Raglan is a quiet seaside town that gets busy over the Summer months as hoards of people rock up to enjoy the good food, sunshine, surf and glorious harbour. It’s one of our go-to spots for a long weekend, because it’s super relaxing, but has the restaurants, shops and activities to keep us happy. What I love about Raglan, is that every time we visit, there’s a new coffee joint to try out. Ideal.
Where to stay
We tend to always stay somewhere different when we visit. There’s a bunch of holiday homes for hire, plus a substantial camping ground and some other sweet holiday options such as Solscape to hit up. Solscape is somewhere we’ve been meaning to, but never quite got around to staying at. The best couple of sites to find a house to stay in are Bookabach and Air BnB.
Where to eat
So many good places to eat or buy a coffee in Raglan, with a few establishments about as important to the place as the place itself. The Shack is still our favourite place for breakfast, and lunch, with food that tastes as good as it looks. You should also check the Harbourview Hotel out for a drink, it’s an institution.
The Pantry is a relatively new comer to the Raglan scene, but a nice spot for breakfast, with a sandpit out the back for the kids, if you have them. We don’t, but friends do.
Bow Street Depot is one of my favourite places in Raglan to sit and each lunch, with a courtyard that is set up for basking in the afternoon sun. And with platters like this, you won’t be disappointed.
A couple of decent places to get Coffee are Raglan Roast, hidden away down Volcom Lane. It’s always busy, which suggests it’s not just me that likes their coffee.
Otherwise, Raglan Surf Co has a window for takeaway coffee. And you can’t go wrong with Allpress.
Fish’n Chips are a must, and while there’s a couple of places in town to grab your dose of batter and grease, my fave is from Raglan Fish at the wharf just along from the main town. You’ll know you’re getting close when you see the Silos.
Things to check out
Famed as one of the best surf spots in the country, it’s worth driving round to check these out, just to even watch people with skills in action. But another fave is Whale Bay at sunset. Take a walk on the black sands and admire the view. But there’s always lots going on in Raglan, so here’s a few more things to check out.
Cross over the bridge
The bridge is pretty famous in Raglan, and there’s nearly always kids doing bombs, which is fun to watch. Take a walk over and stroll along the beach, maybe take the long way back to town.
Bridal Veil Falls
Just a short 10 or so minute drive out of town and you’ll find the car park to Bridal Veil Falls. They’re some of the better falls you’ll find in the North Island, it’s just the walk back up that might kill you. All those stairs!
Walk to the wharf
There’s the wharf, along from the main town where we buy our fish ‘n chips. There’s also a couple more shops, a cafe and a restaurant along here to stop off at too. As above, if you can see the silo’s, you’re heading in the right direction.
The Shops
And finally, for a place as small as it is, Raglan outdoes itself with the amount of decent shops to check out. With a range of beautiful clothing, antiques, surfboards and homewares, I’d be surprised if you leave without buying something. Current fave is Atamira.
And that’s about it for Raggas. Check out the instagram for some of the latest spots we’ve been visiting.