The Hawaii Traveler

Glass Beach in Kaua’i has strong currents, dangerous shorebreak, high surf, a sudden drop-off, sharp coral, and slippery rocks. It’s near a trash dump, and is hard to find. The view is industrial, and pretty bleak. Why would you want to go there? Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn’t, depending on how much you’re interested in sea glass. Think back to the name, Glass Beach. Catch my drift?Glass Beach is home to one of the rare natural sources of sea glass; the Hawaiian variety being more desirable to the crafty set because it’s smoother and rounder, and better for jewelry, as opposed to the more jagged east coast variety.  The inventory at Glass Beach varies; its booty originates at the nearby dump, which is why you won’t just find glass there. You’ll also find small motor parts, little pieces of metal, and the obligatory lone shoe. I’ve never seen any medical waste there, but let’s state the obvious: it’s not really a barefoot experience.

Even for those of us who are uninterested in collecting sea glass, it makes for an interesting novelty beach trip that’s not far from the more traditional and popular Poipu beaches the southern end of the island.  It’s worth seeing at least for a moment on the way to your regular beach stop, or on the way back.  With the manufacture of glass containers, especially the colored ones, becoming less common, and with more responsible waste management on the rise, sea glass is becoming an endangered species itself. 

According to local sources, the whole beach was glass once, with the members of some generations claiming that it was once a foot deep.  Now you’ll be lucky to collect a jar full. (Some say don’t take the glass.  The authorities say that one gallon is the limit on toting away beach sand for personal use.) If you decide to take some, keep in mind: leave some for the next person to find.  The rarest and therefore most valuable sea glass colors are orange, red, turquoise, yellow, black, teal and gray.  It’s all pretty, though. And don’t overlook the little pieces of pottery–they’re pretty cool, too.

If you’re tired of the same-old, boring, glorious Kaua’i beach, Glass Beach is something completely different.

To get there: Head toward Hanapepe, take a left on Waialo Road, toward Port Allen.  Turn left on Aka Ula, which turns into a rutted dirt road (near a rental car company).  Take a right and park.  Walk onto the beach with no one else on it, and look down.

There won’t be glass at Glass Beach forever, so go while you can still find a little treasure crafted by the sea itself.  You can hold a small, smooth shard, and tell your grandchildren all about it.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Jef Poskanzer

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