Hokitika's beach faces the Tasman Sea and has all the character of the West Coast: grey sand, massive driftwood logs washed down from the inland forest, and breaking surf that makes swimming inadvisable most of the year. The beach is best on a stormy day when the sea is dramatic and clouds roll off the Southern Alps. Sunsets here can be spectacular, with the Alps visible to the east and the open Tasman to the west.
The driftwood has become a resource for spontaneous art: visitors and locals build large sculptures and installations from the logs, creating new ones as old ones collapse or get swept away. The most famous permanent installation is the HOKITIKA sign formed from driftwood letters above the beach — a favourite photographic subject. The beach extends for miles in both directions from the town; a short walk north leads away from the signage and into quieter stretches. The town-beach interface has a grassy reserve with picnic tables suitable for watching the waves.