Where Are The Best Beaches In Auckland, New Zealand?
Auckland – an isthmus – is one of the best places in New Zealand for beach variety — take the wild west coast surf, the calm bays on the east coast, all of its islands, and the peninsulas in the north and in the south. With so many beaches spread across the region, it can be hard to know where to start. This guide has been written to help break down the best beaches in Auckland by location – to help you find the right spot for your beach break.
Best Beaches on the Matakana Coast
⛱️ Pakiri Beach
The Matakana Coast is a favourite holiday spot amongst Aucklanders, what with not having to venture too far north. Pākiri Beach is popular for its long, white stretch of sand – and a favourite spot for horse trekking.
⛱️ Goat Island Bay
Goat Island Bay is, in fact, a marine reserve (namely, Goat Island Marine Reserve) so go expecting fantastic snorkelling. There’s lots of different fish species here, and the option to snorkel out to and around Goat Island – it’s not too far, a relatively easy swim. Glass bottomed boat tours operate here, and SCUBA divers enjoy the depths and abundant marine life further out.
Best Beaches on the Tāwharanui Peninsula
The Tāwharanui Peninsula is a busy spot over summer – consider yourself one of the lucky ones if you end up getting a spot there camping for New Years, which is booked out months in advance! Aucklanders love Tāwharanui Regional Park for its proximity to the CBD (just an hour’s drive), and the gorgeous array of beaches that it offers.
⛱️ Omaha Beach
Omaha is one of the favourite beaches in the area, with its white sand and beautiful water. It’s patrolled in summer by lifeguards and there’s lots of birdlife to look at down on the sandspit. There’s a golf course and tennis courts nearby, the village of Matakana a stone’s throw away, and the water here is an absolute playground for boaties and windsurfers.
⛱️ Anchor Bay
Anchor Bay is loved for its caves and rockpools, gentle surf, and great swimming opportunities for families. It’s part of the Tāwharanui Marine Reserve, which means there is also lots of marine life under the surface – great for keen snorkellers.
Best Beaches in the Rodney District
Rodney District is the northern part of the urbanised part of the city of Auckland, and I’ve just used this as a subheading to separate Snells Beach and Algies Bay from the remainder of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula – they’re nearby, but still very much in an area of their own. Snells and Algies share, like the beaches above and below, that holiday-town feeling whilst still being very commutable for the locals who travel to and from Auckland CBD on the daily.
⛱️ Snells Beach
Snells Beach is loved for its proximity to Warkworth – and Auckland – and its gently sloping foreshore with calm surf and family-friendly swimming. Kitesurfers and paddleboarders alike enjoy the conditions here, as well as swimmers and walkers.
⛱️ Algies Bay
Algies Bay is excellent for all sorts of water sports like fishing, waterskiing and sailing, and a popular holiday spot for Aucklanders due to its proximity to the city.
Best Beaches on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula
Whangaparāoa Peninsula, a large part of which is the Shakespear Regional Park (its status as a regional park says a lot for its beauty), is a beloved spot for locals and holiday makers both. It’s only three quarters of an hour’s drive north of the Auckland CBD but beyond the suburban area is a beautiful peninsula with rolling green farmland and sparkling little bays.
⛱️ Ōrewa Beach
Like other beaches in this spot just north of Auckland, Ōrewa Beach is a great holiday spot without being too far away from the city, with great sand and surf. Ōrewa has a town centre (one of Auckland city’s more northern suburbs) and a holiday park close to the beach.
⛱️ Big Manly Beach
Calm waters and soft sand make Big Manly Beach another family favourite, especially amongst Aucklanders, who don’t have to travel far to get there. It’s other name is Waiau Bay, which means water with swirling currents, to my knowledge, however it is quite a safe spot for swimmers.
⛱️ Little Manly Beach
Sand and gentle surf – which is typical of the whole peninsula – mean families love Little Manly Beach. It’s safe, has shaded trees, and a short drive from the city.
⛱️ Army Bay
Army Bay is very swimmable, picturesque and right on the fringe of Shakespear Regional Park, which is full of stunning farmland and hilltop tracks. We camped here in 2024 and I thoroughly enjoyed the overland walks, with my nine month old in a frontpack.
