Glass Beach

About Glass Beach

Before Kauaʻi had a landfill, the industrial land above this small cove near Port Allen harbour was used for dumping, and the sea turned the waste into a beach of tumbled glass. Collecting and erosion have since removed almost all of it; a 2024 visit found more than 99% gone. It remains a curiosity, and a lesson in what happens when a beach becomes a destination.

Sea glass at Glass Beach

Small brown, green and white fragments with the odd aqua or blue piece among volcanic rock and dark sand; check the crevices around the waterline rocks.

Visiting Glass Beach

Parking

Dirt car park at the top of Aka Ula Street, then a short track down (Hawaii Guide).

Safety

Check the tide times before you go and head out on a falling tide, so you're never cut off. Keep away from the bottom of cliffs, wear sturdy shoes on rocks, and follow the collecting rules above.