Staying so close to Shipwreck Beach was one of the best things we had a chance to experience. Only a half mile from our timeshare and right behind the Hyatt. Beautiful beach and surprisingly not too busy. Very cool to watch all the people brave enough to cliff jump, but me not being one because hello Shipwreck island tells me unsafe lol. Waves in Hawaii are on a whole other level. As a born and raised Cali girl these waves are a lot bigger, stronger and not a place a person learning to surf wants to learn. We saw tons of experienced surfers and a few kids in the water, but it's definitely more of a beach setting than swimming unless you're really great at it. Views for miles. By the way if you're staying close by you can ask for a visitor pass that can get you access to the pools of the hotel and those pools are AWESOME. read more

Nice vistas. you can hike up and see the view from above. Current too strong to swim in.Public parking and access available. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

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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

Shipwreck Beach - Gorgeous shipwreck beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

Located right in front of the Hyatt and next to The Point, this is one of the most popular beaches on the Southern side of the island, as well as the whole island. Wind and waves here can vary, from mild to wild, so its not necessarily a family friendly beach as far as the swimming goes, but it seems like there are always plenty of people there throughout the day. When the waves are up, expect surfers and body boarders to be out.Snorkeling is possible when the waves are a little more on the calmer side, but there isnt much to see here. Coral is basically non-existent, and the fish are few. About 100 yards to the West, but still in front of the Hyatt, the coral is more present, consisting of small, shallow pockets, most of which contain black, white or pink sea urchins. A few more fish here, but not many. Be sure to check out the nearby cliff jumpers, the nearby cliff is also used by early morning fishermen. read more

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Great views, rough waves and current for novice swimmers. Beautiful sunset views, especially from the cliffs above the beach. Parking lot fills up quickly, public bathrooms available. read more

I don't recommend this beach! The waves were incredibly dangerous & there are hidden lava rocks that are impossible to avoid. We were just so hot and wanted a dip in the ocean but quickly regretted it once the waves were picking up in the water. I'm a strong swimmer and felt nervous!! I also busted my foot on the rocks. So be warned this is not a family beach. read more

Our second favorite beach after a Polihale. Big waves, though you could break an ankle getting in and out but it's worth it. Not great for little kids but my 9 year old was fine. Cliff jumping too and a cool trail with great views! If you get there before noon you can probably get a space in the small parking lot. Grab a poke bowl from Makai sushi and you're set for the afternoon. Amazing photo ops from the cliff tops. read more

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Great beach; the rocky cliffs are beautiful and so fun to explore. This is a great beach to go to for a mix of relaxation, swimming, hiking, and exploring. So fun! read more

So beautiful I wish I could just stay here for an eternity. Shipwreck Beach is one of the better beaches on Kauai's south shore, so it's best to come here, if you are staying on the south side of Kauai. Most times, the sea is not quite calm, but very theraputic in more ways than one. I typically just sit on the beach and watch the waves as it comes in. Quite blissful, if you know what I mean. After checking out the Grand Hyatt, I came over here to spend a quiet moment or two here and felt blessed that I have the means to fly to Kauai and see it's beauty. I'm sure plenty of people use Shipwreck Beach as the ideal backdrop for their wedding pictures, so it's a treat & the place to be when you just need some time to yourself and just take in what you have and be joyful that you are visiting or live in Kauai. Regardless of being a visitor or resident, coming here brought me a sense of peace that I hadn't felt in for so long. I did see some people jumping off the nearby cliff and that seemed pretty awesome - although dangerous. Quite impressive, if you ask me, but then again, I run marathons. Maybe I should have gone up to the cliff - but not jump, just to see what it would the scenery be like if I was there. Parking at the Grand Hyatt Kauai would be the best place to seek out Shipwreck beach at your leisure. Great place to people watch and watch wedding events take place along the beach. Whatever your reason for coming to this beach, it's a great one and I look forward to coming back here again just to see this stretch of magnificence once more. The ocean here can be rough, but beautiful and serene in its own natural way. Swimming in the shallow parts the beach is recommended, since the undertow can cause serious consequences if you don't know what you are doing or can't swim really well - like me. Beauty of the ocean is so priceless A++ read more

Great beach if you like an opportunity to cliff dive or just to hang out playing in the sun and water! The views are magical and it's very easy access! Park to the side of the Hyatt. read more