⛱️ Okoromai Bay
Go, Because: Okoromai Bay is special because at low tide you can collect cockles. It’s in close proximity to the campsites in the regional park – an awesome pre-dinner excursion for a summer evening’s camping meal.
Best Beaches on the North Shore
The North Shore collectively refers to the suburbs that are part of central Auckland city, immediately north of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. These suburbs are close to town, densely populated, but also very lucky with their proximity to some great beaches. From north to south, I would recommend:
⛱️ Long Bay
Long Bay is part of the Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve, which makes for good snorkelling – and available so close to Auckland city!
⛱️ Browns Bay
Browns Bay is loved by locals for its calm water, sandy shores, and all the amenities nearby – a perk of urban beaches.
⛱️ Murrays Bay
Next is Murrays Bay. People love to jump off the wharf at Murrays Bay into its very beautiful waters. The jump is about 3 meters (when the tide is high) and the depth, about 3 more meters.
⛱️ Mairangi Bay
There’s an excellent clifftop walkway connecting Mairangi Bay with Murrays Bay, well worth doing. You’ll get great views out to some of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. Mairangi Bay is just a great all-rounder beach.
⛱️ Castor Bay
Another North Shore gem, Castor Bay is sheltered, has great swimming, is family friendly and has the reserve nearby. At one end there’s several rock pools, as well.
⛱️ Takapuna Beach
Takapuna Beach is incredibly popular with Auckland residens. It is so close to the CBD, has its own shoreside precinct with all the amenities and shopping you could desire, an awesome playground, calm waters, and great views out to Rangitoto Island. Mum and Dad used to take my brother and I all the time when we were little, even though we lived on the other side of the city.
⛱️ Cheltenham Beach
Go, Because: Families love the soft sand, calm water and playground facilities at Cheltenham Beach. A real perk is that, what with being only 1.5 km (1 mi) from the ferry terminal, it is incredibly easy to catch a ferry between the CBD and Devonport on the North Shore and walk the remainder of the way to Cheltenham Beach.
⛱️ Devonport Beach
Devonport Beach is loved for all the same reasons as the others down this stretch of coastline but also boasts fantastic views over to Rangitoto Island and has North Head right there, too, for exploring. At the top of North Head are tunnels and bunkers from the war that kids love exploring. Devonport is the most accessible beach by ferry – a really good option if you are staying in town with no vehicle.
Best Beaches on the West Coast
Auckland’s wild West Coast is notable for its black sandy beaches (it’s volcanic sand and Auckland is full of volcanoes – fifty of them) and also notable for its dangerous, wild surf. Many of its beaches have really good surf lifeguard patrols – if they’re not on duty, stay out of the water; highly dangerous rips are a prominent feature of this coastline. However, if you’re sensible and heed the warnings, this stretch of coastline sure does offer a lot of thrills, some epic waves, and some marvellous beauty.
⛱️ Muriwai Beach
Muriwai, in addition to being a black sand beach with the wild surf to match, is home to a gannet colony! They come to nest on Motutara Island, which is only a stone’s throw from the mainland and viewed from a clifftop track that takes you up – one of only three places in New Zealand where you can view these birds without travelling to one of the islands. At the time of writing (April 2026) upgrades are being done to this track.
⛱️ Te Henga / Bethells Beach
Te Henga, otherwise known as Bethells Beach, has awesome surf to offer both surfers and boogie boarders, but also has a series of giant sand dunes – with a dune lake sitting amongst them all, Lake Wainamu. Its a good walk around the lake, and it’s also great to make a splash in as you come sliding down the sand dunes at it! There’s a whole playground beyond the beach amongst these dunes – make sure you allow time to see it all, and to check out the huge cave (Te Henga) on the beach!
⛱️ Anawhata Beach
Next we have Anawhata Beach. It has to be accessed by foot, so is much more private. Stick to the shores as the currents can be quite dangerous and there is no lifeguard patrol here. Enjoy a beach walk instead.
