or hold it! There's a parking lot that holds maybe 20 cars so keep that in mind. It's not a big beach! Some people were boogie boarding, others just swimming. There are palm trees by the restrooms so there is some shade for having a picnic. That's all I got for y'all! Enjoy! xo read more
3 years ago
Shipwreck Beach is a gorgeous beach along the south coast of Kauai. Certainly it will depend on when you come, but the waves were pretty strong and the tides were rolling around rocks along the shore. There were some surfers but people were pretty careful swimming out too far (which was reasonable). No lifeguard. Absolutely beautiful scenery! read more
3 years ago
Took our field trip pup from the humane society program here. Wonderful beach that splits into different trails that lead to amazing views. The trails off the beach made it easy to find shade. read more
What's better than saying you've visited paradise? My guess... Living in Paradise. And let me tell you, being blessed to have been able to visit the Hawaiian islands multiple times over my life, Kauai in particular in pretty much as close to Paradise as it gets. So if you are going to 'shipwreck' at any place in the pacific, shipwreck beach in Poipu, Kauai is definitely not a bad spot to wreck. your. ship. Located on the South Shore, Shipwreck beach is known to the tourists just as much as it is to the locals. Many come here to attempt the surf, or even to jump off the cliff into the ocean below. (Surf is very rough and the rocky shore below make it extremely dangerous) For those less adventurous, the short hike to the top of the cliff provides a beautiful panoramic view of the coastline, shipwreck beach below and Grand Hyatt hotel that has a front and center view of the beach itself. Also, highly recommended coming up here at sunrise and/or sunset to capture some IG (instagram) worthy shots. read more
Fun beach to tidepool at plus I believe there are hiking trails nearby. Bring water shoes as the rocks are rough and some are slippery. We saw crabs, hermits crabs, urchins and other sea creatures stuck to the rocks. We did family pictures here too the day before so beautiful! Flower lei would have been a nice touch against our white outfits. read more
2 years ago
Beautiful place! Wouldn't recommend getting in water. Take the nearby trail hike. Recommend for early morning or late evening stroll. read more
Been here a few times. There's a hike on the eastern part of the beach. Climb the rocks and you'll be overlooking the cliffs onto the ocean. You can continue walking for a good bit if you would like. Lots of interesting vegetation and rocks to look at. The waves are pretty awesome for boogie boarding here. I've never been able to ride waves from so far out. Just be mindful of the rocks in the middle of the beach. The waves keep pushing you toward them so gotta keep making adjustments. Good spot to have a picnic... Quite a few tall shady trees. Parking seems a bit tight but you're allowed to park on the sides of the street. read more
3 years ago
Video of our hike- https://youtu.be/HkpLV5yEB8E One of the best trails for all ages on Kauai is the Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail. This is a 2 mile point-to-point coastal trail that runs along side some of the most beautiful wave-crashing cliffs on South Kauai. The trail can be caught in two different places. We chose to watch the sunrise at Shipwreck Beach so started there. You can park in the beach parking or there is street parking a little further up the road leading to beach. It was an incredibly windy morning and the rain had just moved out, so the waves were in full swing. The surfers were taking advantage of this and we watched them for a while. I'm usually pretty good at singular sports, but surfing is the one thing that I continue to fail at, so I greatly admire those that have the agility and ability. So, instead, I whirled and played tag with the ocean waves on the shore and enjoyed the beautiful sand between my toes. Next, we started our trek. The trail starts between a grassy, picnic area and the beach; there is a small embankment to climb up, but nothing too hard, especially for Kauai. This hike is such a beautiful experience. There are areas where the trail is wide so you don't feel crowded by any others you may encounter. You can almost have your own journey, which is magical for a hike like this. By the way, we wore closed toed Keen sandals for the trek, but easily could've done it in sneakers. No poles are needed. The path takes you along cliffs, but if this makes you nervous, you can easily navigate more inland. It's the beauty of this hike. These cliffs are Lithified sand dunes- ancient sand dunes that have hardened into limestone and contain fossils of coral and algae. This process took over 125,000 years! The