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.

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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

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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.

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However, the most famous shipwreck - and the one you can see from shore - isn’t actually a shipwreck at all.

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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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Justin S./Flickr

Nicholas Illusion/Flickr

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