Best Beaches in Wellington

Wellington is blessed with many stunning beaches and bays and the best bit is they are free. Whether you’re looking for a swimming beach, a spot to surf, go snorkelling, a spot for a picnic with family and friends on a nice summer’s day.

11 best Beaches in Wellington City

We have listed 11 of the best beaches for some fresh sea air and stunning scenery.

1. Oriental Bay – Wellington City

Oriental Bay is a bay and suburb of Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Located on the southern side of the harbour, Oriental Bay is noted for being an incredibly popular beach. The sands of Oriental Bay are extremely clean and expand from the Freiburg pool and leisure centre at the city end, to the northern end of Oriental Parade, where there are changing rooms, toilets, and cold showers. Oriental Bay promenade is along the harbour shoreline, with a very wide footpath by the sea it is a popular place for a range of activities such as cycling, el scooters, skateboarding, jogging, walking and photography.

You can stop at one of many coffee shops and restaurants around the bay or wander down to the beach for a walk on the sand. Spectacular views of the Ocean and city while walking. Dogs permitted off-leash 1st May – 31st October, prohibited 1st November – 30th April.

Oriental Bay is beautiful at night, when the fountain is illuminated, fairy lights twinkle in the trees and the city towers sparkle across the harbour. It’s easily reached on foot from the city centre, or on bus numbers 14 and 24.

Activities & Facilities 

2. Balaena Bay Beach

Balaena Bay Beach is very close to Wellington city centre, along the western shoreline of Evans Bay. It is a small bay backed by houses and a coastal road. A popular hot spot for sunbathers and swimmers during the summer months

Evans Bay is a scoop out of the main harbour, on the south side. It has many small bays and coves in the twists and turns of its perimeter, most of which are rocky. But a couple of small beaches in the bay are worthy of mention. They are both along the route of the number 24 bus.

The beach has dark sand and consists of pebbles and cobbles . The water is shallow and calm near the shore. The car park, located on a small headland at the north end of the bay, is not a particularly massive car park as there are spaces for about 15 vehicles, and fills up quickly on warm and sunny days. Dogs on-leash are allowed on this beach before 9am and after 7pm in summer, and all the time in winter.

You will notice on the opposite side of the beach is a colourful painting on an embankment at the foot of Mount Victoria, which was painted by students and staff of the former Wellington Polytechnic. 

Balaena Bay There is no Lifeguarding Service. Swimmers should be aware that the water is very shallow and jumping from the toilet block into the water even at high tide is very dangerous.

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3. Hataitai Beach

Hataitai Beach is an inner-harbour beach on the western side of the much larger Evans Bay, Evans Bay Parade. It is suitable for swimming. The beach’s sand is dark and pebbly between rustic boatsheds and the redeveloped Cog Park, which is a lawned area with seats, loungers and a tennis court, it is a little small but very picturesque. 

Hataitai beach is highly popular with families and swimmers. It does get crowded in the summer season. Dogs on-leash are allowed on this beach before 9am and after 7pm in summer, and all the time in winter. 

Activities & Facilities

4. Scorching Bay

Scorching Bay is a popular sandy inner-harbour beach, has a large grassed area and is sheltered from the northerly wind. Scorching Bay features native plantings under pohutukawa trees, around buildings, and by the roadside. There’s a rope-climbing structure playground and a popular cafe nearby.

A great place to unwind and soak up the rays and watch ships arrive and depart in the harbour. There are changing facilities and toilets that are available in the Scorching Bay pavilion, there’s also a paved outdoor shower area in front; closed 1st June – 31st August. 

Scorching Bay does fill up with crowds by lunchtime, so it’s worth arriving early to try and get a park space. There isn’t bus service except at peak hours on weekdays.

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5. Seatoun and Worser Bay 

Seatoun and Worser Bay is a charming suburb of Seatoun which is situated alongside the channel that leads from the Cook Strait to Wellington harbour. It leads down the hillside to Worser Bay which is a large, sandy inner-harbour beach with views of the Orongorongo Range across the harbour, Steeple Rock and Seatoun Beach. With calm waters in the summer season makes it a popular destination for families, also a well-used local yacht club. Featuring a large area of sand dunes at the southern end of the beach planted with marram and pingao, an attractive feature of the beach. Dunes once covered the entire seaward side of the road, but by the 1950s they had been levelled and grassed. There is a grassed area with picnic tables. There is plenty of parking in front of the changing rooms and there are public toilets available. 

There is a small retail centre that has cafes, bars and a selection of independent shops. Seatoun has a regular bus service to Wellington city, the number 2. Dogs are allowed off-leash on the beach before 9am and after 7pm in summer, and off-leash at all times in winter.

