Experience Raglan, New Zealand’s little bohemian hub

A slow-travel guide to experience Raglan, New Zealand’s little bohemian hub, covering all the goods: nature activities, things to do, where to shop, where to stay, & what to eat

Raglan, New Zealand

Is Raglan worth visiting?

It’s out of the way, teeny tiny, and doesn’t get as much hype as the other New Zealand juggernauts dotting the North Island.

The answer is yes. Raglan is worth visiting, exactly for the reasons above. It’s a detour from the classic New Zealand tourist trail, and it took me three years to make my way out there. Which I feel silly about.

Raglan charmed me. The wee coastal town embodies slow living, weaving nature into all aspects of life. The weather stretches the summer heat, enabling a bohemian lifestyle.

I never wanted to leave.

If you’re looking for boho vibes, where the sun is shining, surfboards grace every corner and everyone walks around barefoot, Raglan is the place to be.

Enjoy this slow-travel guide to experience Raglan, New Zealand’s little bohemian hub, including nature activities, things to do, where to shop, where to stay, & what to eat.

Experience Raglan, New Zealand’s little bohemian hub: nature activities, things to do, where to shop, where to stay, & what to eat

Where to stay: accommodation in Raglan

Raglan is the hidyhole for a lot of Aucklanders so the rental market is thriving.

The town is awash with sea cottages and farm stays, perched houses and quirky backpackers.

We stayed at the historic Pear Tree House. We wanted a quiet rural setting with a colonial flair, not too far from town. The Pear Tree House is unique for hosting the largest pear tree I’ve ever seen. In season, it produces such an amount of pears that the hosts have no choice than give heaps out to their guests.

The grounds are also lined with ancient feijoa trees, from which we sampled all the feijoas we could carry. Many other fruit trees are flourishing too, so we enjoyed a proper fruit feast throughout our stay. For free!

What I love most about Raglan is that, unlike the big cities, it remains affordable (for now). With a bit of digging, it shouldn’t be hard to find accommodation to suit your needs to facilitate a charming Raglan experience.

Things to do in Raglan’s bohemian town centre

Raglan food: gorgeous places to eat and drink

A top priority on any holiday is food. And for such a small town centre, Raglan is rich in dining establishments. Given the bohemian status, the culinary scene hinges on clean, organic eating.

Food trucks and cafes are wedged into alleyways with plenty of outdoor seating so that surfers can rock up to any old window in their salt-crusted hair and grab a coffee without once having to leave the sunlight.

A personal favorite is the eclectic outdoor space at INDI Raglan. The coffee is delicious and they let you go off into town with their own mugs to avoid waste, so long as you return it.

There’s also a window that serves the famous Raglan Roast, a kiwi-owned coffee company. And plenty more locally-operated businesses churning out artisan bread, turmeric lattes, and avo toast.

For dinner, visit George’s Beach Club, who even on their busiest night served us a most scrumptious woodfire pizza. I recommend pairing a pizza with a Good George’s craft beer as you enjoy the Balinese ambiance of wooden swings, colorful decor, and many dangling plants.

If you want epic views, you can also take a little drive out to visit Solscape. This eco-friendly yoga retreat hosts an incredible cafe with wide open views of the ocean below. PS they also have accommodation.

Raglan shops: arts, crafts, and boho clothing

Of course, a little boho town will be decorated with crafty shops, fashion boutiques and art galleries. The creative scene is strong in Raglan, no surprise given its community of free spirits.

Little studios showcase paintings and photography by local artists. Jewellers display a sparkling collection of precious stones and pounamou (the New Zealand greenstone). And there are all sorts of potters and collectibles with which to decorate your home to reflect that Raglanite lifestyle.

Raglan also hosts the Raglan Arts Weekend, a three-day event every October showcasing a diverse range of local talent.

New Age entertainment and small businesses

If you’re keen on supporting small businesses (as we all should), Raglan operates on many local entrepreneurs doing good work for their communities.

Raglan wouldn’t be New Zealand’s bohemian hub without offering opportunities to experience the New Age lifestyle.

From the town centre community board, select from a range of yoga classes, breathing courses, chakra workshops, or reiki healing. Raglanites embody groundedness, connection, and slow living so it may be worth your while to invest in a course and learn from the best.

Raglan Waterfront and Wharf

Amble down to the waterfront to do some fishing from the Raglan Wharf. The Raglan waterfront connects many residents to the town centre. The beach, although rocky and slippery in some parts, is walkable and great for exploring.

Alternatively, you can book a kayak from Raglan kayak & Paddleboard and wade out to the limestone coast. With turquoise waters below and limestone rock above, this is a stunning adventure that wades inside rock alleyways, exposing hidden beaches and some gorgeous coastal homes.

Surf at Ngarunui Beach

Of course you can’t visit Raglan without checking out the surfers. Most head out to Ngarunui Beach, an expanse of volcanic black sand with perfect breakers, teeming with surfers and fishermen.

Here you can rent surfboards or take surfing lessons. You can walk to length of the beach, explore the bed of rocks or do some fishing. You can even take a beach horse ride and watch the incredible sunset as you trot along the gentle tides.

Raglan hidden Gems: off the beaten track

Everything mentioned above is a quaint time in Raglan. It’s small enough that it never gets too loud or traffic-y. But if you’re still keen to go off the beaten track, I collated a list below of Raglan hidden gems often missed by the average tourist.

Manu Bay & Whale Bay

For a more intimate surfing experience, drive out to Manu Bay or Whale Bay. These breaks, sheltered by bedrock, are lined with a grassy area perfect for a picnic while watching your friends or family members surf.

I enjoyed our little stop here. The vibes were good as surfers waded in and out, rested on the sand, had a beer with friends. It was a glimpse at what it would be like to live in Raglan, and it was suddenly tempting to move here so I could join this community of ocean-lovers.

Te Toto Gorge Lookout

Dramatic and packed with historical significance, Te Toto Gorge is an understated Raglan experience, in that I’d never heard of it until I found it. Shaun and I have a habit of exploring untravelled routes, and as we trundled along a winding gravel road, this scene opened up to us, making us stop and stare.

Apparently Māori gardens once thrived here. There’s a wooden platform from which you can appreciate the sheer drop from the sea cliffs and an overgrown path that takes you down, down, down to appreciate the old site from a different angle.

Nearby, you’ll also find the Mount Karioi Summit Hike, a scenic 3-hour tramp that takes you up Mount Karioi for more and more epic views.

Ruapuke Beach

If you want to have a true New Zealand experience, utterly immersed among wild forlorn nature, Ruapuke Beach is the place to go.

This beach is where we spent most of our Raglan holiday.

Do be mindful, you can only get there via bumpy gravel road that winds up and down through the hills. So make sure your vehicle can pull that off safely.

As a non-surfer, I walked up and down the sands, filming every detail as the sun dropped over the horizon. It’s a place you feel like the last person on earth, especially during a pandemic when the tourist crowd has dwindled to none.

Please beware that these tides aren’t for the faint of heart. Only advanced surfers ride here, experts at managing the point break and crashing waves. While there, I witnessed some of the most impressive surfing I’d ever seen.

That’s it for my slow-travel guide to experience Raglan, New Zealand’s bohemian hub. I understand there may be bigger fish to fry on your New Zealand bucket list. But I do hope you give Raglan a wee visit. It may be the perfect spot to slow you down and gain a new perspective on what life could be.

Experience Raglan, New Zealand’s little bohemian hub

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