Castor Bay Beach
Why go
Castor Bay Beach is one of the North Shore's most loved family beaches — a compact, sheltered stretch of gentle sandy shoreline that feels safe and manageable with young kids in tow, with mature pōhutukawa at the southern end providing perfect shady spots for those escaping the sun.
The grass reserve at the beach edge is prime real estate on a summer's day, with families setting up picnics and sunbathers claiming their patch early. A proper Kiwi beach day, with all the ingredients: gentle water, shade, picnic grass, a playground for the little ones, and a genuinely good café right round the corner. Worth every bit of the effort to get here.
What to expect
At low tide a small natural rock pool remains on the sand — a favourite with young children for splashing around, and popular with older kids for skimmer boarding. It's one of those simple pleasures that keeps little ones entertained for hours. At the northern entrance a small playground caters to younger children, and Good Hood Eatery sits perfectly on the corner of Beach Road and Castor Bay Road — the ideal stop for post-beach coffee, food or drinks.
The southern pōhutukawa canopy is beautiful but comes with a genuine head-height warning. Coming off the street, keep an eye out for very low hanging branches on the large pōhutukawa — countless parents (and taller adults generally) have walked straight into them while wrangling kids, bags and beach kit. Duck as you approach.