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6. Lyall Bay

Lyall Bay is a bay and a suburb on the south side of the Rongotai isthmus in Wellington, New Zealand. The south side is a fierce and most dangerous stretch of water in the world, an exposed and rocky shoreline influenced by the strong tidal currents of Cook Strait and the large increase of the Southern Ocean. Lyall Bay is a beautiful sandy beach that extends southwards from Moa Point. Lyall Bay also has a playground.

The bay is Wellington’s most popular surf beach. When the surf’s up, you will  see hundreds of surfers and paddle boarders out in the water. The beach is popular with families and dog walkers. Temperatures do get very cold in the winter season. Changing rooms are closed 1st June – 31st August at Lyall Bay Surf Club. There’s a popular cafe upstairs in the Maranui Surf Life Saving Club building.

Activities & Facilities

7. Princess Bay

Princess Bay is located at the South coast, near Houghton Bay, The Esplanade. Princess Bay has a covered sandy beach and is a popular place to swim in summer. Tucked between Houghton Bay’s headland and Te Raekaihau Point, it has good views of Taputeranga Island. On a clear day you can see the peaks of the Kaikoura Range in the South Island. The bay is part of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve.

You can get the Number 3 bus to Hungerford Road then walk along the coast, or for a shorter walk hop on the Number 23 bus to Houghton Bay. There is a big car park next to the changing room and beach. If you are looking for a short walk, Princess Bay is a great place to go. Dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time. You can have an open fire or non-gas barbecue at Princess Bay if you have a fire permit. There are no local conveniences, so if you’re going to spend a few hours there it is always to bring your own food and refreshments.

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8. Houghton Bay

Houghton Bay is located on the South coast, The Esplanade is not far from sheltered Princess Bay. Houghton Bay can be unsafe for swimming and is exposed to big southerly surges that can cause a dangerous undercurrent. You can see surfers on the beach when weather conditions are good. 

You can hop onto the number 23 bus to Houghton Bay which runs approximately half hourly from Wellington city centre. There is an off-leash dog exercise area and an off-road car park next to beach

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9. Island Bay

Island Bay is a coastal suburb of Wellington, situated 5 km south of the city centre.The western end of Island Bay beach is not as developed and has remains of the original sand dunes. Island Bay lies on the bay which shares its name, one of numerous small bays off Cook Strait and west of Lyall Bay, near the centre of Taputeranga Marine Reserve. Just east of the Bait House, a popular stop for kayakers, divers and snorkelers. 

Shorland Park is just over the road and has plenty of play equipment, BBQs, picnic tables and toilets in the summertime. There is a car park near Marine Education Centre and on The Esplanade. There is a regular bus service, catch the number 1 from Wellington city. Dogs are allowed on the beach at the pier to eastern end of the beach – summer restrictions apply

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10. Owhiro Bay

Owhiro Bay is the closest south coast beach to the central city. Surrounded by small houses and cottages which are tucked at the bottom of steep slopes. The sheltered Owhiro Bay boat ramp and the car park area on the eastern side of the bay, and there are grassed areas along the foreshore toward the quarry. Owhiro Bay is the last beach accessible by car on this part of the coast. 

You can see the seal colony resting on the rocks and taking the odd dip into rock pools at certain times of the year.You can walk around the base of the cliffs from Owhiro Bay to Red Rocks.

There is a big car park at the boat launching ramp which is near the beach, there are toilets and changing facilities at the Owhiro Bay Interpretation Centre. Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct bus route from Wellington city centre to Owhiro Bay, however, you can hop on the number 1 bus to Island Bay and change there and get the number 29. Dogs must be kept on a leash at Owhiro Bay Beach. 

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11. Makara

Makara located on the southwest coast, is most likely to be the remote and fiercest of all beaches in Wellington, New Zealand. Makara is a pebbly beach and is ideal for walking, fishing, diving and dog walking.

Makara Walkway starts at the beach and follows the coast before a creeping climb to the cliff tops, where there are breathtaking views of Mana, Kapiti and the South Island. Further along the cliffs are WWII gun emplacements at Fort Opau. The return walk follows the coast from Opau Bay.

Unfortunately there is no bus service to Makara beach, so you can only get there by car from the route from Wellington via Karori, or Johnsonville via Ohariu Valley. There is  a large car park with a small boat ramp near the mouth of Makara Stream. The beach is an off-lead dog exercise area.

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All of the beaches that are listed in this article are relaxing places whether you are wanting to walk, jog, run or cycle. Enjoy the views of the city and the mountains, with lots of places to stop for refreshments. 

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