Kuaotuno Beach Coromandel Peninsula
While our road trip of the North Island of New Zealand circled from Auckland to Mount Maunganui, Rotorua, South of Mount Ruapehu, then North to the Bay of Islands, our last stop was the Coromandel Penninsula.
Such a beautiful part of the world made me think about how much waste we produce. Here are some Eco-Friendly Travel Accessories for you to think about next time you travel
And if you are wondering what to pack, we have you covered in our list of What to Pack for a Day at the Beach
Just an hour and a half drive from Auckland, and visible on nice days across the Firth of Thames, the Coromandel Peninsula is an isolated area once populated with hippies escaping city life and now increasingly populated with affluent Auckland’s who want weekend and summer homes outside of the city.
While on the Coromandel Peninsula, we went hunting for the best coromandel beaches, and Kuaotuno beach was our favourite swimming beach on the Coromandel. Try and squeeze a visit to the Coromandel into your North Island itinerary, it is definitely worth it!
The mostly empty beach at Kuaotuno awaits
Where is Kuaotuno Beach?
Check out the map below to see how to get to Kuaotuno and the beach is close by!
[su_gmap address=”kuaotunu”]
It is past coromandel town and over the range, close to Whitianga, and you need to turn off the main road to access this great spot.
Pizza at Luke’s Kitchen on the Coromandel Peninsula
What else is at Kuaotunu?
We stopped first at Lukes Kitchen and Cafe for lunch. The Pizzas were amazing and I had a super tasty salad! After we were fed we grabbed our shovels and were 4 of only 8 people on the whole beach! There is a coffee shop and small store as well as Luke’s Kitchen. There is plenty of parking and public toilets. I love that there are public toilets all over New Zealand. Im not sure if you can Freedom Camp at Kuaotuno beach, so check ahead if you plan on it!
A small river flows through the sand and into the beach, making a fun crossing for the kids, and Kuaotuno beach is a beachcombers delight with pretty shells, rocks and the odd piece of sea glass on its shores. While the kids played beach games in the river, the sand and wandered the beach, I relaxed from afar and enjoyed some quiet time in the sun.
If you are looking for an empty beach on the Coromandel peninsula, I highly suggest you check out Kuaotuno beach and hopefully you will see why we think it is one of the best Coromandel beaches to visit.
If you are not road tripping and are looking for a day tour option from Auckland, you can check out this one.
White Sands and Calm Surf makes Kuaotuno Beach a great afternoon spot!
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have young children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.