Moon Phase
Lunar Phase
Sunrise: 07:10
Sunset: 17:17
NZ
Current NZ Time:
Wednesday
14th May 2025

World Famous
Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach is NOT a secret! It is known around the world!

Hot Water Beach is located along New Zealand's Pacific coast just south of Mercury Bay at the northeast tip of the Coromandel Peninsula (map).

Hot Sand!
© Whitianga Focus — used by permission.
Hot Water Beach — a playground for all ages!
NOT to be missed!

If you're coming to Hot Water Beach, you need to know ...


What is it?

Some volcanos develop huge underground reservoirs of superheated water. Over time, this water will escape to the surface — cooling on the way. There are two fissures at Hot Water Beach issuing water as hot as 64ºC (147ºF) at a rate as high as 15 litres/minute. This water contains large amounts of salt (NOT salt water), calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine, bromine and silica. There are other hot water springs nearby but the location of these two springs on the beach make them unique.

Hot Water Beach
Daily Low Tides

14 May 2025

Valid dates: 1 Sep 2007 -- 31 Dec 2025

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 HIGH tides  |  Low tides 

Show/hide high tides

TimeTide
(msl mm)
Wed, 2025 May 14
01:44-568
07:42632
13:57-771
20:20724
Thu, 2025 May 15
02:26-576
08:22622
14:36-776
21:00740
Fri, 2025 May 16
03:07-574
09:02602
15:15-767
21:40743
Sat, 2025 May 17
03:49-567
09:43578
15:55-748
22:20737
Sun, 2025 May 18
04:31-560
10:25555
16:36-722
23:02727
Mon, 2025 May 19
05:15-559
11:11538
17:21-694
23:47718
Tue, 2025 May 20
06:03-570
12:01533
18:10-669
TimeTide
(msl mm)
Wed, 2025 May 21
00:35715
06:53-598
12:56544
19:03-652
Thu, 2025 May 22
01:26721
07:48-647
13:55578
20:02-649
Fri, 2025 May 23
02:21741
08:44-715
14:57636
21:03-664
Sat, 2025 May 24
03:18773
09:42-798
15:58715
22:04-696
Sun, 2025 May 25
04:16813
10:39-888
16:58805
23:05-739
Mon, 2025 May 26
05:13855
11:34-971
17:56892
Tue, 2025 May 27
00:04-783
06:09888
12:29-1036
18:52964


Tide times are LOCAL (NZST or NZDT).

Tide height in mm from Mean Sea Level.
The lower the low tide,
(the more negative the tide height),
the more time that the thermal spring
on the beach will be "uncovered."

Database created, maintained and
Copyright © 1998-2025 by Data Koncepts
All rights reserved.

Database content
Copyright © 2007 - 2025 by NIWA
All rights reserved.

Printable tide data for this month.

Get more Hot Water Beach info.


When?

The short answer is: ONE hour either side of low tide (okay, up to two hours but only if the low tide is REALLY low). Plan to arrive BEFORE low tide to (a) stake-out a place for digging your 'spa' (Hot Water Beach DOES get crowded) and (b) allow for some relaxation in your 'spa' before the tide rises and reclaims the beach, 'spas' and all.

A table of low tides is displayed to the right. The low tide table starts TODAY (as defined on our server) and provides two weeks of low tides so you can plan your visit to Hot Water Beach. If you're not interested in the next two weeks, update the day, month and year and you'll see the low tides from that date -- within the range from 1 Aug 2007 to 31 Dec 2025. Now you can plan your visit to Mercury Bay -- and Hot Water Beach!

What?

WARNING!

Beware of the rip tides common to Hot Water Beach!
(Most prevalent near the offshore rocks - don't try to swim to them!)

If you feel yourself being taken from the shore by a current, DO NOT try to swim back to the shore - you will NOT succeed! Swim parallel to the beach until the current subsides THEN swim back to shore.

Hot Water Beach has seen many drownings for the failure of visitors to heed these simple precautions and we don't want to lose any more!

How to get here?

There's only one way. Take State Highway 25 to Whenuakite where the only notable junction is the road to Hot Water Beach, Cook's Beach and Hahei/Cathedral Cove. Stay on the main road until you see the (right) turn to Hot Water Beach (~8 km). Please pay attention to the speed limit on this road as it gives a good indication of the road condition -- which is paved right up to the car park.

Of course, NO visit to New Zealand would be complete without sitting on the beach in your own private hot pool at the world renowned Hot Water Beach!

How much does it co$t?

Sorry, the New Zealand government has yet to tax the natural thermal springs such as this one on the beach (all New Zealand beaches are open to the public) so there is NO CHARGE! Of course, if you'd like to have an ice cream, drink or sandwich at the shop (conveniently located at the car park), those are not free. It's true that there's "no free lunch," but ...

Hot Water Beach is FREE!

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