Napier, New Zealand

Napier (/ˈneɪpi.ər/ NAY-pee-ər; Māori: Ahuriri) is a city in the Hawke's Bay region on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art Deco architecture. For these attributes, Napier is sometimes romantically referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific".

Napier is located on the territory of Ngāti Kahungunu, one of the country's largest iwi, and as a city has been shaped by nearly two centuries of migration. Its population is about 66,400 as of June 2025. About 18 km (11 mi) south of Napier is the city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities" of New Zealand, with the two cities and the surrounding towns of Havelock North and Clive having a combined population of 133,240. The City of Napier has a land area of 106 km² (41 sq mi) and a population density of 540.0 per square kilometre.

Napier is the nexus of the largest wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and Napier Port is the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand – which is the largest producer of apples, pears, and stone fruit in the country. The fruit grown around Hastings and Napier is exported through the port, along with large amounts of sheep wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber. Smaller amounts of these products are shipped by road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand, such as Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton. The Hawke's Bay wine region is the second largest in New Zealand, after Marlborough.

Tourists are drawn by Napier's unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco, and to a lesser extent Spanish Mission, architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue of the figure in local Ngāti Kahungunu mythology, Pania, on Marine Parade (Pania of the Reef). Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate Winery in the suburb of Taradale.