next part of the hike takes you to a Native Hawaiian temple or heiau. The cultural definition of heiau is a place of worship where mana (divine energy) is transferred and concentrated through ritual and prayer. Do not touch, play on or remove artifacts from this site. If you brought your family with you, please watch your children. This space is sacred and the whole area should be treated with respect. This is approximately half-way. If you decide to continue, the trail will take you along a golf course to Maha'ulepu Beach, also known as Gillin's Beach. The surf is pretty rough here usually; this beach is best known for windsurfing. Do not enter the water if you are not a strong and experienced swimmer. The beach is also known for monk seal sightings as well as sea turtles, so please do not disturb and keep your distance. You can also pop in to see the tortoises at the sanctuary near the beach, or duck to explore the Makauwahi Cave, but that wasn't on our agenda this day. This is the biggest limestone cave in the Hawaiian archipelago and includes an amazing sinkhole, where the cave ceiling collapsed. The cave is open for free guided tours (with a recommended donation) daily. You can park near CJM stables to access this side of the trail to start or to see the cave or tortoises. This trail should not be missed and is totally free! You can choose what side to begin at or how far to go. Even for a short jaunt, the views are worth it. I hope you enjoy my footage. It's some of my favorite from the trip. read more
Sometimes you just need someplace pretty to sit and relax. It was nice to kick back and watch the waves. I could hear Otis Redding singing "Sittin On The Dock of the Bay" in my mind as I was "wasting time". Nothing like being able to unwind without a care in the world. Almost as peaceful as my time at Infinity Beach at sunset during a previous trip to Hawaii. Imagine that. No stress. Got to take those times when they come along. They are few and far between. read more
It is a nice and quiet beach. There is no life guard here. The water is pretty rough though. There were used to have a wrecked wooden boat by the cliff but it is no longer here. The cliff at the end of the beach is 40 feet high. People do jump off the cliff times to times. I have not seen anyone diving off the cliff during our stay here at the Grand Hyatt. There are many local body surfers here daily and put on nice surfing show. It is a good place to see sunrise. For sunset, you can not see the sun going down from here. You can see sunset at Poipu beach park. Free parking is available next to the Hyatt. You can walk up to restaurants and shops at the Hyatt but will not be able to use their pool and lagoons. They have wrist bands for guests stayed at the hotel. read more
2 years ago
Famous beach near the southern most tip of Kauai. Took Ainako road between the Grand Hyatt and the Poipu Golf Course to get here. Right next to the Grand Hyatt and thousands of hotel guests. Drove here at 830am in the morning, with parking lot empty -I guess all the tourists still zonked from drinking endless margaritas the night before. Wife used the restroom, the only restroom on the 3 mile Heritage trail alongside the lithified sand dunes to the sinkhole. Huge surf on the day we came, with surfers and boogie boarders all in the water, catching the large waves. No swimmers nor snorkeling. There is a reason it is called shipwreck beach! Lots of trees near the cliff area, with picnic benches under the shady trees for protection from the intense tropical sun, even in December. Didn't see any cliff divers. Easy to climb up the rocks along the trail to the top of the cliffs, but no way I was going to dive into that water. I would have come back in a body bag! You can go around the cliffs on the extreme left through the bushes and bypass the entire rock formation, when starting the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail. We came here early to do the 6 mile round trip hike all the way to the Makauwahi sinkhole and back. 1130am, we are back from our 6 mile hike, parking lot full as is the wife's bladder. Fortunately no restroom line. Last time we were here, very long ladies line, and two ladies stationed in front of the men's restroom. They were there to make sure no men used it while their female companion was inside. She couldn't wait! read more
5 years ago
This was the first time I actually came to this beach. Clean, spacious and the ocean was clean and blue. Beautiful day and the sun was out. Not sure about fishing though. Very rocky in some areas but fish do like reefs. Parking lot not to big. Locals like to jump off that cliff. I suggest you not do so because people do get injured. read more
5 years ago
