Note: The Cathedral Cove Walk was reopened on December 1st, 2024.

Having been a film location in Chronicles of Narnia: The Prince Caspian the Cathedral Cove walk is one of the most popular attractions in the Coromandel.

But is it just the blind leading the blind? Does everyone visit because they don’t want to miss out (FOMO)? Is it a genuinely stunning walk?

I’m sure it’s a bit of everything, but I can genuinely say Cathedral Cove is epic and you should go. But don’t follow everyone up and down the main trail, skipping the walking tracks off the main path, doing so is a mistake! You’ll read about this later on.

This post has all the details you need to know about visiting the Cathedral Cove.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Cathedral Cove Walk Details & FAQ
2. How To Get To Cathedral Cove
3. My Cathedral Cove Walk Experience

1. CATHEDRAL COVE WALK DETAILS & FAQ

How long is the Cathedral Cove walk?

Hike Distance¹: If you’re only goingfrom the top of Grange Road to Cathedral Cove , it’s a little under 4km round trip. But you can take some walks to Gemstone Bay, Stingray Bay, and the Cathedral Cove viewing deck/platform and get close to 6km of walking. You can see the route I took on Strava here.

How hard is the Cathedral Cove walk?

With a well maintained, and popular tracks, it’s an easy walk with only a couple of hundred metres of elevation gain.

FAQS

How long does it take to walk to Cathedral Cove?

The DOC signs say it’s a 45-minute walk to the Cove, but you should be there in 20-30 minutes. Getting back up the hill will take a few minutes longer. Note: You can’t park next to the start of the trailhead so you’ll need to add some time on (how to get there below) there, time for the other bays/viewpoints you want to see. And of course, the time you spend at Cathedral Cove itself.

Is Cathedral Cove crowded?

On a nice day in the middle of summer, there’ll be dozens of people on the trail and Cathedral Cove Beach. I do mention the non-touristy viewpoint below 😉 In the middle of winter you’ll still find people here and there, but there’s a chance you might be the only one at the beach.

Do you have to pay to go to Cathedral Cove?

No, it’s free to access Cathedral Cove. But you may need to pay for parking…there are free options available though.

Can you walk through Cathedral Cove at high tide?

Usually, you’ll be able to walk through with no problem provided you don’t mind getting your feet wet. But if it’s a big tide, you’ll be better off going at high tide. You can check the latest tides here.

Can you swim at Cathedral Cove?

Yes, you can. The surf can get rough so use your own good judgment. And you can go snorkeling in Stingray Bay as well.

Why is it called Cathedral Cove?

Similar to the Cathedral Cave in the Catlins, Cathedral Cove is named due to the shape of the caves. You’ll know the large triangular cave when you see it that gave Cathedral Cove its name.

Are there toilets at Cathedral Cove Beach?

There are toilets at the start of the trail on Grange Road and about 20 minutes before the end of the track (close to half way). There are none at Cathedral Cove itself.

Can you do a day trip from Auckland to Cathedral Cove?

There are plenty of companies who are able to organise this. Check out this deal on BookMe.co.nz and you might find a good deal.

Are dogs allowed on the Cathedral Cove walk?

No. With no exceptions.

2. HOW TO GET TO CATHEDRAL COVE

This is the biggest change since the track reopened in 2024. It’s important to plan ahead of time as it’s not as simple as arriving at the trailhead and starting the walk due to how popular it is (pick up and drop off only).

Free Parking is available at the Hahei Visitor Carpark. You can either walk to the trailhead or pay for the shuttle to the Grange Road Track entrance from here ($7 for adults return, 14 and under are free).

Paid parking is available at the Cathedral Cove Gateway Trail, 150 Lees Road. You can walk via the private farm to the main track.

3. MY CATHEDRAL COVE WALK

Note: This report was before the track reopened at 2024, so while it’s similar the track will vary slightly.

Having visited Cathedral Cove on a grey and miserable day a few years ago I was excited to do the walk again on a partly cloudy day.

