Where Are The Best Beaches In Northland, New Zealand?
Northland is where New Zealand really shows off when it comes to beaches — think white silica sand, turquoise water, huge dunes, and stretches of coastline you may have almost entirely to yourself. From the tippy top of the country, down to the Bay of Islands and even beyond, these are the best beaches in Northland. I’ve grouped them by area so that you can pick where you’re going with ease, and then try and see multiple beaches in one hit, if time is your friend.
Best Beaches Near Pārengarenga Harbour
⛱️ Great Exhibition Bay
Starting at the tippy top of the Northland region – the northernmost region of the North Island of New Zealand – we have Pārengarenga Harbour, a massive estuary home to a lot of birdlife. I’ve included it as a ‘beach destination’ but really it’s a landmark just north of two fantastic stretches of coastline you must check out.
The larger of the two is Great Exhibition Bay, the smaller, Rarawa Bay. Great Exhibition Bay is something really special – it’s 20 km (12.5 mi) long, and it’s a long, frequently near-deserted stretch of sparkling white sand, with no crowds because of it only being able to be accessed from Rarawa Bay below, or the harbour itself.
The sand is the whitest sand you will ever see, the blue water so incredibly blue. You’ll need to kayak out to it from the harbour if you have the confidence, or go with some sort of guide, by sea or by air – options abound.
⛱️ Rarawa Beach
You can expect more of the white silica sand at Rarawa Beach that makes this stretch of coastline so stunning and magical. It’s properties and makeup mean it is a striking colour and even squeaks underfoot! Rarawa Beach is more easily accessed than Great Exhibition Bay and boasts a beautifully located campsite, too. Why not collect your own tuatua shellfish for dinner (by digging into the sand)?
Best Beaches on the North Cape
⛱️ Te Werahi Beach
The western side of the North Cape is the patch of coastline boasting beautiful coastal stretches like Te Werahi Beach and Ninety Mile Beach, excellent spots for adventurous activities. This area is famous for it’s massive sanddunes – also known as the Te Paki sanddunes, and they are a playground for sand tobogganners and sand boarders (or sand surfing) alike.
Te Werahi Beach is the beach that divides Cape Reinga and Cape Maria van Diemen – and it’s situated on the Te Paki Coastal Track, which is a five day tramp (hike) and a segment in and of itself of the great Te Araroa Track that spans the country’s length.
⛱️ Ninety Mile Beach
Ninety Mile Beach is, in fact, 55 miles long (88 km) but it is widely believed that it was named by the early Europeans who estimated its length from the three days it took to travel it on their horses, which typically would do 30 miles in a day. Ninety Mile Beach boasts the Te Paki sanddunes, wicked west coast sunsets, and the chance to offroad (it’s officially an actual highway!). It’s the perfect beach for offroading, but many people get stuck so ensure you know what you are doing, where to drive, time it with the tides .. or go on a tour! Our tour bus drove right down the beach when I was on holiday there with my family in 2006!
Best Beaches on the Karikari Peninsula
Back to the eastern side of the Far North: Karikari Peninsula, shaped like a lower case ‘r’, juts up and out to the east, its shape creating many a beautiful beach spot, so the peninsula as a whole is my third beach destination recommendation for this list.
⛱️ Rangiputa Beach
First up is Rangiputa Beach, a kitesurfing beach, and its the perfect place to start if you’ve never tried it! The shallow depth (waist deep), position of the sand bar and westerly winds all contribute to it being an amazing spot for this sport.
⛱️ Maitai Bay / Matai Bay
Matai Bay (also spelled Maitai Bay) is absolutely beautiful, with its perfect horseshoe shape, white, white sand and stunning water. It makes a lot of top beach lists, for good reason! And right next door in a symmetrical curve is Waikato Bay, equally beautiful, and often quieter, so you can take your pick.
Best Beaches in Doubtless Bay
⛱️ Cable Bay
Doubtless Bay rests just under the curve of the Karikari Peninsula and is our next top beach destination for these next two gems: Cable Bay and Coopers Beach.
Cable Bay has the most unreal clear waters and golden sands and is well worth a stop. It is named after the cable station that used to be located there. It features prominently on tourist ‘must-visit’ lists for its sheer beauty.
⛱️ Coopers Beach
Coopers Beach, another white sand beach of the Far North not to be missed! Close by is the small town of Mangōnui, famous for its fish and chips – the perfect epilogue to a day spent on the sand.
Best Beaches in the Bay of Islands
⛱️ Matauri Bay
The Bay of Islands: your beach destination if you want endless choices! Matauri Bay is worth adding to your itinerary if you are interested in shipwrecks: the shipwreck of the Rainbow Warrior, which was bombed in 1985, is located just off Matauri Bay, and when you visit the bay you can go out and see the shipwreck by boat or even get under the surface, if you are certified to dive the 27 metres underwater.
⛱️ Te Ti Bay
Te Ti Bay, a golden sand beach, is another of Northland’s gems, and a good spot to visit if you have the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on your itinerary. It’s located between Waitangi and Paihia and is a great family friendly spot with barbecues to use.
