I was last here during the early pandemic and it was a beautiful, peaceful beach that was perfect for 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. read more

Come early to score a parking spot in the crowded public lot. 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. read more

Best snorkeling experience I had in Kauai. We came for the turtles. We didn't see any. But we ended up seeing lots of fish. What I like is there were schools of big fish swimming around us, and the water was like knee high. I had never seen that many fish in shallow water before. We went out a bit to the coral reefs (still very shallow) and saw lots of colorful fish. This was my best snorkeling experience in Kauai. I specifically like that I didn't have to swim out of my comfort zone to see fish. read more

We came to the beach to see the Green Turtles. Such an awesome experience to see all of them crawl onto the beach. read more

Brennecke Beach - Green turtles. - Beaches Near Me

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Love, love Kauai. Been coming here on and off for a bunch of years. The big changes were from hurricanes and, as mentioned, losing and adding sand. It is said to have been a perfect wave at one time. Conditions can be all over the place from some fun tossing to did-he-survive (a question, apparently, someone asked my wife out in the water when I took off on a wave during a visit last month). I've also been in the rocks, clinging to the boulders until the set finished, so you do have to be careful, especially to the left as you face the shore. There was also once a reef break around the corner at Poipu Beach Park, but I think a hurricane might have changed that one, too. I learned an early beach lesson there: if the locals are pulling out of waves early, you should, too. I didn't, and got tossed onto the coral my first time on the island. I looked every bit like a shark attack victim after I got out. Speaking of which, the shark story is apparently true: http://www.kitv.com/r/1327697/detail.html Some of the coverage indicated this might have happened during some story weather. Another lesson there, possibly. We've been lucky enough to be able to stay a couple of the times at places right next to the water, so the descriptions people have shared are pretty true. You can get some really close encounters with the turtles out in the water. They will pop up within arms distance. I had one scrape along my fins once. It is an odd sensation feeling it, before seeing and recognizing what the dark mass is underneath you. One thing we missed out on this last trip was a Run (5K, 10K, 10mi), because we didn't bring our shoes. Check out the island style start: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47079906@N00/6016304984/. As always there, best to hang loose. Just one more note. The map here for the location is off. If you zoom in, do a Hybrid view, and scroll a little to the right, you'll see a label for the correct location. read more

Brennecke Beach - Brennecke's at sunset - Beaches Near Me

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This beach is right off of Poipu Beach, and it's tiny!! Very small and crowded. Good waves for boogie boarding - that's super popular here. And, when we were there we saw a number of turtles swimming in the shallow water right by the beach!! Super cool :D read more

Moon over the water, waves licking your toes Warm arms of your lover around your shoulders, as you inhale the sounds of crashing waves Stepping out of the sand suctioning your feet downward, you take a leap SPLASH Running and jumping about in the white surf, in action you are rested. Rejuvenation. Brennecke Beach: for nighttime musings (Avoid the crowds during the day - there's better body-boarding next door at Poipu if you don't mind swimming farther out.) read more

This beach is a lot better then the neighboring Poi'Pu beach for a few simple reasons: 1. There are (slightly) fewer people. 2. The ocean bed is mostly sand, not sharp rock. 3. There is a nice sized constant wave for playing and bodysurfing. 4. There are numerous sea turtles in the area. If you can't find the sea turtles, try walking up the road until you see a small cove to the right (there will be a sharp left turn in the road just ahead and a dirt drive way in front of you). Keep your eyes open for more than a second and you are bound to see at least one of of these gentle giants poking his head out of the water. Stay for a while and enjoy the free nature show! read more

Absolutely loved this beach. It was my favourite so far. The waves were great and if you manoeuvre through the body boarders, it's a blast. Bring chairs and enjoy! And watch out for the roosters! read more

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Found this beach in a tourist magazine so we decided to check it out. Very nice beach. Don't recommend non experienced swimmers to go in but great to just sit and watch the waves. There were 4 HUGE sea turtles in the waves and that kept me busy for about 15 min. read more

Brennecke Beach - Beaches Near Me

Be careful! If you get nothing else from this review, please let it be that! This is a beautiful beach that is more of a cove than the neighboring Poipu beach near the Marriott Waiohai Beach Club. There are great waves for bodysurfing or boogie boarding but be careful and make sure you have the proper gear and know what you are doing. I didn't and it cost me dearly. I went out there for the first time after I heard from a friend about how amazing the waves were. My boyfriend and I went out there, threw our stuff on the beach and headed into the water, boogie boards in tow. We moved a little way out and would ride the waves back into shore. It was insanely fun and the longer I was out there, the farther out I would find myself. I noticed a bunch of locals a bit further out so I decided to join them and ride just one more ride and then head in as I was starving. I let a couple waves pass by then I saw a gigantic wave forming behind me, I started going out and was quickly riding the top of the wave. There's nothing quite like that feeling- of floating on top of a wave. There's also nothing quite like having the wave break under you when someone stands in front of the wave then fall under the water, having your feet flip over your head, bending your back like a paperclip. I got tossed under the waves and couldn't feel my feet. I tried to pull myself up but kept getting pushed under by each passing wave. My boyfriend had successfully reached the shore and when I finally popped up, I watched the smile on his face quickly fade as he ran back into the water to help fish me out. Sometime between when I finally got to the surface of the water and the time he reached me, I was able to move my legs and was able to move myself back towards the shore. I was stubborn and refused to lay down because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back up so my boyfriend grabbed our bag and we walked the mile back to our condo at the Marriott. I hate making public scenes so I ground my teeth and limped my way back to room. As soon as I got there, I was wailing and had the resort's doctor come up and look at me. Not very helpful and as I was leaving the next day, I didn't go to see a doctor or the ER in Lihue. I seriously regret that and not getting an ambulance immediately. When I got back in Sacramento, I got an x-ray and other diagnostic tests and was told that I have a herniated disc in my lower spine. It took roughly two years to fully recover from the injury and to this day, I still have to be careful not to throw my back out. So, please, make sure you have the proper gear (fins) and don't try to get cocky and do something dangerous. The fleeting momentary glee of floating on water is not worth two years of intensive physical therapy. read more

