10 of the Best Beaches to visit in Northland (2026 Guide)
Northland is one of the first places I think of when someone asks me where to find the best beaches in New Zealand.
It’s one of my favourite areas of New Zealand for a summer road trip. While it may not have the huge mountains and dramatic scenery you’ll find in the South Island, it makes up for it with endless coastline, clear blue water and some amazing beaches.
For years, my group of friends loved doing weekend trips up to Northland. I’d always be excited for the weekend to roll around so we could pile into the car, head north and find a beach to camp at for a couple of nights.
These days I spend more of my summer weekends in the Coromandel, but I still love heading up to Northland when I get the chance. Whale Bay, Maitai Bay and Oke Bay are just a few of the beaches I keep coming back to.
After spending so many summers exploring the region, these are the beaches I’d recommend adding to your Northland road trip.
Whale Bay
Whale Bay is just past Matapouri Beach, around 40 minutes from Whangārei, and it is probably my top pick when it comes to the best beaches in Northland.
The water here is some of the clearest you’ll find around Northland, and with the white sand and native trees around the bay, it has a real tropical feel. On a sunny day, it genuinely looks like somewhere you’d expect to find on a Pacific island rather than a couple of hours north of Auckland.
Getting down to the beach is a 15-minute walk from the car park along a well-maintained track. It’s an easy walk down, although you’ll have to walk back up the hill afterwards. The car park is quite small, so I’d get there early if you’re visiting on a sunny summer day.
The rocks surrounding the bay help keep the water calm, making it a great spot for a swim. I also like exploring around the rocks with a snorkel, where you can spot fish, starfish and other little sea creatures.
I love this area and it is probably one of my favourites in Northland. If you get the chance, make sure to check out some other epic activities on the Tutukaka Coast.
Oke Bay
Oke Bay is another Northland beach with amazingly clear water, so it probably won’t surprise you that I’m a big fan of it. The bay is more exposed than Whale Bay, so the water can be a bit rougher, and it gets deep quite quickly. Once you get past the breaking waves, though, it’s a great spot for a swim.
The main beach is fairly small, so it can start to feel busy when a few groups arrive. At lower tide, you can walk around the rocks to a larger section of beach with more space to spread out, so I’d keep an eye on the tide if you want to make the most of the beach.
Oke Bay is a little harder to get to than some of the other beaches on this list. From Paihia, you can take the 10-minute car ferry from Opua to Okiato, then drive for another 30 minutes before parking on the side of the road near the beach. From there, it’s a 5-minute walk over the hill and down to the sand.
Uretiti Beach
Uretiti Beach is a long stretch of sand between Waipu and Whangārei, and it’s a great beach to stop at when you’re travelling up Northland. The large sand dunes give you some shelter from the wind, and there’s plenty of space to spread out.
The easiest way to access the beach is through the Uretiti Campground. Follow the gravel road to the left of the campground and you’ll find a small car park with a track leading straight down to the beach.
Uretiti is more exposed than some of the other beaches on this list, with only a few small islands out in front of it. This means you can get some bigger waves, so make sure you’re swimming to the conditions.
One of the things I like about Uretiti is just how much space there is. Even when there are other people around, the beach is large enough that you can usually find your own spot without feeling like you’re sitting right next to everyone else. It’s also a good option if you’re travelling with a group and want plenty of room to spread out.
Maitai Bay
Maitai Bay feels a lot more remote than the beaches closer to Whangārei and the Bay of Islands. It’s right up on the Karikari Peninsula at the end of a gravel road, and when you arrive there’s not much around apart from the beach, a small car park and the surrounding coastline.
The beach itself has soft white sand and, again, some amazingly clear water. The rocks around the bay help break up the waves, so it’s usually a pretty calm place to spend a few hours in the water.
There aren’t any shops at Maitai Bay, although there is a small town about 10 minutes away by car. Toilets are available a short walk from the beach, so it has the basics you need for a day here without feeling built up or commercialised.
If you get bored of sitting on the beach, there are also a few walking tracks around the bay. I’d definitely add one of these into your visit if you’re spending the day here, rather than just coming for a quick swim.
Waewaetorea Island
Waewaetorea Island is one of the harder Northland beaches to get to, but I still think about how incredible this beach was. I did a boat trip out to the island and was genuinely blown away by how beautiful it was when we arrived.
The water is amazingly clear, and the rocks around the beach make it a great place to get in the water and snorkel. There are plenty of fish around the island too, so it’s worth bringing your snorkel if you’re heading out here.
You can get to Waewaetorea Island by private boat or on a group tour, with plenty of boat trips leaving from Paihia. The boat takes you straight to the beach, so once you arrive you can spend your time exploring the island.
There’s also a short but fairly steep walk up to the top of the island. It doesn’t take long to get up, and looking back down over the beach is one of my favourite parts. From up there, you really get to see just how clear the water is, with the surrounding islands stretching out across the Bay of Islands.
If you’re already planning to explore the Bay of Islands, Urupukapuka Island is another island worth checking out.
