Photo of Gillespies Beach with gray fine pebble surface

Photo of Gillespies Beach with turquoise water surface

Photo of Gillespies Beach with long straight shore

Photo of Gillespies Beach with very clean level of cleanliness

Photo of Gillespies Beach located in natural area

Photo of Gillespies Beach surrounded by mountains

6.8

Good

Gillespies Beach

Q: What is the closest accommodation to the Gillespies Beach?

There are 0 places to stay in the Gillespies Beach area.Some of the best hotels in the area of Gillespies Beach include:<ul><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=1244389&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">Fox Glacier Lodge</a></li><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=1280616&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">Ropatinis Homestay B&B</a></li><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=43176&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier</a></li></ul>The most popular other types of accommodations nearby:<ul><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=1310314&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">The Church at Fox</a></li><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=354615&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">Fox Glacier TOP 10 Holiday Park</a></li><li><a href="/booking?object=hotel&object_id=8280329&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2" target="_blank">Misty Peaks Guesthouse</a></li></ul>

Karangarua, New Zealand

#10 out of 17 in West Coast

6.8

Good

Free entrance Virgin beach Easy access Gray fine pebble Pebbles bottom Good for swimming Short walking distance

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Located outside the settlement

Karangarua • 13.7 km

Map of beach

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About

Gillespies Beach is located on the Tasman Sea and it is in the 10th place out of 17 beaches in the West Coast region The beach is located in a natural place, among the mountains, surrounded by the cliffs.

It is a long lasting coastline with turquoise water and gray fine pebble, so it is recommended to wear special shoes. The entrance to the water is very smooth. This beach is suitable for different categories of people, lonely travellers, relaxation getaway lovers etc. It is not crowded place during the season. There is a campsite located nearby.

Gillespies Beach coast is free for all. It has no amenities, only nature. .

Please note, that this shore has a significant low tide.

In addition to swimming and sunbathing, you can also take part in other activities.

This beach is easily accessible, it is located very close to road. Parking is located directly on the beach.

Gillespies Beach (West Coast) is located outside the Karangarua settlement, which may cause some difficulties for travelers who stay far from the coast. However, the remoteness from the village is not always a bad thing. Lovers of quiet rest know, the farther the beach, the fewer crowds.

The beach stretches on the coast of the South island and the easiest way to get to the beach is by car or bike. If you don't have this option, then the second best solution is to use the taxi, which can drive you directly to the beach. The only problem, if your stay is far away it can be quite expensive. There is also a possibility of use of public transport, but in this case you need to check the correct route to the Gillespies Beach with the locals. Take into account that the bus stop is usually in some distance., but accessing the beach requires traversing some distance on foot. While driving or cycling are the most convenient options for reaching the start point of trail, these methods may not be feasible for everyone. Alternatively, a taxi can be used to drive directly to the location. Public transportation is another option, but it's important to confirm the correct route with locals beforehand as the bus stop may be located at some distance.

Located outside the settlement

Karangarua • 13.7 km

Map of beach

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Located at nearest locality

Karangarua • 16.8km from center

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Area

Average rating of nearest beaches is 7.3 (Good)

View map

Nearest Beaches

55.2km

Monro Beach Monro Beach

6.9 Good

67km

Ship Creek Beach Ship Creek Beach

7.6 Very good

Localities

Nearest

Karangarua • 13.7km

Transport

Airport

FGL • 15.3km

All nearest beaches

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Travelers reviews

Average Reviews rating

6.8 Good

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Average Reviews rating

6.8 Good

Vasos Alexandrou

8 Very good

Bit of effort to get there and prepare for 10km of gravel windy road. Prepare for sandflies on the beach. Otherwise a lovely pebble beach. You can see Australia! (Just kidding)

Liga Berke

10 Exceptional

Great black sand/rock beach. We were lucky enough to spot dolphins too. Only downside- not suitable for swimming. And road.to the beach is quite a challenge

Michele J

10 Exceptional

Beautiful beach. Remember your insect repellant!

Robyne Clements

10 Exceptional

Miners walk a must very impressive

duncan hamilton

8 Very good

Nice facilities and a beautiful location. Sun was out

Questions and answers

What is the water and sand quality of the Gillespies Beach?

The Gillespies Beach is covered with gray small pebbles. It's very clean, the surface has a mixed fraction. The water is impeccably turquoise. The entrance is pebbly, so it is better to take special shoes.

What are the key activities at Gillespies Beach?

For the main activity - sunbathing, there are no sun loungers on the Gillespies Beach, so you need to take personal items with you and there is no natural shade, so be careful on a hot day.

Is the Gillespies Beach good for swimming?

The entrance to the water is very smooth, the bottom is a bit rocky, so it is recommended to wear aqua shoes. The prevalence of sharks in the area is low.

The waves in the Gillespies Beach are usually strong. The tides are high, so sometimes you have to cross several meters to get to the water.

So the overall recommendation of the Gillespies Beach for swimming is positive.

Is the Gillespies Beach good for families?

Family travelers should consider the following features of the beach. This is the natural virgin beach with minimal amenities. It's covered with small pebbles and the entrance to the water is very smooth.

Is the Gillespies Beach secluded and good for relaxing?

The region of Gillespies Beach is visited only by a few travellers. The beach is located in a natural area. During the high season, the occupancy of the beach is moderate, which is very good for lovers of a relaxing holiday.

The following features add extra points:

Mountains/hills in the vicinity

What are the key audiences of Gillespies Beach?

Gillespies Beach can be a good place for the following groups of travelers:

Campers (tent)

Is there any food or beverages in the area of Gillespies Beach?

There is no restaurant or bar directly on Gillespies Beach.

What is the closest accommodation to the Gillespies Beach?

There are 0 places to stay in the Gillespies Beach area.

Some of the best hotels in the area of Gillespies Beach include:

The most popular other types of accommodations nearby:

How far is the Gillespies Beach from parking?

The Gillespies Beach has a parking spot. It is not very large, so in high season it can be busy. The approximate distance from parking is less than 100 metres.

Is the beach good for sunbathing?

Gillespies Beach (South island) is not fully equipped for sunbathing. However, if you are not picky and are willing to spread out on a towel, you can sunbathe here as well. The natural shade will allow you to hide from the scorching sun in the peak of its activity. Well, the photos of our visitors will be the best proof of that, all the available photos of the beach are above.This beach is poorly suitable for sunbathing. First of all Gillespies Beach (South island) is completely lacking in comfortable sunbathe facilities. There are no sun loungers and umbrellas, this is usually not a problem for an unsophisticated tourist who can relax on a towel, but in this case the rest can be very uncomfortable due to pebbles.Lying on it is possible, but is far from comfortable. In addition there is a lack of natural shade, which leaves you alone with the summer sun. So our recommendation is that you can sunbathe comfortably on the Gillespies Beach for a short time, and not at the peak of sunbathing. If you want to explore the photos of this beach - they are above on the page.