The Shipwreck Beach is known for its dramatic cliff jump and advanced surfing here. I'm thrilled to…read morewatch surfers handle the big waves here, and enjoy watching people jumping off the cliff, some jumped without hesitation and some backed off after a while.

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.

My wife loves turtles so this was a must go to place for us. We went in the evening and there were…read morea lot of people and the lot was pretty full. The beach was pretty nice and looked clean and well kept. The turtles were off to the left of the entrance. Easy to spot since there were so many people around. The turtles were just lounging around. So nice. I think there were six of more hanging out. Signs up to stop people touching the turtles. It was a nice place and highly recommend this place for turtle watching.

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.

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.

Although it's a bit of a drive on dirt, gravel, uneven roads to get to this beach, it is very worth…read moreit! It took us about 15 minutes of driving on the dirt road, and then parked at a clearing, and from there a little bit of a walk between some trees, and voila, you are treated with a beautiful stretch of beach! We took a normal sedan car, but very mindful of the drive as there are lots of pot holes and just go like 10 mph. There was hardly any people here when we arrived. We had our own private beach for a couple hours until a few more people came. Even then, it was still soo quiet. If you are looking for a quiet beach, with lots of privacy, this is the one to go to. You got beautiful views on both sides, and the waters were so calm, and you'll avoid all the crowds unlike all the other popular beaches. It was a nice spot to setup a picnic, eat poke, read a book, have a beer, and even take a nap. There were plenty of spaces to setup, so that wasn't a big deal. Even then you are still far enough from the next person. There is plenty of beach to go around on this stretch of sand. Unfortunately, this beach was not good for swimming as there were lots of rocks, although you can find some areas of clearing to take a little dip in. I even saw some kiddos with floaties enjoying the water. This was one of my favorite beaches during our vacation in Kauai and would definitely come again for some privacy and to avoid all the touristy crowds.

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.

Rating & writing this review for the Mālama i nā honu volunteers!…read more This organization does not get enough credit, the love and dedication for their turtles is unmatched. My family and I made frequent visits to Brennecke's Beach to see the turtles & monk seals. The downside is this beach is alwayssss crowded. I definitely prefer other beaches to swim around and snorkel at. BUT no matter how busy, each volunteer we spoke to was: friendly, easy to talk to, and likable! One evening while I was viewing the turtles, the volunteers started passing out stickers for $3 donations (I don't know if they do this every night). I was so happy I got one before they sold out! If you did miss out on purchasing a sticker, I figured out that they sell more products on their website too! Their website is pretty straightforward and fun to explore/learn more. One thing I found interesting to see is the organization displays the volunteer's beach hours (lifetime & year), the time dedicated to protecting and educating the public about the these animals. Thank you to all the volunteers & members! https://malamanahonu.org if you're interested

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.

If you already have some snorkeling experience and weren't satisfied with the crowds at Poipu, this…read moreis the place to go! There are no lifeguards, so please use a life vest and bring a full set of snorkeling equipment. You won't be disappointed! Based on our experience this summer (2026), the best entry point is actually somewhere between the tiny beach areas where it looks like there's an easy entry. However, the water is very shallow for quite a while and there are lots of rocks, so I recommend going at least toward the middle, where there's a little more sand mixed with the big black rocks. Once you get into the water, you can bypass the rocks pretty quickly, and the water gets deep surprisingly fast. Underwater, you'll see some huge rocks covered with yellow coral/sponges, which seem to be a favorite hangout for sea turtles. I swam with three sea turtles within just one hour this morning! Definitely one of my favorite snorkeling spots on Kauai!

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!

Such an amazing beach. Beautiful, great tides keep the waves rolling in. Grab a cabana and have a…read moreday of it.

A beautiful beach that has great snorkeling in shallow waters. Expansive view and adjacent to the…read moreMarriott and Sheraton. Nearby concessions for lessons in surfboarding and other water sports.

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.

We have multiple larger versions along the Oregon Coast, but always cool to see any in person…read more Nice overview, plenty of parking, tables, chickens, and restrooms. We even spotted a couple turtles below.

Located on the southern coast of Kauai, this natural lava tube blowhole has been known to shoot…read moreseawater as high as 50ft into the air. According to local folklore, a giant lizard which once protected this portion of the island got stuck in the lava tube. And the lizard's roar is now heard every time the Spouting Horn Blowhole blasts water into the air. There is a paved parking lot here, so parking is not an issue. While the actual blowhole is not accessible, you can still get a great view and awesome pictures at the fenced viewing area. There's not much else to do here so it never gets too crowded. As people come and go after about 10mins. Bathrooms facilities are also available here if you need a restroom break.

Come early to score a parking spot in the crowded public lot…read more Easy swim & snorkel beach. Small waves, no dangerous currents. Lifeguard on duty. Reef has many colorful fish to see. Monk seals often snooze on beach. Saw several sea turtles within 4 feet of shore today. Often is overcrowded with people. This is not a peace & solitude beach. Hence this 3 star rating.

I was last here during the early pandemic and it was a beautiful, peaceful beach that was perfect…read morefor families with little kids. Now, spring of 2026, it's a bit of a mad house. Ironically, we got here early around 9:30-10am, staked out a good spot a solid several yards away from a turtle sunning himself on the beach - and then 15+ turtles joined him over the next 3-4 hours (clearly the pandemic and social distancing is also a thing of the past for the turtles). Ironically, because of this (I'm presuming), the beach quickly became hectic and crowded with dozens of tourists coming over to take pictures and forming a seemingly solid wall of butts of all shapes, sizes, and coverage now between us and the ocean. Lots of butts right in front of us. Meanwhile the well-meaning conservation folks "protecting" the turtles (the turtles, who seemed like they couldn't care less about people) were SHRIEKING at kids and adults who absent-mindedly stepped between the Cone Guardians and the turtles. Got a special treat of a huge monk seal floating by and peaking at all the daytime soap drama too; that was fun. Snorkeling here is meh if you find a zigzag line to get through the turtle brigade to the water without being tasered by the Turtle Keepers (jk, sorta). I'm all for experiencing nature but honestly this beach is too much for me. Peek at the turtles for the turtle experience, but don't come here for the beach itself.