Akaroa travel guide

Located approximately 1.5 hours’ drive from Christchurch, Akaroa is a world-class destination.

Akaroa is a unique little town – it is quite unlike anywhere else in New Zealand.

Not only is it Canterbury’s oldest town but it is home to a great selection of historic buildings, a beautiful harbour (which is a dormant volcanic crater) and countless memorable restaurants.

After first being settled by Māori, it then became a French town in 1840, making it the only one all of Aotearoa. The town’s unique history adds to its charm today.

You’ll find Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula which is one of the South Island’s most interesting volcanic features. It was originally an island that was formed by two individual volcanic cones. The craters of these volcanoes are how what we know at the Lyttletone and Akaroa Harbours.

As you’ll come to learn, the whole of the Banks Peninsula offers incredible coastal views and stunning rolling hills, helping to make the hills above Akaroa some of the most beautiful in the region.

It is also home to some of the best wildlife encounters in the country (including the opportunity to swim with the rare Hector’s dolphin, see penguins and go sea kayaking) and some memorable walking tracks.

Say ‘bonjour’ to Akaroa when you’re next in Canterbury!