Auckland and its metropolitan area is located on the North Island of New Zealand, and is the largest and most populous urban area in the country.

Auckland lies on and around an isthmus between the Hauraki Gulf of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, the city is surrounded by water and mountains. With sheltered harbors, it is a strategic location and an obvious place for settlement and the Maori had lived here since the 14th century. In 1840 Auckland was established as the capital of New Zealand, but only kept the title for 25 years, when Wellington was designated as the new capital.
The Waitemata Harbour has very popular swimming beaches at Devonport ,Mission Bay or Takapuna, and the west coast has popular surf spots such as Muriwai and Piha.
The harbors in Auckland are filled with marinas and yachts – as this is one of the most popular places in the world for sailors.

Several of the islands and extinct volcanoes  nearby Auckland, such as Mount Eden, Waiheke Island and North Head, have become natural parks and have remnants of prehistoric settlements. Other popular areas for exploring include the Hunua Ranges and the Waiketere Ranges Regional Park.

For tourists interested in art, the Auckland Art Gallery provides an important collection of works by New Zealand artists. The most appreciated museum in Auckland include: the War Memorial Museum, the National Maritime Museum, or the Museum of Transport and Technology.

Auckland is renown to be always present in the lists with top ten cities in the world to live.