Is Shipwreck Beach open?
No closures reported
No County, State or Health Department notice closes Shipwreck Beach. Checked Oct 28, 10:20 am HST. Details
Weather Service alert
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Shipwreck Beach in 3D
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Drag to spin · Blue P: parking · White line: walk to the sand · Heights doubled; waves are for illustration, not a surf report ·
Known hazards
“The individual reportedly jumped from the cliffside and encountered trouble in the water.”County of Kauaʻi, 2025-08-22
“Diving or Jumping may Lead to Serious Injury or Death,” and, “Undercut Cliff, The Ground may Break off without Warning and You could be Seriously Injured or Killed,” the sign states.”The Garden Island, 2019-04-16
“Downs said his research into the hospital’s trauma registry showed that 17 people have suffered serious injuries in the last four years”The Garden Island, 2019-04-16
Closures and alerts
Closures and advisories
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Official alerts
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Conditions
Surf
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Tide
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Parking and access
Parking
A small free public lot at the end of Ainako Street, off Poʻipū Road just past the Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi. If it’s full, people park in the dirt area above the lot. The Hyatt’s lots are for hotel guests, not beach parking.
Getting to the sand
A short walk from the lot to the sand. Public restrooms and showers are near the lot. The Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail starts at the beach and climbs east over Makawehi Point.
Lifeguard
Not guarded. The County of Kauaʻi Ocean Safety Bureau doesn't list a lifeguard tower here.
About Shipwreck Beach
Shipwreck Beach, also called Keoneloa Bay, is a long stretch of sand in Poʻipū on Kauaʻi's South Shore, in front of the Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi. It runs between Makahūʻena Point and the Makawehi cliffs. The name comes from an unidentified wooden boat that lay at the water's edge for years; Hurricane ʻIwa destroyed what was left of it in 1982. Keoneloa means "the long sand." Public parking is a small free lot at the end of Ainako Street, off Poʻipū Road.
Most people come for the waves. A Hawaiian place-names dictionary calls its shorebreak one of Kauaʻi's most popular bodysurfing and bodyboarding sites, and it is also a surf and windsurf spot. At the east end rises Makawehi Point, a cliff of sand dunes hardened into stone, where the Māhāʻulepū Heritage Trail begins its walk along the coast. People jump from that cliff, and the County and local doctors have documented serious injuries and deaths. There is no lifeguard tower here.
Shipwreck Beach (also called Keoneloa, Keoneloa Bay, Shipwrecks) is a beach on Kauaʻi’s South Shore, on the south-facing coast. No County lifeguard tower covers it. Its surf follows the National Weather Service forecast for South-facing shores, and its tides follow NOAA’s Nawiliwili station.
Questions
Is Shipwreck Beach open?
The top of this page shows any closure or advisory that the County of Kauaʻi, the State (DLNR) or the Hawaiʻi Department of Health has posted for Shipwreck Beach. We check every 3 hours. If our last check is more than a day old, it says “Status unknown” instead of guessing.
Where is Shipwreck Beach, and how do you get there?
Shipwreck Beach is on Kauaʻi’s South Shore. Its public access point is at GPS 21.87457, -159.43800. Directions in Google Maps. The map on this page shows lots that OpenStreetMap marks as public.
Is there a lifeguard at Shipwreck Beach?
No. Shipwreck Beach has no County lifeguard tower. The nearest guarded beach is the place to ask about conditions.
Where do you park for Shipwreck Beach?
A small free public lot at the end of Ainako Street, off Poʻipū Road just past the Grand Hyatt Kauaʻi. If it’s full, people park in the dirt area above the lot. The Hyatt’s lots are for hotel guests, not beach parking.
Can you swim at Shipwreck Beach?
That changes day to day with the surf, and this site doesn't make that call. Check the South-facing surf range above, any alerts, and a lifeguard at the nearest guarded beach. Hazard ratings for guarded beaches are at hawaiibeachsafety.com.
Report conditions
Just there? Tell us what you found. Reports never change this page by themselves.
Sources
- Closures: County of Kauaʻi, DLNR, Hawaiʻi Department of Health
- Surf, weather and alerts: National Weather Service Honolulu
- Tides: NOAA station 1611400
- Parking lots on the map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sources last checked October 26, 2026.