⛱️ Paihia Beach
Go to Paihia Beach for access to boat tours running to and from the Hole in the Rock – a spectacular boat outing during which you are bound to see dolphins!
⛱️ Oke Bay
Crystal clear water, sparkling white sand .. dolphins! Need I say more?
Best Beaches in Hokianga Harbour
Right, back over to the western side of the North Island again! The Hokianga Harbour is home to these next two wonderful beaches, Opononi Beach and Ōmāpere Beach.
⛱️ Opononi Beach
Opononi Beach is your gateway if you are looking to take a boat trip across the harbour to the giant white sand dunes at North Head – well worth a visit for a spot of sandboarding or dune sliding! It’s also worth stopping by the statue of Opo the Dolphin, commemorating the life of a bottle nosed dolphin who came to play with beach goers during the summers of 1955 and 1956 and who became quite famous.
⛱️ Ōmāpere Beach
Ōmāpere Beach, the sister settlement to Opononi, namesake to an equally lovely beach is the other gem in the area you simply must visit for more of those views across the harbour to the sanddunes – and more of those West Coast sunsets!
Best Beaches on the Tūtūkākā Coast
The Tūtūkākā Coast, lying just out from the small city of Whangārei, is a beach destination not to be missed.
⛱️ Sandy Bay
First bay not to miss on the Tūtūkākā Coast is Sandy Bay – a favourite spot for surfers! Beautiful sand and water and waves suitable for varying abilities (a world class surfing beach) makes Sandy Bay a fantastic holiday spot.
⛱️ Whale Bay
Next in the trio is Whale Bay, a primo spot for snorkelling because of the rocky outcrops at each end. Of additional interest is the stunning coastal walkway (the Matapouri Headland Track) that connects Whale Bay with the next in the list – Matapouri Bay.
⛱️ Matapouri Bay
Matapouri Bay, the third of three of the best beaches on the Tūtūkākā Coast (ranked a world class coastline in the National Geographic Traveller in 2010, is perhaps the most popular of the three. It’s a perfect curve of sand and glistening sea, a favourite holiday spot for many New Zealanders, and has been for generations.
Matapouri Bay is also the access point to reach the Matapouri Mermaid Pool. The Mermaid Pool has become quite famous in recent years due to its emerald colour and beauty – strictly a low tide activity, as the sea rushes into the pool at high tide, drawing out the water with considerable pull – but in the last several years the pool has been closed to swimmers anyhow, predominantly (in my understanding) to protect the ecosystem in the pool from the copius amounts of sunscreen leaching into the water from mermaid wannabes.
Best Beaches in Whangārei Heads
⛱️ Ocean Beach
Three quarters of an hour’s drive in a south east direction from the small city of Whangārei will get you to Whangārei Heads, with the prime jewel in the crown here being Ocean Beach. It’s a lifeguard patrolled beach with excellent surf, boogie boarding conditions, and sand dunes to explore.
Best Beaches in Bream Bay
I’ve popped Bream Bay down separately as a beach destination in its own right – there are several fantastic beaches within the bay, which all lie just south of Ocean Beach.
⛱️ Whangarei Heads
x
⛱️ Ruakākā Beach
Ruakākā Beach is a great all rounder – swimming, surfing, and ticking the boxes for beauty and being patrolled by lifeguards. Ruakākā also has the river and estuary, home to native birdlife and a pleasant spot to paddle around, as my hubby and I did one evening on Easter Weekend in 2018.
⛱️ Uretiti Beach
Facing directly east, Uretiti Beach is in prime position for beautiful coastal sunrise views. It also is a much loved surfing beach, and arguably the top spot in the country for naked bathers, being somewhere that this is permitted.
⛱️ Waipū Cove
Beloved Waipū Cove was the winner of the 2025 Best Family Beach and Best Camping Beach awards and is also known for hosting IRB (inflatable rescue boat) championships each year. I have thoroughly enjoyed several beach days at the cove, and, during a week long camping trip here in 2015 I also loved exploring the Waipū Cave system at the Waipū Caves Scenic Reserve.
Don’t miss the Waipū Coastal Walkway or the Waipū pancake limestone rocks, either!
⛱️ Langs Beach
Langs Beach shares the beauty of the other beaches in Breams Bay but is one of the quieter beaches in comparison. During weekends in summer, Zippy’s food truck cafe parks up offering coffees and real fruit icecreams to beach goers in search of a treat.
⛱️ Mangawhai Heads
Mangawhai Heads is a very popular spot, for very good reason. The surf beach is fantastic, but swimmers and boogie boarders will also enjoy the waves very much under the watchful eye of the lifeguards that patrol in summer. The Mangawhai Cliffs Walkway is a fantastic trek along the cliff tops offering spectacular views and just the right amount (three hours) of exercise!
Whether you’re chasing quiet hidden bays, postcard-perfect white sand, or that feeling of being in the tropics, Northland arguably delivers some of the most unforgettable beaches in the country. Slow down, explore as much as you can, and soak up all the coastal goodness you’ll find here.