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My Favourite Not-So-Secret Secret Beach: It's Glass Beach Kauai!

20/3/2015

 

Updated in 2024! Is Kauai's Glass Beach as colourful as I imagined? There was only one way to find out.

​This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, we may get a small commission.

Handful of sea glass, Glass Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
This is what a handful of "sand" looks like on glass beach in Kauai.
There are tears of sadness, tears of joy, and then there's a kind of tears that are much harder to come by. "Mermaid Tears", better known as beach glass or sea glass, are gorgeous little gems of colour, tumbled into a soothing smoothness thanks to decades in the ocean, before surfacing  on a beach to bask in the sun. 

Prized by artists and jewelry markers, beautiful beach glass (or sea glass, if you will) also makes for a wonderful travel quest and souvenir. I've collected tiny pieces of it from all over the world, so when I heard about a remote beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai that was absolutely covered in beach glass, I knew I had to see it for myself. I had to explore Glass Beach Kauai.
Glass Beach, Kauai
Gorgeous ocean views from Kauai's glass beach.
Articles about Kauai like to claim that Glass Beach, located in Port Allen on the island's south shore, is an undiscovered gem, never mentioned in guidebooks. But it was listed in all the guidebooks I consulted (including my trusty Lonely Planet guide) and, for a small beach, there were plenty of people there when we visited both times. And Glass Beach Kauai is popular enough that you've likely already seen photos of it - in a heavily doctored form. Photo sites like Pinterest are chock full of altered images of Glass Beach, showing marble sized hunks of red, blue, orange, and purple beach glass.
Glass Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
This is what Kauai's glass beach REALLY looks like. It's beautiful but you don't exactly see boulders of ruby red sea glass, do you?
So what does Glass Beach really look like?

​Well, the first impressions aren't too promising. To get there, you need to turn down the road to the main commercial pier of Port Allen, passing the headquarters of numerous ocean excursion operators. You'll reach Glass Beach by taking the last turn on the left before the pier road ends. You'll drive for about one minute, passing numerous unattractive industrial buildings. Then the road, Aka Ula Street, curves slightly to the right and becomes unpaved and a bit bumpy. There's some limited parking for about a dozen cars or so at the edge of what - at first- looks like just another ordinary beach.
Glass Beach, Kauai
White, Brown, and Green Beach Glass, Kauai, Hawaii
On closer examination, I realize that the 'sand' I'm walking on is actually glass - millions upon millions of tiny pieces of beach glass, all just a few millimeters wide. The result of the favorable ocean currents from an old dump site, all this glass is the result of drinking bottles, cosmetic containers, broken up glass from car tail lights, bottles, and medical vials that were smashed and sanded by the sea. The tiny pebbles of the real Glass Beach Kauai are a far cry from the doctored photos of Pinterest but it only made our search all the more challenging and exciting. Already, I could see why it was one of the best free activities on Kauai.
Glass Beach, Port Allen, Kauai Hawaii
I've read that in decades past the beach offered up much more than tiny granules and dedicated combers would routinely net much larger pieces. During our visit the largest pieces we found were about the size of a nickel, and then only in the pedestrian shades of white, green, and brown - all of the most common colours! 

But with some careful combing, we did find plenty of tiny aqua and turquoise pebbles, a fair amount of cobalt blue and citron and - most precious of all - two tiny specks of true orange and a pea sized piece of rare ruby red.  We also found some shards of porcelain, one of which contained faint traces of Japanese writing. (Can you take home what you find on Glass Beach? I'm not sure! There's no posted notices asking visitors not to remove glass, but I've read in some guidebooks that you're supposed to leave your finds for others to enjoy. In light of all this, I won't tell you what we did with our finds the end!)
Monk Seal, Glass Beach, Kauai
Walking on Glass Beach Kauai is easier said than done. The glass 'sand' is even more challenging to walk in than regular sand. When we were done, our feet were as smooth as a baby's! But we're also lucky we didn't get any nicks from some of the sharper pieces of glass. I'd definitely recommend wearing wearing sneakers or sturdy flip flops (we love these Tevas) when you visit. But there was one beach bum who didn't seem to mind being coated in glass - the Hawaiian monk seal who claims this beach as his own and regularly shows up to sleep on its sunny shores.

