Cathedral Cove — known in Māori as Mautohe — is one of the most photographed sights on the Coromandel Peninsula, on New Zealand's North Island. Two white-sand coves meet at a sea-carved rock arch, with the tall Te Hoho Rock standing beside the passage. The cove sits inside the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve, next to the village of Hahei.
The pale cliffs framing the bay are pumice breccia, a volcanic rock tied to the wider Coromandel Volcanic Zone, which was active through the Miocene and Pliocene. Over time the sea has worn this relatively soft rock into caves, arches and free-standing stacks — the Cathedral Cove arch being the best known, alongside the neighbouring Te Hoho Rock pinnacle.
The area also has a human history predating European arrival: the name Te Whanganui-A-Hei honours Hei, a tohunga (priest-navigator) who arrived around 1350 on the Te Arawa waka and claimed this part of Mercury Bay for his people, Ngāti Hei. On the headland above the arch, the remains of a pā (fortified settlement) and its defensive ditches are still visible. In 1992 the area became a marine reserve, now protecting 840 hectares of coastal waters. The cove draws roughly 150,000 visitors a year and served as a filming location for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
Because it lies inside a marine reserve, fishing, shellfish-gathering and removing any marine life from Te Whanganui-A-Hei's waters is prohibited — a protection that helps sustain hard-rock reefs, sea caves and underwater arches home to crustaceans, molluscs and fish. Several operators in Hahei run snorkelling and diving trips inside the reserve, and sea kayaks can be hired to reach the cove directly from Hahei Beach, bypassing the walking track altogether.
On foot, access is via the Mautohe Cathedral Cove Track, which reopened on 1 December 2024 after being closed since February 2023 for damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. There's no parking at Grange Road — it's drop-off and pick-up only — so the free option is to leave the car at the Hahei Visitor Carpark and catch the Cathedral Cove Park & Ride shuttle, which runs regularly through the day (around NZ$8 return per adult, free for under-14s). A paid alternative is the Cathedral Cove Gateway Trail, roughly a 30–40 minute walk to the bay. The side tracks to Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay remain closed for track damage.
The best visit falls close to low tide with a calm sea: near high tide, the passage under the arch can flood and cut people off on the far side, and rockfall risk rises during and after heavy rain. There's no running water along the track, so it's worth carrying your own, especially in summer — toilets are available at the Grange Road track entrance and again roughly 10–15 minutes before the beach. Sturdy footwear is worth packing too, since the walk from the Hahei Visitor Carpark or Grange Road involves steady climbs and stepped sections rather than a flat stroll.
About a ten-minute drive away is Hot Water Beach, where visitors dig their own thermal pool in the sand next to the cold Pacific surf. Both belong to the Coromandel Peninsula, a volcanic region of wild bays in northeastern New Zealand.
Yes — it reopened on 1 December 2024 after being closed for almost two years due to Cyclone Gabrielle damage. The side tracks to Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay remain closed.
Entry to the cove itself is free. Free parking is at the Hahei Visitor Carpark, with a paid shuttle (around NZ$8 return); a separate paid private-land option is the Cathedral Cove Gateway Trail.
Close to low tide with calm seas, to avoid being cut off by water under the arch and to see the cove in safer conditions.
No — Grange Road is drop-off and pick-up only, with no parking spaces.
Yes, there are toilets at the Grange Road track entrance and again roughly 10-15 minutes before the beach. There is no running drinking water along the track.
Real historical monthly sea temperature averages.
Less than 30 minutes by car.
