Best beaches in Thornton

1 ranked beach in Thornton, Bay of Plenty

Ranked by the OnlyBeaches Index (OBI) — a 1-10 score blending water purity, conditions, crowd levels and vibe. Updated every 30 minutes.

All beaches in Thornton

1
Thornton Beach

Open sandy beach near the Rangitāiki River mouth with a relaxed local camping feel.

7.0

What makes Thornton's beaches stand out?

Thornton sits in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand and is home to 1 ranked beach on OnlyBeaches. Every beach here is scored by the OnlyBeaches Index — a 1-10 metric blending water purity, live conditions (waves, water temperature, wind), crowd intelligence and vibe.

Whether you're after the highest-scoring beach in Thornton or a quieter hidden cove, the list above is refreshed every 30 minutes using live Stormglass and OpenWeather data.