Well, we know why the ship wrecked at this beach, that is for sure. The day we came there was a chance of rain, but we decided to come and see the place and it was just too much. The parking was descent, it was fairly easy to find a spot, we took our wagon with all our stuff and made it down to the beach. There were big trees up top you could sit under, a big almost hill of sand before you descended down to the water, but the water was just too crazy. The waves were super high, the current was strong and hard. One of our kids we had to grab his arm and bring him back, my husband lost his hat and got taken down, and we just gave up after a little while because it was just dangerous. If it was a calmer day, maybe it would be better, but the day we went was just too much read more
We really enjoyed this beach. The good: easy access. Plenty of sand. Excellent views. Natural shade if you need that. Not crowded. Restrooms are close. Showers for rinsing after salt water interaction. Nice hike to a view point if you like. The not so goods: parking can be an issue if you don't get here early. Very small lot. Weddings can add extra vehicles. Toilet paper in the restrooms could be hydrated if the weather isn't cooperative. NOT a swim safe beach, wicked shore break. Experienced surfers only. This was one of our favorite populated beaches we visited. Centrally located on the island, clean restrooms, and easy access from the main highway. Bring your camera for sure as the photos of the surf and coastline here can be great. We will be back. read more
Shipwreck Beach is a surfers playground. A small parking lot leads you directly to the beach, or a cliff for you to jump off (literally). It's an energetic place to see local surfers catching waves, and even more peaceful to see the sunset against the cliffs/buildings. Recommend you enjoy this small beach if you're nearby! read more
2 years ago
Amazing views and landscape. Sea turtles were out and it's easy access from grand Hyatt. The second best beach we've seen here read more
This a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kind of beach. If the weather is great then it can be packed. Good luck finding parking too. Tons of condos nearby as well as the massive Grand Hyatt can make things unbearable. Lets face it. Poipu beaches are packed most of the time. But if the weather is off or better yet raining, you literally (as in our case in the picture I posted) you have it to yourself which is awesome. We first encountered Shipwreck years ago staying at the aforementioned Grand Hyatt. It was a fun little beach, and I love an active surf. But it may be a bit too rough for small children. Its also not the kind of beach you swim at either. If you surf you will be in good company however because it has a strong shore break. It does have a bathroom, showers, and a few picnic tables, but there is no shade and its always really windy (at least when we have been) and an umbrella would pointless. read more
8 years ago
10 years ago
# M E R M A I D S - B R E A K D O W N (# of + stars = rating) * A T M O S P H E R E: +1 star * P R E S E N T A T I O N: +1 star * C O S T: +1 star * S E R V I C E: +1 star * R E V I S I T: +1 star P A R K I N G Bigger lot than some of the other hidden beachs. Parked to the side of the field. No issues. H I K I N G There's hiking to the left side of the beach if you want to hike. I didn't wanna hike after hiking down for a lot of the beaches we went to during the week LOL B E A C H Hands down one of my FAVORITE beaches! The water is so rainbow~y and pretty here! Perfect waves crashing on the beach! Very strong so not good for wading or sitting in the water, but fun to let it smack you, hahah. Sand was soft so we were able to play and be mermaids! Yay! read more
8 years ago
This is a beautiful beach! The day we visited there were HUGE waves crashing. To the left is a big cliff I've seen people on YouTube diving off and into the ocean - crazy fucks. We did see some people in the ocean waiting for waves to ride. The shore was mostly rocks from what we saw with the exception of one small sandy entrance. I think if you go more to the right the beach is more sandy? Maybe I'm wrong. We didn't spend much time here just a quick peak. The sand was hot it was burning my feet so we left pretty fast. Wouldn't mind coming back tho! Gorgeous beach and water. read more
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We are looking for a nearby local restaurant for a group of 20 after a wedding on the beach. Any suggestions? A more local feel not so resort-ish. More casual less stuffy.
I was in Poipo/Koloa all last week and tried numerous restaurants. Most were average. Our best find was 1849 restaurant . Excellent food. Open seating area but they can accommodate large parties up to 20-25 if you call them a week in advance.…
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