Photo of Half Moon Bay Beach with brown pebble surface

Photo of Half Moon Bay Beach with turquoise water surface

Photo of Half Moon Bay Beach with long straight shore

Photo of Half Moon Bay Beach with very clean level of cleanliness

Photo of Half Moon Bay Beach and the settlement

7.1

Good

Half Moon Bay Beach

Hapuku, New Zealand

#18 out of 29 in Canterbury

7.1

Good

Free entrance Virgin beach Easy access Brown pebble Pebbles bottom Good for swimming Short walking distance

Click on any feature to view all similar beaches in area

Located within the settlement

Kaikoura • 13.3 km

Map of beach

View all on map

About

Half Moon Bay Beach is located on the South Pacific and it is in the 18th place out of 29 beaches in the Canterbury region The beach is located in an urban area, among the mountains.

It is a long lasting coastline with turquoise water and brown pebble, so it is recommended to wear special shoes. The entrance to the water is very smooth. This beach is suitable for different categories of people, lonely travellers, relaxation getaway lovers etc. It is not crowded place during the season.

Half Moon Bay Beach coast is free for all. It has no amenities, only nature, changing rooms, showers, toilets. .

In addition to swimming and sunbathing, you can also take part in other activities.

This beach is easily accessible, it is located very close to road. Parking is located directly on the beach.

Half Moon Bay Beach is located in Canterbury within Kaikoura, which makes it not only easily accessible, but even popular among tourists. However, during the high season it is quite uncrowded, which allows you to spend a comfortable time on the coast.

The beach stretches on the coast of the South island, within the boundaries of the settlement, it is not difficult to get to it. If your stay is located not far from the beach, you can reach it by walking. In this case you will not be tied to finding parking or to the schedule of public transport. If you are traveling by car just use your navigator. In any case, do not forget about the availability of public transport and taxis.

Weather

history

+11 ^o C +5 ^o C

Air temperature

11.9 M/S

Wind

+11 ^o C

Water temperature

1.2 M

Wave height

Located within the settlement

Kaikoura • 13.3 km

Map of beach

View all on map

Booking.com

Stays nearby

12 accomodations nearby

5.2km from the beach

9.7 Exceptional

White Caps Kaikoura

Guesthouse/Bed And Breakfast

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 9.7km from center

Booking.com View deals

5.3km from the beach

9 Excellent

The Little Black House

Entire House

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 9.5km from center

Booking.com View deals

5.4km from the beach

9.9 Exceptional

Manakau Lodge

Lodge

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 9.5km from center

Booking.com View deals

7.1km from the beach

9.7 Exceptional

Awatea Country Bed & Breakfast

Guesthouse/Bed And Breakfast

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 6.7km from center

Booking.com View deals

10.7km from the beach

9.7 Exceptional

Deerbrooke Kaikoura Chalets - Unit 1

Chalet

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 3km from center

Booking.com View deals

11km from the beach

8.6 Excellent

Beachcomber

Entire House

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 2.6km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.3km from the beach

8 Very good

Donegal House

Hotel

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 4.3km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.5km from the beach

Yellow Beach Road - Kaikoura Holiday Home

Entire House

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 2.1km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.5km from the beach

8.8 Excellent

Waikoura springs

Guesthouse/Bed And Breakfast

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 2.7km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.5km from the beach

9.1 Excellent

Willowbank Motel

Motel

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 2km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.7km from the beach

8.7 Excellent

Kaikoura Peaks eMotel

Motel

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 1.9km from center

Booking.com View deals

11.7km from the beach

8.9 Excellent

Driftwood Villa

Entire House

Located at nearest locality

Kaikoura • 1.8km from center

Booking.com View deals

View all nearest stays

Booking.com

Area

Average rating of nearest beaches is 7 (Good)

