It's very nice for photo opportunities and hiking around, but not really the kind of beach you would go to for swimming and sunning. Locals do wind surf and kite board there on trade wind days, so you might see some of that action. Access is okay - there are a couple of sand-washes and mud happens after rain storms. Take a jeep and use common sense.
We had always heard of this beach on Maui but never knew were it actually was. Its out ot the way but relatively easy to find and well marked. Keep walking when you get to the sandy part of the road, the beach itself is more rocks than sand but an easy walk.
This was a long drive in sand for a very average beach - we wished we had stayed at manele bay and spent our afternoon on the beach at our hotel rather than trekking out here.
Worth the drive and the hike. We saw a full-curl horned ram and 2 females on the hills. We only saw 3 other people.
Easy to get to (with a Jeep). It's a bit of a walk from the parking area to the shipwreck itself. Unique setting though. Worth seeing.
Well we drove over there but the shipwreck is not close to the beach or the parking lot, it's out in the distance and you have to walk a longway to be in front of it. Nice view though and right behing where we were parked there were a ton of sea turtles right there in the water. It was amazing!
Shipwreck Beach (actually the place name is "Kaiolohia") is one of those spots, on the island of Lana'i that visitors always seem to hear about... and, often, want to see for themselves. Having lived on the island of Lana'i for the past 24 years, I have visited and photographed this remote beach dozens and dozens of times. Is it worth the trip? It depends. If you are looking for a beautiful beach where you can swim and snorkel, then you would be much better off visiting Hulopo'e Beach on the other side of the island near the Four Seasons Manele Bay Resort. If you are looking for a unique adventure, beautiful vistas, enjoy beach combing, and you don't mind a bit of inconvenience in getting to this place, then this remote beach might be just for you. For the most part, this is a rocky beach with a bit of sand here and there. The big attraction, for most people, is obviously seeing the large shipwreck. Visitors need to understand that the ship is a considerable distance out on the reef, and is actually best viewed with a pair of binoculars. Normally, it's going to take a 4WD to reach the end of the sandy road where "Shipwreck Beach" begins, and then it's going to take quite a walk, along a rocky beach, to get to the point where the ship is right in front of you. Sometimes, people are disappointed with the trip... once again, I think it just depends on what you are looking for... I love the peaceful remoteness of this place. The views of the islands of Molokai and Maui, on the horizon, are beautiful, especially near sunset. This is really not a place for people who are in a hurry and have a "checklist" of things "to do" while they are on the island. Nor is it a place for those looking for a "postcard perfect" beach. The rough ocean channel, between Molokai' and Lana'i tends to deposit a lot of debris on this beach (hence a good place for beach combing - you really never know what you will find on this beach). I'm not going to reveal too much about this place, but I will tell you that there are some "hidden treasures" here that many people overlook and walk right by... If you are going to visit Kaiolohia, then do a bit of research about this place. It's a place for those who enjoy digging into the "back story" of a place and just sitting down and letting the beautiful solitude just soak in for a while... If that's you, I would highly recommend Kaiolohia! I recently took an aerial photograph of Kaiolohia with my drone. Take a look and I think you will, quickly, see the rugged beauty that I have been talking about...
well, if you want to stay on the beach- its not a place for you :) its only for those who enjoy four wheel ( Jeep) driving and are eager to see other places then golf courts and museums, for people who enjoy wilderness..Yes, its beautiful here, naked beauty of nature..While we were driving Jeep, we met there people, who walked to the Shipwreck Beach along the shore, they said it was a long walk..but they enjoyed every minute of it. As i said before- you have to choose your priorities.And close to the marked stone, theres another sign- for Poaiwa petroglyph complex site. its about 20 min walk, not an easy one, rough terrain and stones and have to follows mark signs- small stone pyramids.But it pays off when you reach it. Its like a book, and your imagination can carry you on.. Visit Shipwreck Beach and Poiawa petroglyph complex , enjoy the Jeep ride in the wilderness!
The beach is littered with trash and debris from the water. Not a safe swimming beach. OK view of Molokai and interesting to see an old rusting ship. Good for a secluded beach walk, we did not see a single other person in the 2 hours we were there. Tide pools along beach hold some cool fish and you may see a sea turtle or 2.
The ship is fairly cool but its a fairly long trip to stare at a ship that far away. The beach there isn't good either. I wanted to write this to highlight the rental car situation. Dollar Rental had us sign the agreement and Afterwards told us spots we could and couldn't go based on conditions of the roads. We were OK to go to Garden of the Gods (not great) but it was pretty hairy driving with many mud pits. They claimed that we dirtied up the car too much and charged us $78 for cleaning the outside. We definitely went through the water holes fast bc we didnt want to get stuck. They harped on not getting stuck. We drove normal and this is just their way to extract more money from you. I don't recommend renting a car on the island. I've been to Lanai 3x and this was the first time I rented, and besides the expense, it just wasn't that good.