Cheltenham Beach is a public beach at Arch Hill in Auckland City, Auckland, and holds a strong 4.7 rating on Google.
Beaches on the sheltered side of Auckland swap the west coast's heavy surf for calm, shallow water that warms through summer, making for easy swimming and a gentler day out with children. What regulars plan around is the tide: at low water the sandflats stretch out a long way and a swim can turn into a walk, so the hours around high tide are usually the best of the day. On a fine summer weekend the best patches of sand and shade go quickly, so arriving early pays.
For an easy, sheltered swim close to central Auckland, Cheltenham Beach's 4.7 rating suggests locals made up their minds some time ago.