Brennecke's beach is for body boarding...... it's not the ideal location for laying out or swimming... In the last 8 years they have torn down a wall so that it is bigger and have to keep putting sand on it because its being taken away. Fun beach, don't body board after the sun goes down a guy I knew got his leg bit off here after sun down. But if you do encounter a shark.. pull his/ her eye out of their head, it really works... they will leave you alone. If you cant do that, just swim faster than the guy behind you! read more

Beautiful setting with wide sandy beach. Great for swimming and skim boarding. Easy access with parking (paid) near by. Some street parking available if you are lucky. Nice to have the hotel near by to get lunch or a cocktail. read more

Our family's favorite beach anywhere. Sorry to report that hurricanes to the south a few weeks ago took away nearly all of the sand for right now. read more

Great little beach for boogie boarding (aka spongeing). When we went, there was a huge monk seal sleeping, and he was oblivious to everyone around him. It was pretty cool. The boogie boarding is challenging but fun, except at high tide, when you get rammed into the rocks no matter how good you are. Even the 10 yr old local boys who had been putting us to shame were getting bruised. Other times it's great fun, though not recommended for beginners. read more

Brennecke beach is really fun if you like to play in the waves. It's really fun to jump through, over, and under the huge waves. You have to be careful though. I have cuts on my wrist from the waves yanking my boogie board string. I know someone who got cut badly by his left eye and he also yanked his shoulder. A wave caught him with his boogie board and he got slammed to the bottom. There are also a lot of rocks there, so be careful. Really fun but dangerous beach. read more

I love it here. A sandy beach, lots of good snorkeling, and the best part is the turtles. If you want to see turtles, this is the beach to come too. You can watch them from the shore as they feed off the seaweed on the rock jetty, or get in that water and snorkel with them! There's also some great body surfing and boogie boarding here, but be sure to defer to the locals. read more

First review was for a place to eat , not the beach. But the people are nice, clear salty water, some great bodies walking around

We came last Oct. for a week and during this timeframe the waves for boogie boarding were great! He park is clean thats located right here, with showers and toilets. The people are friendly, never had a problem. We end up here at least a few times when we come to Kauai. We normally stay in Kapaa, so this is just a small little road trip. The small deli across the street is great. Good, made to order sandwiches for a reasonable price read more

Best beach I've ever been to. Came to snorkel, got much more. As soon as we got there, we raced towards the beach and saw 3 or 4 sea turtles on the beach. Not too close, but perfect viewing distance. A few minutes later a monk seal came up to shore. Perfect photo opportunity. Then we went snorkeling. Perfect snorkel spot. Saw tons of fish and the water was clear. The waves got big towards the end. Perfect stop if your looking for boogie boarding, snorkeling, or just watching. read more

Great beach. Busy but there is reason why. It is a tourist spot which has benefits for safety in numbers and locals that do go seem welcoming. Lifeguards and sheltered cove to swim in are very great for kids and there is also a playground nearby which is nice if you have little ones. Decent amount of parking compared to most beaches around Poipu. read more

Great beach for body boarding and turtle watching. Watch out for the rip tide. The Poipu beach park right next to the beach is a great place for breakfast. If you want to use a covered area get there early (7 am at least) since they are popular, especially on the weekends. No open containers allowed but we had a champagne brunch with no problem. read more

My favorite place to bodyboard. Sometimes you have wait several minutes for the big waves. The sea turtles like it here too. They often will swim up next to you. Can't wait to go back this year. read more

I'm giving this 4 starts because it's very fun and intense. Although, it's dangerous. These waves can get very big out there, and they crash right on too of you. If that happens you're held underwater for 5-6 seconds while it whirled you around. My dad was injured in a wave earlier this week and went to the doctor. The doctor said he doesn't allow his kids to go because he said kids have become quadriplegics from this beach. Keep this in mind before you visit read more

If you are looking to see turtles, this is the place to be!! We started off on the north shore, but the place we were trying to go to was closed for construction. So we resumed our search by looking up the best places to see turtles on the south shore. There were three places that we could choose from, but at Brennecke beach, it was "nearly certain" to see them so we went. We started on Poipu beach and moved left towards Brennecke and within seconds we saw turtles swimming with the people and tons of turtles by the rocks. It was an absolute amazing spot to photograph them. The only negative is that in the water, the waves are gigantic and it is very difficult and dangerous to get out far enough in the water to swim near them. read more

Super fun with the kids! Waves were great - and a turtle was swimming by all morning looking cute! It got crowded after 11am but, the most fun for a beach we've had yet. read more