Your Trip to New Zealand: The Complete Guide SEE FULL GUIDE prev next Your Trip to New Zealand: The Complete Guide Best Time to Visit Weather & Climate Top Places to Visit North Island vs. South Island Cities to Visit Getting Around New Zealand Best Auckland Hotels New Zealand's Airports Driving in New Zealand Visiting New Zealand With Kids One Week in New Zealand North Island Road Trip South Island Road Trip Top Things to Do Best Beaches Skiing in New Zealand Top National Parks Best Hikes Museums & Art Galleries Hot Springs Wildlife Reserves Must-Try Food in New Zealand New Zealand's Wine Regions Best Restaurants Nightlife in New Zealand Your Trip to New Zealand: The Complete Guide close Overview Australia & New Zealand New Zealand 10 Best Beaches on the Coromandel Peninsula Explore New Zealand's world-class North Island shoreline By Liam Naden Liam Naden Liam Naden is a New Zealand born and bred freelance travel writer. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 01/10/20 Fact checked by Patrice Williams Fact checked by Patrice Williams Temple University Patrice J. Williams is a travel and style content creator, fact-checker and author of the thrift shopping book Looking Fly on a Dime. TripSavvy's fact-checking Garry Ridsdale / Getty Images The Coromandel Peninsula to the east of Auckland draws vacationers from around the North Island who come for one reason: the fabulous beaches. In fact, the Coromandel rivals Northland for the best beaches in the country. Picking just one to visit might be a fool's errand. For swimming and sunbathing, you can quickly eliminate the pebbly (albeit beautiful) tidal beaches on the western coastline, on the harbor of the Firth of Thames. Head instead to the northern and eastern shorelines, facing the ocean. 01 of 10 Fletcher Bay Rob Tilley / Getty Images View Map Address Fletcher Bay 3584, New Zealand Get directions You must travel more than 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Coromandel township to reach one of the peninsula's most northern and remote beaches, Fletcher Bay. The last leg, from Colville, takes you down a dirt road, but one with incredible views back to Auckland, Great Barrier Island, and the Mercury Islands. The limited accommodations beyond freedom camping include a developed campground and a single backpacker's lodge. 02 of 10 Wainuiototo Bay (New Chums Beach) Diana Vollmerhausen / Getty Images View Map Address Wainuiototo Bay, Waikato, New Zealand Get directions Despite being described as the most beautiful beach in New Zealand, Wainuiototo Bay (also known as New Chums Beach) remains unspoiled and a well-kept secret. The 30-minute walk north from the seaside development of Whangapoua probably discourages the beach-going crowds; for some, however, the seclusion makes it worth the effort. 03 of 10 Matarangi Mark Meredith / Getty Images View Map Address Matarangi 3592, New Zealand Get directions The resort village of Matarangi, with its 2.8-mile (4.5-kilometer) white-sand beach, faces Whangapoua across the harbor. The area is notable for the quality of the beach-side homes, good swimming at all stages of the tide, and wide areas for walking. 04 of 10 Cooks Beach Danita Delimont / Getty Images View Map Address Cooks Beach 3591, New Zealand Get directions You reach this sandy beach via a short ferry ride from Whitianga, the main settlement in the northeastern Coromandel area. It is named after New Zealand's most famous explorer, who stayed here briefly during his voyage to New Zealand in 1769. Continue to 5 of 10 below. 05 of 10 Hahei and Cathedral Cove Nick Twyford Photography / Getty Images View Map Address Hahei 3591, New Zealand Get directions The area around Hahei, with its large cluster of holiday homes, becomes very busy during January, the main New Zealand summer vacation period. Cathedral Cove, one of the most photographed natural attractions in New Zealand, sits just to the north between Hahei and Cooks Beach. A natural sandstone arch separates two lovely little beaches, accessible only by boat or on foot from Hahei. 06 of 10 Hot Water Beach The Coromandel Tourism Board View Map Address Hot Water Beach 3591, New Zealand Get directions At the northern end of this well-known beach, hot water from an underground thermal spring bubbles to the surface at low tide. It's great fun to dig out your own thermal hot pool and have a soak; bring a shovel if you'd like to submerge yourself to the neck. 07 of 10 Tairua and Pauanui Steve Clancy Photography / Getty Images View Map Address Tairua, New Zealand Get directions These two beaches face each other across the narrow entrance of the Tairua Harbor; both are popular holiday destinations with smaller permanent populations. Tairua has a small township with shopping and some services. 08 of 10 Opoutere Mark Meredith / Getty Images View Map Address Opoutere 3691, New Zealand Get directions You won't find any housing or commercial development at Opoutere, another of Coromandel's most magical spots. A forest of pines hugs the 3-mile beach, with a sandpit on the southern end at the entrance to the Wharekawa Harbor, a breeding ground for several species of endangered native birds. Continue to 9 of 10 below. 09 of 10 Onemana Courtesy of The Coromandel Tourism Board View Map Address Onemana 3691, New Zealand Get directions This gorgeous beach, with a small community of holiday homes and a couple of hundred permanent residents, segues into three private beaches at the southern end. A small waterfall and good snorkeling draw people to the north end of the beach, where the view to the offshore islands of the Slipper Group, the Alderman Islands, and Mayor Island is particularly appealing. 10 of 10 Whangamata Lasting Images / Getty Images View Map Address Whangamatā, New Zealand Get directions This deservedly popular holiday spot with lots of beach and harbor frontage also supports the largest shopping area since Whitianga, with a supermarket, convenience stores, and a selection of excellent restaurants. A marina accommodates leisure fishing and sailing vessels. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Tell us why! Submit