6 of the Best Things to Do in Macandrew Bay, Otago Peninsula

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Macandrew Bay is a small harbourside village on the Otago Peninsula. It’s just a 15-minute drive from Dunedin’s city centre and is the perfect spot for a day out at the beach. Keep reading for all the information you’ll need about Macandrew Bay!

Glenfalloch Garden Cafe and Restaurant

Dunedin is light on restaurants and cafes with garden settings — Glenfalloch is your best bet for some outdoor dining on a sunny day. There is cabinet food as well as a proper menu and they sometimes have live music. There are forest paths, gardens and viewpoints to explore too. It’s a special place and one I’d put at the top of my dining list if I were visiting Dunedin for the first time.

READ MORE: 20 of the Best Restaurants in Dunedin

Macandrew Bay Beach

Macandrew Bay Beach is a lot smaller and less wild than most of Dunedin’s beaches. The water there is calm and there’s a shop across the road for ice creams — a great Dunedin beach for kids!

READ MORE: 26 of the Best Beaches in Dunedin

The Village

The beach is right in front of the village, where you’ll find a dairy, cafe and art gallery. It’s a tiny village centre but very picturesque (and busy on a sunny Saturday or Sunday). There’s also a playground and small field for the kids once they’re done at the beach.

Otago Harbour Cycleway

The Otago Harbour Cycleway stretches from Portobello to Port Chalmers and passes through Macandrew Bay. You could do a short section (walk or cycle) or tackle the whole thing. Walking from Macandrew Bay village to Glenfalloch could be a good idea if you’re keen for a quick walk (15 minutes each way).

Greenacres Track

For harbour views above Macandrew Bay you could consider walking the Greenacres Track. It takes you up to Highcliff Road where you get the best views of the Otago Peninsula / harbour. It’s a pretty easy walk but if you’re short on time you might want to drive up to Highcliff Road instead.

Eating and Drinking

You could grab some takeaways from Macandrew Bay Store and take them to the beach or maybe sit at The Duck Otepoti and enjoy the views. Glenfalloch is a place I’d recommend to anyone (especially if it’s a nice day), or you could keep driving to Portobello (10 minutes further down the Peninsula) where there are a few more options.

Getting to Macandrew Bay

It takes around 15 minutes to drive from downtown Dunedin to Macandrew Bay. You can also catch a bus (number 18 from the city bus hub). I recently read this article which claimed it to be one of New Zealand’s most scenic bus rides. The photo below wasntaken close to Glenfalloch.

Other Things to Do on the Otago Peninsula

There are so many places to visit on the Otago Peninsula, including beaches, hikes, viewpoints, historic sites (one of which is a castle), cute harbourside villages (Broad Bay, Portobello), wildlife spots and more. It’s one of New Zealand’s most beautiful places after all! I’ll be publishing a full guide to the Otago Peninsula in the next few weeks.

Are you planning a trip to Dunedin? Check out our Dunedin travel guide for lots of advice!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.

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