WestScenic

Karekare Beach

Wilder and emptier than Piha, with a stream to wade before you reach the sand.

ScenicKarekare
Karekare Beach in Karekare
Avenue · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

A vast black beach backed by cliffs and a lagoon, reached across a shallow stream that most people just walk through. Almost no development and no cell coverage, which is the appeal and also the warning. Unpatrolled, too. Treat it as a beach for walking rather than swimming. The road in is steep and narrow enough that people have cooked their brakes on the way down.

2.7
Overall rating

Weighted average of the factors below

Food & coffee nearby
1.0
Prams & access
2.2
Scenery
4.8
Toilets & water
2.6
Parking
2.5
Safety
2.0

Photos