If you’re an avid traveler, you’ve probably at least heard about the Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best, honoring excellence in travel, based on “above-and-beyond” reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community. It’s quite an achievement, with the company noting that out of its 8 million listings, less than 1% are ever able to achieve this milestone.
In its “Best of the Best Beaches,” there was a very unique beach named among the “One of a Kind” category: Hot Water Beach in New Zealand. Can you imagine digging your own hot tub right out of the sand? That’s exactly what you can do here, making it truly one of a kind.
Yes, there are other beach hot tub experiences, like the Beach Baths Hauganes in Iceland, but those tubs are constructed and not dug out of the sand by visitors. There is something similar in a very remote area near La Ventana in Baja California Sur, Mexico, but it isn’t easy to reach, and it’s not always reliable. Hot Water Beach, on the other hand, tucked along the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand, may be the world’s only beach offering this all-natural “hot tub” experience that’s also easily accessible.
How it Works
Hot Water Beach is often deserted, but that changes within two hours of low tide. There’s a four-hour window on either side when visitors can dig their own natural hot tub right out of the sand. It’s possible as the area is part of a highly active volcanic zone, providing the necessary heat source deep within the crust of the Earth. The naturally hot water bubbles up through the golden sands, emerging between high and low tides.
You’ll dig a hole, and it will fill up with the hot, mineral-rich water hiding beneath the surface. Because it’s often too hot to soak in directly, the cold ocean water is mixed in, resulting in the perfect temperature for a soak. Once it’s ready, you can step inside and relax in the soothing water of the springs while gazing out at the waves. At least until the tide comes up again and washes away all the fun.
The key is to pick up a tide table chart (or refer to one of the many tide charts online) to time your visit right, otherwise the sand will be covered up by the surf. Shovels can be rented from one of the local shops and cafes nearby for a small fee.
How to Get There
If you’re staying in Auckland, it’s a roughly 2.5- to 3-hour drive, following SH25 toward Tairua/Whitianga and then turning onto Hot Water Beach Road. If you prefer not to rent a car, Go Kiwi Shuttles offers transport daily from the city, and there are also multiple day tour options from Auckland available that include visits to other popular spots like Cathedral Cove.