I got a ride from the hostel in Whitianga with a fellow hostel guest, and we parked at the free visitor car park and walked along Hahei Beach before taking the stairs up to the trailhead.

It’s a bit of a hike up to the trailhead, but you get a few nice views so I enjoyed it.

When we reached the trailhead I went up to the wooden viewing platform to read about the history of Cathedral Cove and take in the views. I definitely don’t remember the cliffs being so white, they’re stunning.

The start of the walk is a steady descent for the first 500 metres, which is where you’ll see the turnoffs for both Stingray Bay and Gemstone Bay too (I’ll talk about the bays later in the trip report).

The main Cathedral Cove walkway is fully paved so there’s no chance of getting lost, though it may get slippery in parts in the wet. Now we’re heading back up a rise which finishes at the beginning of WW1 Memorial Forest Park, honestly, it’s a nice tribute but nothing special scenery wise.

But you get some cool views out to sea now as you follow what is a ridge of some description before you reach the section where there’s a bush on either side of you walking on the track.

You’ll see a sign along here pointing to a viewing platform that less than 5% of visitors (my estimate) visit, but I’ll talk about that more soon.

Once you pass that turnoff, it’s a pretty steady descent to the flights of stairs that finish on the edge of the Cathedral Cove beach. When you arrive at the beach, you’re on the southern beach. You’ll see the Smiling Sphinx Rock here, and the arch will be on your left-hand side.

This is the more popular beach despite the other one being just on the other side of the arch!

Walk through the arch and take all the famous photos you’ve seen in your research, it is cool. And do check out the other beach featuring Te Hoho Rock, it’s cool with the erosion at the base (don’t fall over please, rock) and you may as well while you’re there, right?

My friend went for a swim at the cove and said it was cold but amazing. I was more keen on walking to the viewing platform though 🙂

If you’re short on time, it’s simply a matter of walking back the way you came. It’s a slightly harder walk as you’re ascending overall, but it’s nothing you won’t struggle with. Maybe add on an extra 5-10 minutes walking time?

There are a few sidetracks you can take along the main walk which I think you should do. They don’t take long and all have cool views!

The viewing platform: This is an awesome 700 metre each way walk to a viewing platform north of Te Hoho Rock. The platform is at the top of a steep cliff, so you get amazing views straight down the coast looking south.

There are a few gentle undulations but it’s super easy. You’ll see the sign on your walk there and you’ll just need to follow the trail until you reach the platform.

This sidetrack will take 18-30 minutes to get back to the start, mostly depending on how long you spend at the platform. It’s your classic non-touristy area of a very touristy attraction.

Stingray Bay (closed as of Dec 2024): Yes, Stingray Bay does have stingrays you can find swimming in the shallows. I didn’t see any though 🙁 This is a great-looking bay with the near-vertical cliffs bordering the quiet beach. And the waves are a lot more gentle too. The walk is easy enough, and only takes a few minutes off the main trail, but you’ll need to hop over some rocks at the end.

Gemstone Bay (closed as of Dec 2024): If you’ve got snorkeling equipment with you, you’ll want to visit Gemstone Bay (assuming conditions are nice) to do the the snorkel trail.

There’s no sandy beach at this bay, it’s all boulders and while I can’t comment on the quality of snorkeling, it’s definitely something different from everything else along the Cathedral Cove walkway. And no, I didn’t find any gems.

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Yes, Cathedral Cove beach is super touristy given the relative ease of the walk, fame as a film location, and being close to Hot Water Beach.

Oh, AND it’s a genuinely stunning location with the archway and steep cliffs. framing the two beaches at the bottom of the track.

So yes, Cathedral Cove is worth visiting when you’re in the Coromandel. If the number of tourists freaks you out, head to Wharekirauponga when you’re near Whangamata and you won’t have that issue.

If you have any questions about the Cathedral Cove walk, let me know in the comments below. Have you been? I would love to hear your opinion of the cove too!

Chur,
Jub

p.s. Here’s a map of all the hikes documented on Chur New Zealand. You can click the icon to see brief details, as well as a link to read more about the hike (like this post).