Auckland's best beaches for families, surfers or walkers

04.10.2023 - 07:25 / lonelyplanet.com

Auckland’s best beaches are a diverse bunch, ranging from the surf-trimmed expanses of the region’s west coast, to the cafe culture and family-friendly city beaches lining the serpentine bays of Tāmaki Drive.

Venture further afield, both north and south, for excellent swimming beaches, or team sandy sojourns with fine food, beer and wine on Waiheke Island. Fly or catch a vehicle ferry to forested Great Barrier Island for a unique combination of surfing and stargazing.

The standout stretch of sand along Auckland’s Tāmaki Drive, Mission Bay is a popular destination for many Auckland families. Join in with an impromptu game of touch rugby or volleyball, stretch out on the grass with a feast of fish and chips, or watch on as Mission Bay's Art Deco fountain is gradually illuminated as twilight falls. After dark, bars and restaurants like the Good George Tap Room and Azabu are perennially busy spots.

Across the Auckland Harbour Bridge on the city’s North Shore, the sweeping arc of Takapuna provides brilliant views of Rangitoto, the 700-year-old volcanic island punctuating the eastern horizon of the Hauraki Gulf. Takapuna is popular for swimming and paddleboarding, and on some mornings it may seem that walking a dog is mandatory. With or without a canine companion, an ice cream from the Takapuna Beach Cafe is an essential purchase.

Crowned by the leviathan bulk of Lion Rock, actually the eroded core of an extinct volcano, Piha is the most popular surf beach on Auckland's rugged west coast. At low tide, walking trails along Piha's black sand lead to rocky formations dubbed the Camel and the Gap, while the best views of waves rolling in across the Tasman Sea are from high above on the clifftop Mercer Bay Loop Track. Stop in at Murray, a relaxed combination of surf shack and cafe, for coffee and tacos.

Surf and surging Tasman breezes are the attraction at Muriwai, with board riders also negotiating waves at adjacent Maukatia Bay, and paragliders drifting on Tasman Sea thermals high above Muriwai’s black sand. When the winds are right, blokart enthusiasts steer their land yachts along the beach’s sandy racetrack, and tākapu (Australasian gannets) launch themselves from rocky islands at the southern end of the beach.

Also known by its Māori name, Te Henga, Bethells is one of the more remote of Auckland’s west coast beaches. Getting to the windswept stretch of black sand, crowned by rocky headlands to the north and south, often involves the shoes-off mini-adventure of walking through the shallow waters of the Waitakere River. Visit on a summer weekend for burgers, pizza and coffee from the Bethells Cafe’s humble food truck location.

Welcome to bodyboarding heaven on Waiheke, Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf island of wine.