Anapai Bay
Six tents, golden sand, zero phone signal
About
Anapai Bay sits quietly on the northern edge of Abel Tasman National Park, a compact arc of golden sand backed by regenerating kānuka scrub. The water runs a clear turquoise, sheltered enough for calm, safe swimming even on breezy days. With a strict six-tent campsite limit, this pocket of South Island coastline almost never feels anything but empty — which is precisely the point. It sits just north of Tōtaranui, reachable only by foot along the Coast Track or by kayak across the bay, and that effort is its best filter.
How to get there
Anapai Bay has no road access whatsoever — reach it by hiking north from Tōtaranui along the Abel Tasman Coast Track, or by launching a kayak from Tōtaranui, a roughly 45-minute paddle on demand. Leave any vehicle at Tōtaranui, the nearest village and the only practical staging point for either approach. There is no entry fee to the beach itself, but the campsite requires a DOC booking — secure yours well in advance through the Department of Conservation.
Who it's for
For couples
Anapai Bay is about as private as a New Zealand beach gets — six tents maximum means you may well have the golden sand and turquoise water entirely to yourselves, with nothing but kānuka scrub and birdsong for company.
For families
Families who can manage the hike or kayak from Tōtaranui will find safe, calm swimming in sheltered turquoise water, but the absence of any facilities means you need to be fully self-sufficient — carry all food, water, and first-aid supplies for the group.
Our take
Feet in the sand, eyes on the screen
Anapai Bay earns its reputation as one of Abel Tasman's quietest corners through a combination of boat-or-boot-only access and a six-tent limit that the park actually enforces. Swimming is safe in the sheltered turquoise water, and the golden sand is as clean as it gets in New Zealand. The sandflies at dusk are a genuine nuisance — not a marketing footnote — and the complete absence of facilities means underprepared visitors will have a bad time. Go between December and March, book your DOC campsite early, and carry everything you need. Skip June through August: the Coast Track turns cold and wet and the reward shrinks considerably. If you want solitude on a national park beach without crossing an ocean, this is one of the most credible options on the South Island.
What to do
The short hike or paddle to nearby Mutton Cove, just 2 km away, rewards you with a resident New Zealand fur seal colony in a remote, seldom-visited setting. Push a little further to Separation Point, 3.5 km from Anapai, where a granite headland hosts another seal colony and sweeping views back along the coast. Tōtaranui Beach, 2 km south, offers the wide golden-sand arc of the park's main northern hub if you want a change of scene without straying far.
The early-morning view from the Coast Track descent, with the full arc of golden sand and turquoise water framed by kānuka, is the standout frame.
The waterline at low tide offers clean reflections of the scrub backdrop with no infrastructure in shot. For wildlife, the fur seal colony at Mutton Cove 2 km north adds a compelling natural subject to any coastal shoot.
Where to eat
There are no cafés, kiosks, or restaurants at Anapai Bay or within practical reach of the campsite. Bring your own picnic — every meal needs to be carried in and every wrapper carried out.
Where to stay
The Anapai Bay Campsite itself is the obvious base, rated 4.8 out of 5 across 20 reviews, though remember the six-tent cap makes it one of the most limited sites in the park. Mutton Cove Campsite, 1.5 km away, holds a perfect 5 out of 5 from 18 reviews and offers a similarly intimate alternative. For more space and facilities, Totaranui Campground 2.2 km south carries a strong 4.7 out of 5 from 437 reviews, and Whariwharangi Hut, 2.9 km away, rounds out the options at 4.8 out of 5.
Photography
The best light hits the golden sand and turquoise water in the early morning, when the bay is glassy and the kānuka scrub glows green behind the shore — set up before 8 am. For a wider compositional shot, the headland approach from the Coast Track gives an elevated view of the full bay curve with no tents or people to edit out.
Good to know
Dogs are strictly prohibited throughout Abel Tasman National Park, so leave them at home. The campsite is capped at six tents and DOC booking is mandatory — no fires are permitted, and you must pack out every scrap of rubbish. There are no facilities beyond the basic campsite, so carry all your food and water from Tōtaranui. Sandflies become aggressive at dusk — cover up or retreat to your tent before the light fades. True digital-detox territory: bring offline books, cell signal fades and there is nowhere to plug in a laptop.
Map
Nearby places
Anapai Bay Campsite
Mutton Cove Campsite
Totaranui Campground
Whariwharangi hut
Totaranui Campground
Things to see around Tasman District
Mutton Cove
Remote cove near Separation Point with New Zealand fur seal colony
Separation Point
Granite headland with resident New Zealand fur seal colony
Tōtaranui Beach
Wide golden-sand arc and main northern campground of Abel Tasman National Park
Frequently asked
The information on this page is provided for guidance only and may evolve. Access conditions, safety and infrastructure can change without notice. Always check official sources before traveling.
Nearest beaches
Other wild beaches in New Zealand
Reviews of this beach
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Photo credits
Sources and licenses for the photos shown above.
- Photo 1 — evocateur · source · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Photo 2 — evocateur · source · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Photo 3 — Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia · source · CC BY 3.0
- Photo 4 — Julien Carnot · source · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Photo 5 — evocateur · source · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Photo 6 — Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia · source · Public Domain