Cathedral Cove (Mautohe)
Iconic limestone sea arch and white-sand cove reached by a coastal walk, shuttle-and-walk, or water taxi.
Why go
It's the postcard image of the Coromandel and one of the most photographed spots in the North Island — and arriving by water taxi to see the arch from the sea is genuinely memorable.
Mautohe Cathedral Cove is the Coromandel's signature sight: a vast naturally-eroded limestone archway joining two white-sand beaches, framed by pōhutukawa-clad cliffs and the chunky Te Hoho rock stack. It sits inside the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve, so the water is clear and full of fish. The walking track was badly damaged by Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023 and closed for an extended period; it has since been repaired and re-routed around a major landslip and is open again. From Hahei the walk in is roughly 40–50 minutes each way over rolling clifftop, with side-trail detours to Gemstone and Stingray Bays. It's the beach that opens the film 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'.
- Time
- 2.5–3.5 h (walk + beach time)
- Price
- free (track); shuttle ~$7 return; water taxi ~$40 each way
- Hours
- Track open daily, dawn–dusk. Hahei→Grange Rd shuttle ~9am–6pm in summer, every 10–15 min.
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