Sea glass is glass (e.g. from bottles, flasks, windshields, windows) that has been broken up and smoothened by moving ocean water and time. It takes the ocean about 10 to 30 years to create it, and the resulting fragment is a frosted, jelly bean-like pebble.
Sea glass is found all over the world. Kauai's Glass Beach is located in the middle of an industrial area near Port Allen Harbor in Ele'ele. The shoreline at Glass Beach is covered with millions of sea glass pieces - brown, aqua-colored, clear and blue.
The glass originates from broken bottles and auto glass dumped here years ago. It's amazing to see what the ocean did to all this junk. The one thing that could mar the ethereal effect of Glass Beach is the gas tanks overlooking one side of the beach.
Glass Beach is best for beachcombing only. Swimming is not recommended because the beach is rocky.
Glass Beach Overview
Littered with millions of common sea glass: blue, clear green and brown glass pieces
Directions: Drive to the Port Allen Exit. Then drive past some warehouses on Waialo Road. Take a left down Aka Ula Road and park where the dirt road begins. From here, it's a two-minute walk to Glass Beach.
Roadside parking (or in dirt parking area at the beach)
No facilities
No lifeguards
Beachcombing
Reviews and Comments:
Visitors, PLEASE don't take the glass off of Glass
beach! Too many greedy people have taken most of it
and have spoiled the beauty of the beach. You will
probably throw it away anyways as people think they are
going to make all kinds of stuff and then they never do
and it goes into the garbage or sits in a bag in a
drawer for years.
Karen Emerson, Fri Dec 14, 2018
Very disappointed. People are taking all the glass. Saw
one guy take a quart plastic bag full today!
We
hardly saw anything! 😪
Barb , Wed Nov 08, 2017
Found a few small glass pieces but not any outstanding
finds. The Japanese cemetery next to the beach was cool
to wander through and check out the old headstones. And
the view of the waves crashing against the black rocks
from that vantage point was fantastic! Even had some
spouting holes similar to the Spouting Horn up the
coast.
ellen h, Thu Jun 22, 2017
If you go to the cemetery just beyond the glass beach
and look over the edge of the cliff, you will see where
all the glass comes from, look like 100 year old dump
with cars, motors, 15 feet deep garage dump, washing
into the bay and then up on to GLASS BEACH.
CHARLIE, Fri Apr 28, 2017
Not a good beach to hunt for sea glass. It's a
shame this beach has been picked clean by glass hunters
who left none for others to enjoy! The sand is
beautiful!
A great place to watch and photograph
the sunset
Linda Bakos, Fri Dec 16, 2016
This is a great place to go to watch the sun rise. It
is best to drive up to the cliff next to the old
cemetery.
Ron, Sat Dec 10, 2016
thanks for advertising this once special beach now
thanks to all the greedy clowns who took all the sea
glass "glass beach port allen" is gone foever
faq, Sat Aug 23, 2014
I was on a mission to find this beach. Was so happy
when I found it since I make jewelry from seaglass.
The glass was so tumbled that it looked like colored
stones. Beautiful in the sunlight.
Mary Jean, Fri Feb 28, 2014
Was there last week (Xmas week) of 2011... and there
was a magnificent Monk Seal sunbathing on the beach -
we didn't even see him as he blended in the with the
rocks.
Fred, Tue Dec 27, 2011
This beach is out of the way, but worth the trip. There
were plenty of glass pebbles there today and even a
seal sunning itself. I heard the area was kind of
shady by night, but safe enough during the day. There
were families with kids there when we went.
Glass Beach
Lava rocks on the beach
Small uncrowded beach
Close-up of beach sand and seaglass
Beach without shade
Glass Beach with refinery in background
End of the paved road to Glass Beach
Dirt road leads to the beach
Street parking
Beach is backed by gas tanks
Located in an industrial area
Nearby industrial buildings