⛱️ Piha Beach
Piha Beach pops up frequently on ‘best beach’ lists, both nationally and internationally. It has been made famous by the television show ‘Piha Rescue’ which is a reality show following the lifeguards and their rescue missions that they make – multiple times a day in peak season. It can be incredibly dangerous in the surf and swimmers need to stay between the lifeguarded area, which are always designated by yellow and red flags.
Piha also has some interesting spots to explore to the south at low tide, like Keyhole Rock, ‘The Gap’, Puaotetai Bay, Taitomo Island and the Blue Pool.
⛱️ Karekare Beach
Karekare Beach is a little quieter than Piha Beach (and even Muriwai Beach, and Bethells Beach .. perhaps the fourth most popular one?) but it still has lifeguards patrolling it, which is necessary for safe swimming on the West Coast. Karekare Beach has a stream that flows out from Karekare Falls, which is only a few minutes inland and definitely worth visiting. Just beyond Karekare Falls is the Opal Pool and the Opal Pool Stream Cascade (another waterfall), so do allow time to venture into this rainforest and back!
⛱️ Whatipu Beach
Like every other beach in this section, Whatipu Beach is a wild, rugged, black sand West Coast beach with dramatic scenery and pounding surf. Heading up the Omanawanui Track a little way from the beach carpark will afford you impressive views over the beach and the Manukau Harbour. The beach also has a trail out to some caves – the largest of which was once used as a ballroom!!
Best Beaches in Auckland City (the East Coast)
The eastern coast of the central Auckland city area is beloved for its calm water and sandy shores. A lack of waves here makes these beaches favourites for swimming and paddleboarding.
⛱️ Mission Bay
Mission Bay is worth visiting due to its proximity to the Auckland CBD, and its popularity amongst locals. The water is calm and great for swimming and paddleboarding, and the promenade is lined with great bars, cafes and restaurants. It’s a lively scene and packed in summer. Grab yourself a frozen treat from KiwiYo or Mövenpick and enjoy walking the length of the promenade.
⛱️ Kohimarama Beach
Kohimarama Beach next door is a quieter alternative to Mission Bay but still has a wide seaside promenade suitable for walkers, joggers and cyclists. Swimming is great and the beach looks out directly to Rangitoto Island.
⛱️ St Heliers Beach
St Heliers Beach, the third in this trio of eastern coast city beaches, shares the same views out to Rangitoto Island as Mission Bay and Kohimarama Beach – and also has great waterfront dining options.
Best Beaches in the Hauraki Gulf
Auckland city, an isthmus on the North Island of New Zealand, looks out into the Hauraki Gulf on its eastern side, which is full of over fifty islands. A couple of these are populated – Waiheke Island, more popular as the ferry to and from makes it extremely commutable for those who live on the island but work in the city, and Great Barrier Island, which is much further away, a few hours by ferry, or otherwise accessed by a short plane ride.
⛱️ Oneroa Beach, Waiheke Island
Oneroa Beach is a good little swim spot on Waiheke Island, close to the main village, which is easily accessed from the ferry terminal. A great, safe spot to cool off after a day spent cycling around the island’s vineyards.
Best Beaches near Musick Point
Musick Point is a peninsula over on the south eastern part of the city, just a few minutes drive from many of the East Auckland suburbs – my old stomping ground! Locals are incredibly spoilt for choice with a wide range of local, calm, beach spots.
⛱️ Bucklands Beach
Bucklands Beach is nice and sheltered, as it is on the western side of Musick Point, so it only has the channel (and then other eastern suburbs across the channel). It has a short, shelly beach and calm waters for family-friendly swimming. In my fourteen years living locally, we heard of orca sightings and shark sightings there a couple of times – not too common, but it happens! It’s great fun when the ferry from Half Moon Bay heads out through the channel and generates little waves that anyone on watercraft can ‘surf’ back into shore. We would go kayaking at Bucklands Beach when I was a child.
⛱️ Eastern Beach
Eastern Beach is another local favourite with an area down the southern end for barbecues and picnics. There are a couple of shops and restaurants there, and calm water that recedes out quite far at low tide. You can walk and walk for some time before you reach the water’s edge! It’s a good spot to catch the sunrise, being on the eastern side of the peninsula.
