🇳🇿#10 globally

BEST BEACHES IN NEW ZEALAND 2026

The OnlyBeaches Quarterly Report ranks 687 mapped beaches in New Zealand. Average OBI: 9.4. Top-scored beach: Long Beach. Methodology blends live wave data, water quality, Blue Flag certification and crowd intelligence.

#10

Global rank

9.4

Average OBI

687

Mapped beaches

Blue Flag sites

Country rankings

Top 10 beaches in New Zealand 2026

The New Zealand top 10 for Q3 2026 is compiled from live scored beaches. The country still ranks #10 globally on the headline OBI average above.

For press · cite freely

Quotable findings — New Zealand

#10 in the world. New Zealand sits at rank #10 on the OnlyBeaches Index 2026 with an average score of 9.4 across all 687 mapped beaches.
Top beach: Long Beach.
Best months to visit (global pattern): October to March score above 7.9 on the OBI crowd pillar. July and August dip below 6.0 globally — overcrowded conditions.

Source: OnlyBeaches Quarterly Report 2026 · onlybeaches.com/report/2026 · Methodology: /methodology

🏆

OnlyBeaches Award 2026

#10 Best Beach Destination

🇳🇿 New Zealand · OBI avg 9.4

Embeddable badge

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<iframe src="https://onlybeaches.com/embed/award/new-zealand-2026" width="240" height="130" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="OnlyBeaches Award — Best Beaches New Zealand 2026"></iframe>