These are the beaches of Kauai's South Shore in and around Poipu, Koloa. Read this "Star-Bulletin" article about beach safety in Hawaii.
Poipu Beach County Park
Poipu area, Kauai, Hawaii. Poipu's best-developed beach, Poipu features great swimming, great snorkeling, and great bodysurfing. A shelter pool formed by lava rocks provides gentle swimming, while the waters just beyond are well-suited to the average bodysurfer.
Location :: Poipu, on Poipu Road.
Access :: Poipu Road.
Services :: Showers, restrooms, picnic facilities, pavilion, lifeguards.
Notes :: Like much of the island, Poipu Beach was devastated by Hurricane Iniki on September 11, 1992, but has since recovered. The nearby Sheraton Kauai Resort features a cocktail lounge overlooking the sea. What better way to kick back after a day of swimming?
Brennecke's Beach
Poipu area, Kauai, Hawaii. A steady sequence of small to medium size waves massages the shore, making Brennecke's one of the premier bodysurfing and boogie-boarding beaches on Kauai.
Location :: Poipu, on Poipu Road.
Access :: Poipu Road.
Services :: Showers, restrooms, lifeguards, food concessions.
Keoneloa Beach/Shipwreck Beach
Poipu area, Kauai, Hawaii. Named after a wooden ship that wrecked here, Shipwreck fronts the Hyatt Regency and is especially popular with the fishing crowd who cast their lines from Makawehi Point on the eastern end of the two-mile beach.
Location :: Poipu, on Poipu Road, off of Kaumualii Highway, eastern end of Hyatt Regency Poipu Resort.
Access :: Poipu Road.
Services :: Showers, restrooms, walkway.
Notes :: Vicious rip currents and a shorebreak make the waters generally unsafe for swimming. Also, there are no lifeguards.
Mahaulepu Beach
Poipu area, Kauai, Hawaii. Mahaulepu is a little-visited scenic beach with scattered breaks in the offshore coral reef, making the waters here good for swimming. The beach is most popular among fishermen and bodysurfers when the waves are just right.
Location :: Poipu, off Poipu Road.
Access :: Once past the golf course, turn right onto a dirt road leading towards the CJIM Stables. Park before the hill grows too steep, and then walk down to the beach.
Services :: None.
Notes :: Mahaulepu is accessed by crossing through private property. The owner is at times known to post a security guard at the beach access. Usually the guard will ask to see your license and then wave you on through. Sometimes, he'll ask you to sign a liability release form.
