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Hot Water Beach, New Zealand: How to Dig Your Own Hot Pool (and Walk the Whole Beach)

Hot Water Beach seen from the bluff above it, with the whole bay and headland in view

Hot Water Beach is the one on every Coromandel list: dig a hole in the sand at low tide and it fills with water hot enough to sit in. It really works, and it’s worth doing once. The trick is the tide, a shovel and knowing where to dig, and the walk along the whole beach afterwards is the part most people skip.

Quick facts

  • Where: Hot Water Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, about 15 minutes from Hahei
  • Cost: free. If you’re staying nearby, your accommodation will usually have shovels you can use; otherwise you can hire them near the beach
  • When: about two hours either side of low tide. Check the tide times the day before
  • Our walk: 3 miles (4.9 km) out and back along the full beach, 140 ft (43 m) of climb, about 1 hr 15 min at an easy pace (our Garmin track)
  • Difficulty: easy. It’s flat sand, but plan for wet feet
  • Good for: families, jet-lagged first days, anyone who wants a soak without paying for a spa
  • Our rating: 7/10

Before you go: check the tide times and the safety advice on the official Hot Water Beach page from Tourism New Zealand, and read recent walk reports on AllTrails.

How to dig your own hot pool

We did this on our second morning, with the boys still half on California time. Low tide was around 10 a.m., and our rental came with shovels, which saved the hire fee and a trip into town.

  1. Check the tide. The hot springs sit in a small patch of sand near the rocks, and you can only reach it for a couple of hours either side of low tide.
  2. Go to the right spot. The hot area is a short stretch of beach in front of the rocky outcrop, not the whole beach. If you see a crowd with shovels, you’ve found it.
  3. Dig test holes. We were among the first there, so we spread out and dug small holes until one filled with warm water, then widened it into a pool. Some spots are properly hot, so test with your hand before you sit down.
  4. Or skip the digging. Turn up a little later and take over a hole someone else has abandoned. Plenty of people do.
Waves rolling onto Hot Water Beach on a clear morning

Walk the whole beach

Most people dig, soak and leave. On our second evening we walked the full length of the beach and back, about 3 miles (4.9 km), mainly to keep everyone awake and beat the jet lag. It was the best way we found to reset our body clocks.

If the stream at the north end is running high, don’t wade it. Walk back towards the car park and cross on the road bridge, then drop back down onto the sand.

Lichen-covered volcanic rocks at the southern end of Hot Water Beach
Route map and elevation profile of our Hot Water Beach walk: 3.1 miles along the beach and back
Our walk along Hot Water Beach and back, recorded on 22 March 2024. Basemap: LINZ Topo (CC BY 4.0).

What we’d do differently

  • Don’t swim in the surf. Hot Water Beach has strong rips. Soak in your pool, and if you want a swim, do it at a patrolled beach between the flags.
  • Bring water shoes. They make the walk out to the hot spot much easier. Don’t worry about your swimwear or towel, though: the sand washes out easily.
  • Stay close. Having a rental on the bluff meant we could walk down at low tide with a coffee instead of fighting for parking.
  • Combine it with Cathedral Cove. The two are 15 minutes apart, so you can do one each day, or both on a long day.

The bite after

Hahei is the closest village with proper food. On our first afternoon we had a late lunch at The Pour House: the thin-crust pizza is the one to order, with a bit of crunch. Then ice cream from the shop around the corner, which we went back to the next night as well. For a longer lunch, The Vessel in Cooks Beach is a short drive away.

Thin-crust pizza at The Pour House in Hahei

Verdict

7/10. It’s a gimmick, but a genuinely fun one, and it’s free. Go for the dig, stay for the walk. Skip it if you hate crowds and can’t make low tide work, because then it’s just a busy beach.

Hot Water Beach FAQ

When is the best time to go to Hot Water Beach?

About two hours either side of low tide. That is the only time you can reach the hot sand near the rocks, so check the tide times the day before.

Do you need a shovel at Hot Water Beach?

To dig your own pool, yes. Places to stay nearby often have shovels for guests, so ask before you hire one near the beach. Or turn up a little later and take over a hole someone else has left.

Can you swim at Hot Water Beach?

Not safely in the surf: Hot Water Beach has strong rips. Soak in your pool, and swim at a patrolled beach between the flags.

Is Hot Water Beach free?

Yes. The only cost is a shovel if your accommodation doesn’t have one.

This was day 2 of our 10-day North Island itinerary. Next door: the Cathedral Cove walk.

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