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This is such a gorgeous beach to visit. The waves (at least when I visited) were pretty intense, I wouldn't say very safe for children; especially combined with how rocky it is too. There is a cliff people jump from, but I wouldn't recommend it. The waves are too unpredictable and it's stupid to jump without knowing where rocks are beneath the water. This seemed like a very popular place for family and couple photos. read more

We stopped here today and made a solid 5 hours of fun out of it. Though we did park just off to the side of the paved parking area and walk down to the beach, we did not actually frolic on shipwrecks beach at all. We saw what it had to offer us and decided to hike up over the cliff and beyond. We were rewarded handsomely! I have no doubt we could've enjoyed shipwrecks too, if we felt like sharing the beach with so many bodies-- but we didn't, so we didn't. Instead, we hiked the shoreline/cliffs for roughly 1-1.5 miles and landed (passing through a gorgeous golf course) upon a less occupied and equally dazzling beach. The further we walked it, the less people we saw. We eventually reached a lovely spot where nobody was in sight. Just what we wanted. Shipwrecks beach looked as good as you could hope for. But if a little less sharing is what you're after, take a 45 minute hike along the rocky cliffs and find yourself some peace & quiet. Maybe even swim naked, if you must. read more

Shipwreck Beach - All alone - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

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Small parking lot but beautiful waves. The whole time I was on the island, the women's public restroom at this beach was out of order.. No rush in fixing it I guess that's Hawaii for you. There's hiking trails to your left. Surfers flock here, not as many surfers as Pakalas, but everytime I had come here some locals were surfing or hanging out here. If you're feeling like a daredevil you can hike to the end of that cliff peninsula (on your left) that goes out to sea and jump into the ocean and swim back to shore. I've never done it and I don't think I ever will unless I sharpen my swimming skills but I did see one woman jump off the cliff and swim back to shore. This lady was buff though. She had people with her on top of the cliff and I could see another one of them contemplating jumping but then deciding against it. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

Awesome beginner hike! Parking is at the end of the road in between the golf course & the grand hyatt. You have many hiking trails, choose the one by the cliffs. So much to see! Bring a hat, sunscreen, and water! The beach is pretty too so perhaps have a pole picnic after your hike! read more

Beautiful beach attached to the Grand Hyatt. Absolutely great view of the ocean. Shore looks tough though. It was a "red flag" condition day we went and waves were big. Nobody was in the water swimming or jumping off of the cliff rock. Great for pictures though. Warning - there are rocks under the water even as close as you would walk into the edge of the water. Def not for casual vacation swimmers or kids. read more

Hard to find parking because...well, let's face it, this is a coveted spot to be. Absolutely gorgeous and access to a beautiful coastal hike. What more can you ask for? read more

Absolutely gorgeous venue for a wedding/renewal ceremony. incredible wide views of the ocean. read more

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Parking is limited but its free and seems to be enough turnover for you to get a spot during LOW season. Though I'm not a surfer, here is what I know of the waves. Definitely a place where long boards are known to break in half. I saw one happen the day I discovered the beach. Lots of body boarders and some people surfing with shorter high performance boards. The shore starts out rocky but turns sandy where the waves break. The waves break pretty close to shore so as a spectator it's easy to keep track of your friends out in the waves. Square barrels so someone tells me. For the tanning artist, there's great eye candy with the surfers and occasional cliff divers. You can take a break from the sand and do a short hike in flip flops up the cliff and get a beautiful view of the ocean. And yes... there is a shipwreck somewhere in the near vicinity. And for the kids, there's a large heart-shaped rock in the middle of the beach. Perfect for a toddler's butt. :) But swimming for kids is not recommended. As an adult, my footing was knocked off kilter a few times when the waves hit the beach. read more

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Great spot to watch surfers battle the raging ocean. Dangerous place for the casual swim. I like a challenge and went in. Very tough waters. A bit chilly in May, but lovely. No shade at this beach, so wear sunscreen. At night, under a full moon, the beach and ocean glow a peaceful silver color. read more

Found this place by accident and spent great time with friends. Muddy parking lots and we never found facilities but the sand, water, tidal pools and caves were entertaining for all ages. Not a tone of sea life but safe areas and interesting rocks. I'd bring my kids again and pack food food for the day. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Snail on the trail! - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

