The generally accepted explanation of the name Little Akaloa Bay is a corruption of Akaroa, it being almost due north of Akaroa Harbour. As with the other northeast bays, Europeans arrived around the 1840s/1850s, hacked out the ancient forest and created farms. For a while, the process was accelerated by the presence of a sawmill.
The beach is much smaller than Le Bons and Okains, only 300 metres wide, and a bit stonier in some places. Swimming is probably best on the east side, below the access stairs and in the rustic changing shed. The small hamlet of houses and holiday homes is also closer to the beach. At the west end, there are several large old trees that provide shelter for a couple of picnic tables.
To get to Little Akaloa, you can either take Chorlton Road from Okains Bay, which has views of Stony Bay and Raupo Bay, or from Akaroa, take State Highway 75 north. From there, turn right into Okains Bay Road, then left onto Summit Road on the crater rim. Follow Summit for about 7 km, then turn right onto Little Akaloa Road. From Little Akaloa, you can also take a winding metal road northwest to the more remote Decanter and Menzies Bays.
