Corsair Bay is a beautiful little beach near Lyttelton. The beach is mostly shelly but the water doesn’t get deep too quickly, and there’s a raft to swim out to. You can choose whether to hang out on the beach, or up a bit on a grassy bank, but be warned – there’s little shade! Pack a picnic and you can spend quite a while here.

The pirate ship playground is an attraction in itself too. If you’re lucky, you might strike a food truck selling ice creams and coffee etc. There are walking tracks to explore too.

Access is from Park Terrace and there are two levels of car parking. It’s a bit of a walk down to the beach via steps or a path. There are toilets/change rooms and an outdoor shower (for washing off sand) as you head down to the beach. We saw a few sandflies, but didn’t seem to get bitten.

You can access Corsair Bay via the Lyttelton tunnel, or drive over the Port Hills.