This beach is really hot, packed, and sunny during the day! It is beautiful and I highly recommend the Mahalapu trail! That said..at night Shipwreck beach is an entirely diff story, if you decide to head here at night and walk along the the entire shoreline: you may have it entirely to yourself and it is utterly beautiful. Many are the days I dream of moving back and camping here forever and living the good hippy nudist Hawaiian life. No feeling compares to looking up at that star lit sky and feeling that pacific breeze go through your hair (I was simply in awe). And if youre lucky, you may get to catch one or two turtles chilling by the shore =) read more

Gorgeous beach on Kauai with decent parking! We got there at 9am and we're able to get a spot in the parking lot. The sandy beach is nice and is the beginning of an excellent cliff hugging 5 mile hike to a cave for the adventurous. The jumping rock wasn't feasible because the tide was low when we were there, but I read that several people had severely injured themselves jumping so I thought twice about doing it anyway. Overall a great beach. read more

Absolutely gorgeous beach, located in front of the Grand Hyatt. It's kinda "look but don't touch" though, because those red "No Swimming" flags are up every day! But if you're a surfer, great waves :) We saw folks jumping off the cliff on the left-hand side of the beach...it's the cliff you see Harrison Ford and Anne Heche (well, their stunt doubles) jump off of in "Six Days, Seven Nights." Shipwreck Beach is an awesome place to watch the sun set. It's also quite popular for engagement pictures (saw at least three couples on the evening we were there), as well as wedding pics (we saw a wedding on the beach and the pics afterwards). I looooved this beach, and cannot wait to see it again when we hit up Kauai again in a couple of years. If you're lucky enough to stay at the Grand Hyatt, or a property nearby like we did, Shipwreck Beach can and will be part of your day every day, and there's nothing wrong with that :) read more

Kauai is a beautiful island with amazing views if you go to the right places. If you've been too all of the islands in Hawaii you will see that Kauai's beaches are different. Shipwreck beach located next to the Hyatt is similar to big beach in Maui. The waves are huge and the currents are strong so be careful if you go out their. The cliff next to the beach provides for a nice back drop and every now and then you will see someone jump off into the ocean like it's nothing plenty of sand space unlike other beaches in Kauai and parking can be limited so plan accordingly to get a spot or else you will have to park a bit further in the self parking area closer to the hotel. This beach actually has waves in the ocean unlike other beaches in Kauai that are a bit more mellow in my opinion so definitely come here if you want to relax at the beach. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Shipwreck beach in Kauai - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

We came here early so we got to park in the parking area. It's a small lot right by the Hyatt. We park here for a hike. It's hot so it's best to go early. It's a decent hike and good coastal view. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

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This is a beautiful beach with super soft sand. We did our family pictures while vacationing in Kauai. I'd say this is a strolling, play in the sand type of beach and not meant for casual swimming. I did see several surfers however. Parking is limited. We got there at 7am and 3/4 of the small parking lot was already filled up. read more

Rough surf makes for great wave action. Fun for bigger kids and adults, not good for little ones. Sand is soft but there are Rocky spots on the beach too read more

Beautiful views and nice sand just crowded. I definitely prefer a beach with less people but wanted to check out the hype.

This is a beautiful beach that's worth a visit. The water is beautiful as is the landscape around the beach. There's a tall rocky cliff on the left where you can watch locals other brave souls jump off. The trail up is near the base of the rock. We were there in April and the waves were decent, I wouldn't suggest it for kids. There are a lot of rocks to the left so be careful of your step, it's not fun to get knocked down by a wave and then pushed into the rocks. Didn't happen to me, but I saw others get toppled onto the rocks. The shade of the palms is perfect if you want out of the sun. You can sit in the soft grass, relax with a book and enjoy the warm breeze. This is also a popular place for weddings about sunset. If you walk to the far right, up the hill along the trail, you can see turtles swimming along the rocks and waves. Then if you keep going out towards the construction, you'll get a beautiful view of the beach and then look back inland which is pretty too. read more

Not for swimming. Lots of surfing and action. Nice hiking trail nearby. Best for people watching and enjoying nature... possibly sea turtle spotting ;) read more