Matapouri Beach
Matapouri Beach is one of the easier Northland beaches to get to, and it’s one I love spending a summer weekend at.
There’s plenty of space along the sand, so you can find a spot, set yourself up for the day and actually relax without feeling like you’re on top of everyone else. The clear water is also hard to resist when you’re there on a warm day.
I also love that there’s plenty to do around Matapouri if you want to make more of a weekend out of it. You can head out to the Poor Knights Islands for a day on the water, or do the walk out to the Tutukaka Lighthouse for a bit more of an adventure.
For me, Matapouri is a great place to base yourself for a summer weekend on the Tutukaka Coast. You can spend a day enjoying the beach, then get out and explore more of the coastline when you feel like doing something a bit more active.
Matauri Bay
Matauri Bay is a quiet little beach about 30 minutes north of Kerikeri, with a long stretch of sand and clear turquoise water. It’s becoming more popular, but it still has a really relaxed feel and is a great place to spend a weekend up north.
If you want to do a bit more than sit on the beach, you can walk up to the Rainbow Warrior Memorial on the headland. The walk gives you some great views back over the bay, as well as the chance to learn more about the history behind the memorial.
The area around Matauri Bay is becoming more developed, which has taken away a little of the charm it used to have. Once you’re down on the beach, though, the sand dunes help separate you from much of the development.
If you want to stay, the Matauri Bay Holiday Park is right by the beach. I like that it still has a small campground feel rather than being a huge holiday park, which makes it a good option for a relaxed summer weekend.
Tauranga Bay
Tauranga Bay isn’t somewhere I’d recommend travelling to just for the beach, but I really like it as a base for exploring the area. It’s only 20 minutes north of Matauri Bay and is surrounded by plenty of places to explore, while still giving you somewhere to come back to and relax.
The beach itself is quite large, with plenty of space to spread out, and there’s a grassy bank above the sand if you’d rather sit up there. You can also walk along the beach and explore the caves and rock pools.
I spent a few days camping here with a friend over New Year’s and really enjoyed it. We’d spend our mornings out exploring and then come back to the beach in the afternoon to relax, which worked really well.
There are some great walks nearby too. Kaiaraara Rocks (Dukes Nose) is about a 5-hour hike and is actually my favourite hike in Northland. The views are incredible and it’s well worth making a day of it. For something much shorter, St Paul’s Rock takes around 20 minutes to walk up and still has some great views.
That’s what I liked about Tauranga Bay. You can spend the day exploring some of the surrounding area, then come back and enjoy a few hours at the beach.
Tapotupotu Bay
We actually discovered Tapotupotu Bay completely by accident. After spending the day at the Te Paki Sand Dunes and Cape Reinga, we were hot and all we wanted was a refreshing swim. We opened Maps to see what beaches were nearby, and Tapotupotu Bay was the first one we spotted. I’m so glad we decided to check it out.
Tapotupotu Bay is one of the more isolated beaches in Northland, with not much around apart from the beach, a campground and the occasional property along the road. The surrounding native bush and clear blue water give it a really untouched feel.
There’s a DOC campground right by the beach if you want to stay overnight. It’s basic, with long-drop toilets and cold showers, but the location makes up for the lack of facilities.
There’s also a small lagoon at the far end of the beach near the campground, which is a good option if the ocean is a bit rough. On calmer days, the small waves are also fun for swimming and playing in the surf.
Ninety Mile Beach
Ninety Mile Beach is one of the most well-known beaches in Northland, but it’s not somewhere I’d go for a swim. Instead, it’s worth visiting for the experience of seeing such a huge stretch of coastline and being able to drive along the beach.
Despite the name, Ninety Mile Beach is actually around 88 kilometres long, which is just over 54 miles. Cars can drive along the beach, although you need to follow the usual road rules and keep an eye out for other vehicles and people using the beach.
At the northern end of the beach, you’ll find the Te Paki Sand Dunes, where you can hire a board and go sandboarding down the huge dunes. The walk up is a bit of a workout, but sliding back down is well worth it.
Ninety Mile Beach also faces west, making it a great spot to watch the sunset. After a day exploring the Far North, grab some snacks, park up on the beach and watch the sun go down over the water.
If you’re staying in Paihia, you can also book group day tours that visit Ninety Mile Beach and other spots around the Far North.
Road trip to Northlands best Beaches
For me, it’s hard to go past the beaches in Northland with really clear water, so Whale Bay and Oke Bay would always be my top two recommendations. They’re the beaches I’d make a point of stopping at if I was planning a trip through the region.
That said, if you have time for a proper Northland road trip, I’d definitely add more of these beaches into your route. Some are worth stopping at for a swim, while others, like Ninety Mile Beach and Tapotupotu Bay, are more about the experience and seeing a different side of the Far North.
There are so many beaches spread throughout Northland that you don’t need to stick to just the well-known ones. Leave some time to get off the main route and you might end up finding one of your own favourites along the way.
