Shipwreck Beach
Koloa, HI
Shipwreck Beach sits in front of the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu, best known for the 40 foot lava rock cliff at its eastern end that draws a steady line of cliff jumpers on calm days. It's also the trailhead for the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail, a coastal walk that continues east toward the undeveloped Mahaulepu coastline.
A genuinely fun stop for the cliff jump and the trailhead alone, but no lifeguard and a current strong enough to have caused real tragedies here keep it from a higher score.
How we score beachesSkip the cliff jump unless the water is visibly calm and you can watch someone else clear it safely first. The current here has proven fatal more than once, and lifeguards don't patrol this stretch.
A public lot sits near the Hyatt entrance off Ainako Street, usually with space outside of peak midday hours.
A short, mostly flat sandy path connects the lot to the beach, though the sand itself is soft and uneven closer to the cliff.
Summer's calmer water is the safer season for the cliff jump crowd, while winter's bigger surf makes both swimming and jumping considerably more dangerous.
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