Cool beach. We walked here a couple mornings, and one morning, walked up the top. Didn't see anyone jumping off the rock either time, and looking down, I definitely wouldn't have. But a very beautiful beach. There were several hearts formed out of rocks the last morning we were there, which was neat, too. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Shipwreck Beach from the top of the rock - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

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So gorgeous. I really don't want to tell people about this place because I don't want to have people ruin it! Sunrises are spectacular. There are only a couple of things that I've seen that takes my breath away and this is one of them. We rented a cabana from the Hyatt and had it all day. The kids got to play in the water and sand. I hope to be back soon. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

It's a very pretty Beach. Kind of hidden. Tiny parking lot. Probably would have never went if someone didn't tell me about it... The surf is deceptive. It'll dump you on your skull if you aren't careful. I was a victim of being tossed around and some how, MY CAMERA WAS LOST IN THE WAVES 10FT OFF SHORE :( I looked for a couple hrs from shore but no luck. Probably didn't help it's black and there's a bunch of black stones that wash up on shore.. Anyways, cool place. $100 to whoever finds my camera:) it's waterproof and was last seen right next to the bed of black rocks. read more

Many a days spent here relaxing on the beach or under the trees. Swimming can sometimes be hairy when the waves are big. Kind of hard to get in and out of the water in the shorebreak. But fun nonetheless. Mostly body boarders here, but some surfers. Really pretty beach. Right next to the Hyatt. I wouldn't recommend sneaking into the pool if you look local. They may or may not chase you around trying to kick you out. But hey, worth a try. Limited parking, but you can park along the road. Um, I'd never jump off the cliff, but if you're a daredevil, seems like a fun thing to do. I've hiked up there just to hang out. It's nice. but i'm not a jumper. read more

The waves here were out of the world. Great spot to sit back and watch surfers or got on a quick hike up the cliff. A little difficult for a swim without a board or goggles so come prepared! read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

Locals only you f!cking grommet. Get off my beach!!! Shipwreck is awesome. The break is fast, so all you have time to do is carve a bottom turn and maybe link one more thing before ending up in the rocks. Hint: Don't swim here if you aren't a real strong swimmer. Actually, don't swim here at all. Its dangerous if you don't surf. Also, there's a famous cliff here filmed in some movie. Jump off of it, its safe. Just don't disturb wedding pictures. read more

Beautiful, clean sandy beaches. Lots of boogy-boarders. Black rocks against the light sand. You can rent a covered bed for laying out in if you want. Good for sunbathing. read more

Great view from the cliffs .... saw some sea turtles in the surf. Be sure to bring sun screen and water during the hike.

First off, we were staying at the hyatt next door to this beach. Great resort! The waves can be very choppy and strong so be careful. Even standing at knee hi can at times be challenging in those stronger days. The undercurrent especially when out further way can push you down the shore. I'd say this is definitely for slightly average to strong swimmers if you venture further into the waters. Would not recommend for smaller kids, however there is a man enclosed lagoon for the smaller kids. Jumping off the shipwreck cliff is awesome just be VERY CAREFUL. 4yrs ago they did not have the sign at the top that clearly says "jumping off can cause serious injury or death". I use to dive in college (springboard and platform) so I took the extra time to swim from the shore over to the cliff to survey the landing area. Note there are large rocks under this cliff. DO NOT JUMP IN THAT AREA. If you decide to jump at the the highest point we estimated is approxly 45-50ft. Go down to the very tip of the point. In my opinion and where I jumped was slightly left of that point. Where I landed the estimated depth was approxly 20 to 30ft deep. We jumped during hi tide (around noonish) but honestly think if you jump in that area you should be fine due to the saltwater/buoyancy of the water. I estimated going down about 15-20ft underwater jumping from the 45ft cliff and had plenty of space still to go. Also note I jumped in the area where i could see the sandy parts under the water which to me was the deepest area with no rocks. I've provided photos. I jump many times with no issue. I even did some flips. So have fun and be safe. read more

Shipwreck Beach - Beaches Near Me - Poipu, Hawaii

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This is a really nice, beautiful beach! It has the Maha'ulepu trail starting from the left that heads along the beautiful Makawehi Bluff cliffs and ends at the spectacular Gillin's Beach - this is not a hike you'd like to miss! And Shipwreck Beach itself is harbored by cliffs and really beautiful, and less crowded than the other Kauai Southern beaches! Would recommend :)) read more