Shipwreck Beach, Koloa

Shipwreck Beach is one of my favorite beaches on Kauai. It is adjacent to the Grand Hyatt Resort, has a decent parking lot and basic bathrooms at the entrance to the beach. A walking trail starts at the parking lot and leads along the back side of the beach to the left if you’re facing the water. At the end of the sandy portion of the beach, the trail begins a lovely uphill climb to cliffs and a headland over the ocean. There is a variety of rocks and driftwood on the beach as well as many kinds of trees and bushes with diverse textures and colors. The birds add a symphony to the existing wind and waves. It is worth your time to go up onto the cliff above the ocean. It feels like a volcanic wonderland! The pictures will show you just how vast it feels on top, and I found that I would have loved to sit there for hours, listening to the waves. Someone else commented on the danger of jumping from the cliff into the water. I wholeheartedly agree that this is not a safe place for swimmers. It is, however, a fantastic place to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of Kauai and the Pacific Ocean! A perfect place for an occasional visit from a Hawaiian Monk Seal to wonder at you as much as you are marveling at it!

Nice beach to watch the sunset or soak up some sun, but pretty rough waters. People were climbing up the cliff to jump off, but looked pretty dangerous. Located right in the back of the Grand Hyatt, so a lot of their guests were on the beach. There was a monk seal resting when I was there which was nice to see.

Nice and beautiful beach with great sand and some cliffs for jumping, not recommended at all because it could be dangerous. Great waves for surfing.

Shipwreck beach is a great beach to soak in the sun, watch the waves or to use as a home base for exploring. Since both the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail and Grand Hyatt (for drinks and food) are right there you've got lots of options! The Grand Hyatt resort is to the right of the beach. Anyone can stop in for a drink or a bite to eat. Their beach front pools, waterslide, lazy river and cabanas are spectacular and you're able to buy a day pass to enjoy them. The Mahaulepu Heritage Trail, a hiking trail that explores the coast, runs thru Shipwreck beach. It's a beautiful trail and worth doing just a little of (or all of!). The water is pretty rough here and the waves get big. You'll often find locals surfing and people jumping off the cliff to the left of the beach. It's a tough swim back to the beach, so make sure you're a strong swimmer of you want to go cliff jumping. There are some large rocks where the beach and water meet so be careful if you decide to go for a swim or try to snorkel. You'll find lots of chickens and roosters around the trees lining the back of the beach. These trees drop little pinecones so the sand around them is prickly, but they do provide some great shade. There is a decent amount of parking (both in the lot right next to the beach and on the side of the road leading up to it), toilets and a rinse off shower. There is also a little green area with a few picnic tables. If you found this review helpful follow us on Instagram or check out our website - both found at adventurepak.co

Great place to watch the sunrise. Not a good place to swim. There is a little hike up to the Rock. The caves and lava rock are spectacular!