Piha Beach (Auckland) New Zealand

Piha Beach, Auckland Overview

Piha is a small village with approx 600 residents and is located on the Western coast of Auckland. It is a 45-50 minutes drive away destination from the city. Piha, famous for its black-iron sand beach, is a significant tourist attraction and one of the favourite getaway destinations for Aucklanders during summer. The beach is home to surfers across the globe. The strong water current and high waves of Piha Beach provide the best destination for surfing. The Tasman Sea is moody and enchanting, allowing the surfers to play with the challenges.

One of the reasons for the beach to be remembered is its iconic presence in a classic, Oscar-nominated film- 'The Piano'.The beach offers a breathtaking rugged scenic beauty and is one of the major attractions for the visitors of Auckland. Apart from the beach's natural beauty, Piha is a must-visit place for art seekers. It is an epitome of local and modern art. The beach offers beautiful panoramic views for photography enthusiasts. It becomes one of the best summer weekends stops for the kids to beat the scorching heat and play around in the water bellies of Piha. It is a place that must be there in the bucket list of those who seek adventure.

Tips

The beach has low connectivity to the general stores, liquor shops and also lacks supermarkets. There's no service station, no ATMs and other necessities.
If planning a trip to Piha Beach, one must carry the necessities along.
There's no petrol refilling centre at Piha. So, the fuel tank must be full, if one is thinking to self-drive.
The beach receives more of day time visitors due to its strong waves and high tides that make it dangerous at night to surf. Since the days are longer in summer, Piha gets populated during this time.

Accommodation

Piha Beach also provides accommodation for the ones who wish to stay back for a longer duration. The beach has private cottages that are given for rent. For travellers with a lust for adventure, Piha also offers caravans for rent, and campground for the early birds, who wishes to live the life of a nomad.

Other Beaches Around

Apart from Piha Beach, there are several more aesthetic beaches that exist on the Western coast of Auckland. A few kilometres away from Piha, towards its north, lies one another popular destination-

Karekare Beach- famous for the movie- 'The Piano'.
Other famous beaches also include Bethells Beach, Muriwai Beach and Karioitahi Beach. These West coast beaches are popular for their uniqueness.

Muriwai Beach- famous for its cliff-top gannet colony, attracting the bird lovers the most.

Bethells Beach- A 4-hour walk from Muriwai Beach is a perfect swimming spot in nature's arms.

Karioitahi Beach- Offering a thrilling and adventurous range of activities to hop around. Including- horse riding, paragliding, blokarting, surfing and many more.

Activities at Piha Beach

Piha is a well-known surfing spot but for the ones who are not a big fan of surfing, Piha doesn't disappoint them!
Other fun-filled activities that one can enjoy include exploring the various delicacies offered in the famous Piha Beach cafes.
A walk through the Piha beach bus allows you to take in the natural beauty of the landscape. The walk that leads to the bush above North Piha, is the longest one, with pleasant views and rich flora and fauna.
The 40-metre high Kitekite Falls ends in a large pool suitable for swimming, also giving the glorious and alluring views of the surrounding scenery.

Lion's Rock

Climbing Lion's Rock gives visitors incredible vantage points and views for miles. This rock is one of the most iconic landmarks of Piha Beach, dividing the North and South Piha beaches. Climbing Lion's Rock also allows you to observe ancient Maori rock carvings, signifying it's importance as a cultural icon.

Black Sand Beach

The black sand beaches are high in iron content and are formed due to the volcanic origin.
The coastal Piha Beach surrounds a beautiful environment with tranquillity and peace. The rich flora and fauna are the insatiable attractions of the wild Piha Beach. For the adventurous souls and for the ones who are keen about wilderness and thrilling sports, Piha Beach is awaiting.

How To Reach Piha Beach

Piha Beach is located on the wild west coast of Auckland, New Zealand. The beautiful rugged beauty is merely 40 km away from the Auckland city, approximately 45-50 minutes by road.
Piha is the most popular road trip destination in Auckland that offers a varied range of soulful attractions on its way. It takes a hilly and windy road to reach Piha. Motoring down this road during winters can be difficult. There's only one way to directly reach Piha and that is by road.
One can take a local taxi to reach there, but also can hire/rent a vehicle for the same.
Renting a car and driving is the most preferable option which makes the entire journey cost-effective.
Though there's a lack of direct public transportation from Auckland to Piha, trains provide a viable alternate option to reach Piha Beach.
Glen Eden and Henderson are the closest railway stations, approximately 13 Kilometres away from Piha. This route may take 35-40 minutes to travel by train and then further 30-35 minutes by taxi. Hence, self-driving is not only the cheapest but also the quickest option to reach the destination.