⛱️ Mellons Bay
Mellons Bay is loved by locals as a dog friendly beach where they are free to be off lead. We would always enjoy taking my dog out for an off lead walk and encounters with other local dogs. Walking to the end of the bay and back is a pleasant short walk, lovely in the late afternoon, and with considerably more space for walking at low tide, when the water recedes and the rocky ends of the shoreline are exposed.
⛱️ Cockle Bay
Cockle Bay is another local favourite for its sandy beach and gentle waves – honestly, East Auckland locals are blessed with the beaches here! Something I’d recommend doing is the Mangemangeroa Walkway which heads out to Shelly Park Beach via Cockle Bay – three hours return walk.
Best Beaches along the Pohutukawa Coast
Further out to the south west beyond the eastern suburbs mentioned above lies the Pohutukawa Coast. Officially it goes from the suburb of Whitford (I lived here when I was in my mid twenties!) out to Duder’s Regional Park – just a short stretch of road that won’t take more than half an hour to drive.
⛱️ Omana Beach
One of the first beaches that you’ll encounter, coming out of the village-like suburbs of Whitford and Beachlands, is Omana Beach, which offers peaceful swimming conditions and an abundance of large pohutukawa trees that provide lots of shade to beachgoers. There’s lots of grassy area here for picnics, and a walkway through to the slightly more popular Maraetai Beach (the Beachlands-Maraetai Walkay).
⛱️ Maraetai Beach
Maraetai Beach is arguably one of Auckland’s best, with gentle waves and a wharf that is great for jumping off, as well as a nearby playground and excellent fish and chips. It’s worth the hype for the scenery – but fairly renowned for sea lice amongst swimmers, unfortunately. Don’t let that put you off a quick dip though!
⛱️ Umupuia / Duder’s Beach
Duder’s Beach – and the rest of Duder’s Regional Park – is a very pretty spot with a few different hilltop farmland tracks that showcase the beauty of the turquoise sea below. The colours out here are striking, and the drive out is a lovely one, too.
⛱️ Mataitai Bay
Mataitai Bay is a wonderful swimming spot that is part of Waitawa Regional Park – calm, great conditions, and in a very beautiful setting. This is a great spot for fishing and kayaking, too.
⛱️ Kawakawa Bay
Kawakawa Bay is in a quiet corner of Auckland, beyond Duder’s Regional Park, but enjoys calm swimming conditions like those in the list above, as well as a row of colourful boatsheds that make for great photos, and awesome views out to some of the Hauraki Gulf islands. It’s the departure point for the boat out to privately owned Ponui Island where I spent my teen summers at camp. My brother kayaked out there one summer while our friends took the boat!
⛱️ Tawhitokino Beach
Tawhitokino Beach is considered a bit of a secret beach so is lesser known and more private than some of the others but enjoys the same beauty and calm water conditions. It’s an hour’s walk there from the neighbouring beaches, which is why it is so secluded, but worth the trek in if you have the time, the fitness, and are in the area.
Best Beaches on the Awhitu Peninsula
Last destination on the Auckland list is the Awhitu Peninsula, tucked away in the far southwestern corner of the region. Whether its the sheltered, white sandy Clarks Beach that takes your fancy, or the wild, western facing surf beach of Kariotahi Beach, this corner of the region has something for you.
⛱️ Clarks Beach
Clarks Beach is a good place to go to collect your own scallops and is also just on the edge of Awhitu Regional Park. It’s quite sheltered, as it opens out into the Manukau Harbour, not sea, and offers good swimming.
⛱️ Kariotahi Beach
Kariotahi Beach is the opposite! It’s another of those wild, west coast beaches with black sand and rugged surf – much like those in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park – but more accessible to those out south, and neighboured by Castaways Resort for those who want to enjoy the epic sunsets from a glampsite or the fancy restaurant up there.
We had a family dinner up there overlooking the sea on the evening following our wedding reception, and I can also personally recommend the day spa up there – they offer a milk bath session, up on the hill, the sound of waves crashing, and nothing more.
From the rugged black sand beaches on the west coast to the calm, sheltered bays on the east, and the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland has it all. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, it’s worth getting out and exploring a few of these beach destinations — this guide should help you narrow down your list and best use the time you’ve got here.