Maruia Hot Springs

What to expect

Maruia Hot Springs is a small resort on State Highway 7, on the West Coast side of Lewis Pass, in beech forest beside the Maruia River. The small settlement of Maruia Springs takes its name from them. The resort sits within a scenic reserve on public conservation land, with mountains on every side.

Hot water has been used here for a long time. Māori knew the springs for centuries, and pounamu (greenstone) traders rested here on the walk over to the West Coast. European settlers built huts in the late 1800s, and a hotel grew from them over the following century. A 2009 geothermal survey listed a Japanese bath house, private spas and two rock pools here. Today the resort presents itself as a sauna and bathing retreat, with the emphasis on hot and cold rounds, guided sauna sessions and daily yoga and wellness classes.

The water is the reason to come. It is a sulphur spring with a pH of 7.3, rising naturally at about 129-140°F54-60°C and piped to the pools without chemical treatment. Up to 500,000 litres of fresh mineral water flow through the pools each day. Staff control how much hot water goes in, and in summer they add cold water. Pools sit between 100-108°F38°C and 42°C depending on the pool and the season. You will smell sulphur, and you may see black and white strands in the water. The resort says these are mineral and bacterial growths and harmless.

The pools and facilities

• Outdoor mineral pools set among rocks and forest, from 100°F38°C to 108°F42°C.
• Cold plunge pool, listed at 39-52°F4-11°C.
• Mineral foot bath.
• Hot rock sauna, which the resort calls the largest in New Zealand, with room for 35 people. Staff run a guided “signature sauna infusion” for over-16s.
• Infrared sauna and a steam room at 100-114°F37.7-45.5°C.
• Hot and cold massage showers and relaxation lounges with a fireplace.
• Private baths for up to 5 people, booked in 45-minute sessions, with access to the public pools and sauna included.

Prices and booking

Prices from the resort’s 2026 pages:

• General admission: NZ$65 for up to 3 hours.
• Day retreat (8am to 8:30pm): NZ$99 adult, NZ$89 senior 65+. Family day retreats are NZ$259 for two adults and one child, NZ$299 for two adults and two children. A welcome drink, a towel, robe and locker and the guided sauna session are included.
• Day retreat with a two-course lunch: NZ$129 adult, NZ$119 senior.
• Twilight sauna and bathe (5:30pm to 9pm): NZ$79 adult, NZ$69 senior, NZ$184 or NZ$229 for families.
• Towel, robe and locker hire for general admission: NZ$18 for all three (towel NZ$6, locker NZ$5, robe NZ$12).

Book online. A booking cancelled more than 48 hours ahead is refunded in full, between 48 and 24 hours you get 50% back, and inside 24 hours you pay the lot.

Opening schedule: this matters, because the resort does not open every day all year. From 15 October 2026 to 4 May 2027 it is open daily, 8am to 9pm. Earlier in 2026 (May to late June, and late July to late September) it opened only from 3pm on Thursday to noon on Tuesday. Expect a similar pattern in the cooler months of 2027.

Food: the restaurant serves breakfast from 8am to 10am, lunch from 12:15pm to 2pm and dinner from 6pm, and dinner must be booked. Snacks and drinks are sold all day, but the café is closed, so there is no takeaway coffee. Bring supplies, since the nearest shops are a long drive away.

Clothing: swimsuits. Dark ones are best, as the minerals can stain.

Children: welcome, with family passes and a kids’ play and TV room for family day retreat and twilight guests. Under 8s must be within arm’s reach of a guardian and 8 to 15 year olds within close sight.

Getting there

Maruia Hot Springs is at 1513 State Highway 7, Lewis Pass, about 2.5 hours by road from Christchurch and about an hour beyond the Hanmer Springs turn-off.

• From Christchurch: Drive north on SH1 to Waipara, then take SH7 through Culverden and past the Hanmer Springs turn-off. Cross Lewis Pass, and the resort is on the highway on the western descent.
• From the West Coast: Come east on SH7 from Reefton or from Murchison via Springs Junction.

SH7 is sealed and is a main freight route, but it crosses an alpine pass. In winter you may need chains. Check the NZTA (NZ Transport Agency) traffic site before you set off. The resort offers a rebooking or refund only if the road is actually closed, not when chains are required.

When to go

Winter, from June to August, is when most guests want to come, because soaking with snow around the pools is the whole appeal. Bring chains and allow extra time on the pass. Check the Thursday to Tuesday schedule for those months.

Summer is warmer and the resort is open every day, but sandflies are active on warm days. Repellent is sold at reception and provided at the pools. Sandflies fade at night, in rain and in winter.

Where to stay nearby

The resort itself is the obvious choice, and overnight guests get the pools all night, with access from 3pm check-in until 1pm on the day they leave.

• Hotel rooms: garden, valley and mountain view rooms, a two-bedroom family room, loft suites, and Thermal Tranquility rooms and a suite with their own outdoor bath fed by geothermal water. Most rooms have no TV, radio or phone.
• Glamping pods: 5 pods for up to 2 people and 8 deluxe pods for up to 4, sharing the campground showers and toilets.
• Camping: an unpowered campground for tents and vehicles, on DOC land. The resort does not recommend tents, so call before booking one.
• DOC campsites: DOC’s Marble Hill Campsite, on the Springs Junction side, lists the springs as a nearby attraction.
• Hanmer Springs, a short detour off SH7 about an hour back towards Christchurch, has the most motels and holiday parks, and its own large thermal pool complex. See Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa.

Safety notes

• Heat: At 108°F42°C, the hottest pools tire you out quickly, especially after a sauna. Drink water between rounds. Pregnant guests are asked to stay in the 100°F38°C pools and avoid anything over 104°F40°C.
• Head under water: Untreated geothermal water in New Zealand can carry Naegleria fowleri, which causes amoebic meningitis. Keep your head above the surface.
• Mountain road: Snow, ice and slips can affect SH7. Fill up with fuel before you leave Hanmer, Culverden or Reefton.
• No signal: With no mobile coverage, tell someone your plans and save your booking details offline.