I'll admit, I'm no fan of seals. Growing up in Nova Scotia, these giant beasts would routinely show up in my backyard each winter as they moved inland from the frozen waters seeking something fresher inland. I'm convinced they were out to get me and it was with this in mind that Ryan gleefully told me that I was sharing the beach with my Number Two Enemy. 
Monk Seal WIldlife Volunteers Glass Beach Kauai
Seals are actually my Number Three Enemy (after roosters and jelly fish, obviously), but this Hawaiian monk seal didn't look too threatening or scary at all. He just happily slept in the sun, never opening his eyes but occasionally rolling over his beach glass covered body. A wildlife volunteer was on hand to make sure the seal was undisturbed and to share Hawaiian monk seal conversation information with all beach visitors. 
​
And take note: This rocky, lifeguard-free beach may be ideal for seals but humans shouldn't attempt swimming. For this reason, you probably won't see it listed among the best beaches in Kauai but that's okay - who needs to swim when you can hunt beach glass?
Japanese Cemetery, Glass Beach, Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii
Glass Beach Kauai had one final surprise for us. Just a few steps down the road from the beach is a very old burial ground called the McBryde Sugar Plantation Cemetery. The grave markers have been weathered by the wind and the salty air and neglect and look OLD. For many, the writing and smooth edges had been completely obscured and worn away until only the vaguest shape of a headstone remained.  This site was obscured for decades and all but forgotten but since 2013 efforts have been underway to restore the land and care for the headstones.
Japanese Cemetery, Glass Beach, Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii
Japanese Cemetery, Glass Beach, Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii
Visiting a cemetery may not be everyone's idea of an enjoyable travel activity, but I find them very interesting and they always provide a bit of insight into the area's history. The contrast between the tombstones - possibly over a century old - and the decades old beach glass and the modern industrial buildings seemed to sum up the area in a single glance. 
Japanese Cemetery, Glass Beach, Port Allen, Kauai, Hawaii
Glass Beach looked nothing like its doctored Pinterest counterpart - and nothing like I expected. But in the end I think it's all the better for it. Ultimately, the only thing Glass Beach should be is a beach and its doing that just fine by playing host to the monk seal (who I will begrudgingly admit was kinda cute.) Glass Beach is likeable if you collect Mermaid Tears but utterly lovable if you collecting travel experiences. 

​PS: In Kauai, we stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort (formerly the Courtyard by Marriott at Coconut Beach.) With a little luck and a lot of searching, we were able to book it for $100 a night -a great bargain for Hawaii! Sadly, I don't think you'll find prices this good anymore but it's well worth checking. Good service, good location, good price. 


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Picture
Do you collect shells or beach glass? What's your favourite beach in the world?

If you're planning a trip to Hawaii, these articles will help:

Visiting Lava Tree State Monument

Coffee Beans and Hawaiian Dreams

Maui: Cheap and Calm in Peak Season

Where to Save, Splurge, and Steal in Kauai


Planning A Trip To Hawaii On A Budget
​

Free and Frugal In Honolulu

Our visit to Kauai was sponsored in part by Go Hawaii and we thank them for their support. As always, our writing, research, and opinions are all our own.


travelFREAK link
20/3/2015 12:53:24 am

What a magical place! Pinterest photos are far away from the truth sometimes.

Vanessa
20/3/2015 07:04:22 am

Exactly - that's why I didn't even want to share any of the pics I've seen on Pinterest. They aren't even close to true so why even go there? And I think the beach is pretty just the way it is.

Albert
24/3/2015 03:23:41 am

Cool spot for sure! If you haven't done so, next time you go, look for the even more hard to find glass that forms "Pele's tears" and "Pele's hair". Although with the current exclusion zone around the volcano, that might be hard to do. Regardless, nice article and glad you had fun.

Vanessa
25/3/2015 04:13:57 am

Thanks - so glad you enjoyed it! We did see examples of Pele's Tears and Hair at the visitors centre of Volcanoes National Park, which was amazing, but it would be incredible to discover them naturally.

Kerrie link
9/4/2015 01:15:35 pm

Oh my gosh - how beautiful. I can just imagine it's even more gorgeous in person.

Vanessa
10/4/2015 02:15:47 am

We had such a nice visit and we actually went back again in the same week!

Layne
9/4/2015 02:58:57 pm

That is the most beautiful beach glass!

Vanessa
10/4/2015 02:16:26 am

Isn't it pretty!? We had such a fun time searching - including me down on all fours, my nose and inch from the sand - and I wasn't the only one!

Little Miss Kate link
10/4/2015 02:34:45 pm

Even it it did not look like the photos, I do think that it looks beautiful, and would be a fun challenge for kids to go hunting for "treasures"

Vanessa
11/4/2015 10:24:58 am

You're right Kate - we saw lots of kids there and they all seemed to be having a great time as they searched!

Kathleen Bailey link
10/4/2015 05:03:15 pm

This isn't a place I would have thought of myself for a trip but your descriptions and photos tell a story of a very interesting trip. Thanks for sharing!

Vanessa
11/4/2015 10:25:35 am

Thanks Kathleen! I hope you get a chance to visit yourself one day.

Heather Lynne link
11/4/2015 02:58:19 am

I'm so glad you wrote about your experience- what a neat place!

Vanessa
11/4/2015 10:25:56 am

I'm so glad we sought it out.


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