Where Are The Best Beaches In Otago, New Zealand?

Otago’s coastline is wild and scenic, featuring stop-worthy geological formations, beaches with wildlife, pounding surf, and hidden bays. Whether you’re exploring north of Dunedin, around the Otago Peninsula, or further south, there’s a huge variety of spots to discover. Here are the best of them!

Smaills Beach, pictured from a high vantage point, with the triangle of white sand and surf crashing in two directions. — Smaills Beach

Best Beaches on the North Otago Coast

Seagulls swoop over the waves crashing onto shore at Katiki. — North Otago Coastline

Waves crash onto a desolate beach north of the Moeraki Peninsula. — North Otago Coastline

⛱ Koekohe Beach

Koekohe Beach is sometimes referred to as Moeraki Boulders Beach – it’s home to the famous Moeraki Boulders, which are spherical boulders scattered along the beach, all over sixty million years old!

Koekohe Beach (Moeraki Boulders)

A young girl stands ankle deep in the water that swirls around the base of the infamous Moeraki Boulders. — Koekohe Beach (Moeraki Boulders)

Two children smile together having clambered onto the top of one of the famous Moeraki Boulders. — Koekohe Beach (Moeraki Boulders)

⛱ Waikouaiti Beach

From Waikouaiti Beach, there’s a nearby lagoon with lots of birdlife, so its a great day out from Dunedin to see some local wildlife.

⛱ Karitane Beach

Karitane Beach has some fantastic surf breaks.

⛱ Blueskin Bay

You can collect your own cockles and clams from Blueskin Bay.

⛱ Doctor’s Point Beach

Doctor’s Point Beach has The Arches which are geological caverns that you can explore at low tide and wander through.

⛱ Canoe / Mapoutahi Beach

Canoe Beach is a small, hidden bay that many overlook – a bit of a hidden secret!

⛱ Purakaunui Beach

Purakaunui Beach is not visited a lot, it’s beautiful, and you might only be sharing the beach with a couple of sea lions!

⛱ Aramoana Beach

This is a wildlife reserve and you might get to see some sea lions or a yellow eyed penguin!

⛱ Shelly Beach

Shelly Beach has awesome rock pools! Go at low tide.

Five figures stand in front of a fence and a highway, looking out to sea and to the Moeraki Peninsula. — Katiki Coastline

A stretch of the coastline at Katiki, as seen from the main highway. — Katiki Coastline

Best Beaches in Dunedin

Who doesn’t love a city beach? Dunedin is blessed with two particularly great ones, with all the city side comforts not far away.

A vibrant scene pictured from a hill top shows two North Dunedin beaches with their blue surf. — Dunedin Coastline

Dunedin coastline, as seen from Larnach Castle. — Dunedin coastline, as seen from Larnach Castle

⛱ St Clair Beach

There’s a saltwater pool just up from the shoreline of St Clair Beach and this is the perfect way to swim in warm water while still enjoying the views of the surf.

Figures are dotted in the St Clair Saltwater Pool, pictured from above. — St Clair Beach and Saltwater Pool

⛱ St Kilda Beach

St Kilda Beach is right in Dunedin city so the proximity to everything makes it hard to find a reason not to go!

Best Beaches on the Otago Peninsula

The Otago Peninsula is full of lots of little beaches and bays so it’s hard to pick the best – but these next eight would probably be the pick of the bunch.

An old road weaves up onto the Otago Peninsula with cliffs and sea on the right hand side. — Otago Peninsula

⛱ Macandrew / Te Rotopāteke Bay

Macandrew Bay is on the sheltered side of the Otago Peninsula and this particular bay is very safe, shallow, and great for young ones.

⛱ Broad Bay

This little settlement along the peninsula also offers a safe and sheltered paddling spot for families with small children.

⛱ Tomahawk Beach

Tomahawk Beach is nice and close to Dunedin city, and you may just spot a sea lion or yellow eyed penguin.

⛱ Smails Beach

Smails Beach is close to Dunedin city, beautiful with its white sand and glittering surf, and pretty quiet, too!

Otago Peninsula

Dramatic moody clouds hover over an offshore island and the deep green sea at Smaills Beach. — Smaills Beach

Dark stormclouds hover over deep green waves at Smaills Beach. — Smaills Beach

Dramatic dark storm clouds hover over the white sandy Smaills Beach. — Smaills Beach

⛱ Sandfly Bay

Sandfly Bay is backed by ginormous sanddunes – well worth a wander!

⛱ Allans Beach

At sunset, Allans Beach is home to sea lions and yellow eyed penguins, and you’ll see them too, if you hang around!

⛱ Victory Beach

There’s natural pyramids at Victory Beach – go to see these pyramid formations!

⛱ Pilots Beach

Pilots Beach is home to a little colony of little blue penguins (a slightly smaller variety of penguin than our yellow eyed penguins) – so this is a beach to visit at dusk for your chance to see them.

Best Beaches South of Dunedin

Continue on down past the Otago Peninsula and you’ll encounter these next three beaches…

⛱ Blackhead Beach

The geology at Blackhead Beach with all the basalt has formed natural little pools you can swim in, called the Roman Baths. The patterns in the rocks even look like the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland!

⛱ Tunnel Beach

Access to the beach is through a secret tunnel and down a staircase – how cool! NB Access was closed a year ago (October 2024) and we are yet to see if Tunnel Beach will reopen in the near future.

⛱ Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach is a real playground! At low tide you can access Barney’s Island, and little ones can enjoy getting their feet wet in the adjacent stream. The surf is also great here!

From penguins and sea lions to rock formations and sweeping surf beaches, Otago offers some of the most unique coastal experiences in New Zealand! This is a region where the wildlife, scenery, and little hidden spots will leave you planning a return visit.