The Hawaiian Islands are home to countless incredible wonders – both natural and man-made. If you head about a half hour north of Lanai City – in a vehicle with four-wheel drive – you will find Shipwreck Beach, a windy eight-mile stretch of sand that has been the site of various shipwrecks. As a matter of fact, the hull of a 1940s oil tanker is still beached on the reef, giving the beach a sense of surreal beauty.

Accessible only on foot or by four wheel drive vehicle and located on the northeastern shore of Lanai, Shipwreck Beach - also known as Kaiolohia - not only provides excellent views of the shipwreck in the Kalohi channel, but the beautiful island of Molokai as well.
Steve L. Martin/Flickr
The Kalohi Channel is notorious for its numerous reefs and powerful currents, and because of this, many ships have met their watery demise here in the shallow channel.
Justin S./Flickr
Nicholas Illusion/Flickr
The first documented shipwreck took place here in 1824, and just two years later, an American ship - the London - sunk here. The ship was rumored to have been carrying a large cargo of gold and silver, but no one knows exactly how much of the cargo was recovered.
rickh710/Flickr

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However, the most famous shipwreck - and the one you can see from shore - isn’t actually a shipwreck at all.
Cowlin/TripAdvisor
Popularly referred to as a World War II Liberty ship, the ship is actually a ferrous concrete oiler without a name that was given residence here as an economical means of disposal.
chuck b./Flickr
We can almost guarantee that you’ll have the beach to yourself - except maybe the occasional sea turtle basking on shore - and the rocky stretch of sand is often considered to be one of the best beachcombing beaches in the country, according to Travel + Leisure, that is.
Nicholas Illusion/Flickr
The aptly-named Shipwreck Beach is rocky in parts, and while swimming here is dangerous, it is a popular spot to check out while on Lanai.
Nicholas Illusion/Flickr

Love exploring Hawaii’s abandoned wrecks? Check out these 11 epic dive sites.

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