About | Castlepoint Beach & Lagoon
Ride the sand dunes, go in for a swim, build a sandcastle, look for fossils, explore the rocks, climb Castle Rock or check out the lighthouse and watch the waves come crashing in, Castlepoint Beach has got it all. Castlepoint is a fantastic destination for swimmers, surfers, jetskiers, horse riders and holidaymakers. The annual horse races on the beach is a popular event! Head out for a day or for a weekend getaway and you’ll come back refreshed and inspired. Castlepoint is rugged and beautiful and its scenic landscape is like something out of a movie.
Castlepoint was named by Captain Cook because it looked like an “old medieval stronghold”. Castlepoint is a small beach town on the Wairarapa coast with only one shop and two places to stay closeby. Masterton is an hour away which makes it a great day trip away and it’s well worth visiting.
If you’re keen for a swim, you can either head to the beach or the lagoon – the latter being the most popular. The lagoon is perfect for the family as it’s nice and calm for the kids and provides a sheltered spot for them to swim and play. Keen surfers will find the breaks they’re looking for by the gap near Castle Rock. Or bring out the kayak, boogie board or paddleboard for some more fun.
Castlepoint Beach will usually get nice, small waves, but can have dangerous swells at times. There are no lifeguards here so check the conditions before you head out.
Find big sand dunes further up Castlepoint Beach and let the kids tire themselves out before a warm shower and bed.
Explore the area by heading up along the Deliverance Cove Track (1.5 hours return) or Castlepoint Lighthouse Walk (30min return). I totally recommend both – they are both breathtakingly beautiful.
Cool fact: this is actually the only spot that you’ll find the very rare Brachyglottis compacta, also known as the Castlepoint Dasiy – a daisy that only grows on the crumbly limestone of the reef and Castle Rock and survives well even in the windy conditions. Show the kids a photo of it (bright yellow daisy, hairy green leaves, silvery underside) and look for it while out on your adventures.
Keep an eye out for dolphins, seals and even whales as well as numerous sea birds – white-fronted terns, red-billed gulls and black shags and reef herons all reside here.
Toilets: near the car park.
Accommodation and food options
If you want to stay longer, Castlepoint has two options, Castlepoint Holiday Park & Motels or Castlepoint Hotel & Guesthouse. Otherwise, there’s a wider range of accommodation options in Masterton.
Self-contained vehicles can spend the night at the freedom car park for free. It would be a nice place to stay the night being right by Castlepoint Beach and be there to watch the sunset/sunrise – there are heaps of cool spots to enjoy it at. The place is absolutely magical at that time.
Other than the Castlepoint Store that has the basics, sells ice cream, fish and chips, and coffee, and lunch and dinner at Dining Castlepoint (at the Castlepoint Hotel), there are no other shops in the area. So if you’re planning on spending a good day out there, stock up on food and water in Masterton before you come.
Nearby
Location
Photos
We passed Castlepoint Beach and parking up on the beach, next to the lagoon, we were just gobsmacked. There was so much we wanted to do and go explore, we didn’t know where to start but one thing we knew – this place was amazing and we were glad we made the decision to extend our trip to make the slight detour.
We explored the rocks and found some delightfully warm and shallow rock pools. Would have made a great spot for kids to play. Looking down we saw the waves come crashing in and breaking again the rock. Awesome spot for exploring!