View map

Nearest Beaches

12.2km

Okiwi Bay Beach Okiwi Bay Beach

6.9 Good

13.6km

Kaikoura Beach Kaikoura Beach

7.1 Good

17.1km

Luca's Beach Luca's Beach

6.9 Good

39.8km

Black Sand Beach Black Sand Beach

6.8 Good

42.9km

Black sand Beach Black sand Beach

6.6 Good

61.1km

Ward Beach Ward Beach

7.1 Good

72.8km

Gore Bay Beach Gore Bay Beach

7.8 Very good

73.4km

Marfell's Beach Marfell's Beach

6.8 Good

Localities

Nearest

Kaikoura • 13.3km

Transport

Airport

KBZ • 19km

All nearest beaches

You can set the search radius & filter nearest beaches by features

Travelers reviews

Average Reviews rating

7.1 Good

Contribute

Share your experience with other travelers

Average Reviews rating

7.1 Good

This beach has no reviews yet. Be the first one!

Questions and answers

What is the water and sand quality of the Half Moon Bay Beach?

The beachline of Half Moon Bay Beach is covered with brown pebbles. It's very clean, the surface has a mixed fraction. The water is impeccably turquoise. The entrance is pebbly, so it is better to take special shoes.

What are the key activities at Half Moon Bay Beach?

For the main activity - sunbathing, there are no sun loungers on the Half Moon Bay Beach, so you need to take personal items with you and there is no natural shade, so be careful on a hot day.

Is the Half Moon Bay Beach good for swimming?

The entrance to the water is very smooth, the bottom is a bit rocky, so it is recommended to wear aqua shoes. The prevalence of sharks in the area is low.

The waves in the Half Moon Bay Beach are usually strong.

So the overall recommendation of the Half Moon Bay Beach for swimming is positive.

Is the Half Moon Bay Beach good for families?

Family travelers should consider the following features of the beach. This is the natural virgin beach with minimal amenities. It's covered with pebbles and the entrance to the water is very smooth.

Is the Half Moon Bay Beach secluded and good for relaxing?

The region of the Half Moon Bay Beach is not one of the mass tourism destinations, but is still popular with solo travelers. There are several buildings near the beach. During the high season, the occupancy of the beach is moderate, which is very good for lovers of a relaxing holiday.

The following features add extra points:

On the territory of the national park / reserve

Is there any food or beverages in the area of Half Moon Bay Beach?

There is no restaurant or bar directly on Half Moon Bay Beach.

What is the closest accommodation to the Half Moon Bay Beach?

There are 39 places to stay in the Half Moon Bay Beach area.

Some of the best hotels in the area of Half Moon Bay Beach include:

The most popular other types of accommodations nearby:

How far is the Half Moon Bay Beach from parking?

The Half Moon Bay Beach has a parking spot. It is not very large, so in high season it can be busy. The approximate distance from parking is less than 100 metres.

What is the best time of the year to visit Half Moon Bay Beach?

The month with the highest temperature in Half Moon Bay Beach is January. Its average value reaches 23°C. The warmest sea is in February, the average value is 18°C. The coldest month is July with air temperature 11°C and water 10°C. See more details in weather section.

Is the beach good for sunbathing?

Half Moon Bay Beach (South island) is not fully equipped for sunbathing. However, if you are not picky and are willing to spread out on a towel, you can sunbathe here as well. The natural shade will allow you to hide from the scorching sun in the peak of its activity. Well, the photos of our visitors will be the best proof of that, all the available photos of the beach are above.This beach is poorly suitable for sunbathing. First of all Half Moon Bay Beach (South island) is completely lacking in comfortable sunbathe facilities. There are no sun loungers and umbrellas, this is usually not a problem for an unsophisticated tourist who can relax on a towel, but in this case the rest can be very uncomfortable due to pebbles.Lying on it is possible, but is far from comfortable. In addition there is a lack of natural shade, which leaves you alone with the summer sun. So our recommendation is that you can sunbathe comfortably on the Half Moon Bay Beach for a short time, and not at the peak of sunbathing. If you want to explore the photos of this beach - they are above on the page.