Cathedral Cove Beach

A beautiful beach that is a must visit place on your visit to the peninsula. The cove is really mesmerizing to see and a surreal feel as you walk through it. As of January 2025 all access points are open including the trek, the public bus, kayaking and water taxi from the Hahei beach. If you take the trek or the bus, there are steep stairs from the top of the cliff to access the beach. The beach does not have a very long stretch but there is plenty of space for lounging on both sides of the cove. The waves are strong but make for a very nice swimming experience. Water scooters are also parked in the water for hire. There is a nice cliff at a short swim on the right side of the cove where people can swim and jump of it. The beach also has a small and very thing natural waterfall with fresh water falling from a rock. This helps visitors get fresh drinking water as well as a shower after coming out of the beach. There are also a couple of small coves around the beach that can be visited during low tide. The cove is extremely busy and very difficult to take an individual picture as there are tourists all around the clock. The beach is exquisitely beautiful.

I recently visited Cathedral Cove and had a wonderful experience. The beach is beautiful, offering a great place to swim and simply enjoy the freedom of nature. The walk from the parking area to the beach takes about 30 minutes, which is a nice way to stretch your legs and enjoy the scenery. Keep in mind that parking is limited and charges apply, and the parking area is open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Overall, it's a stunning location worth the visit – highly recommend it for a peaceful day by the sea!

The first thing is to read the tide times! We went 2 hours before high tide and already the water was coming into the Cove from both sides so we couldn't walk though to the other side. If you want a photo alone, forget about it. This place will always have tourists no matter what time of day or season. Parking was an issue and confusing. Google takes you to the top car park at the start of track but this is only a drop off zone. Parking is back in the town center. From the center to the start of the track was about 15 min ( 1.5km) and from the track to the beach was another 25 min! The track is through the bush and at times is a bit of an incline, then just before the bottom are stairs. There are two toilet stops along the way and an ice cream truck. Other than that, it's Cathedral Cove. It is magnificent and a bucket list item to do at least once.

We went to the grove by kayak and it was an amazing experience! Beautiful area and not too crowded at the moment because the hiking track just re opened last Sunday. I recommend everyone to go there- it’s a beautiful spot not just for photos ;)

Walked in from Lee Road car park and it was an easy 30 minute stroll. A bit of a puff back up the steps but the path is very well maintained. Well worth visiting from the land side. Aim for three hours either side of low tide or you can’t get through the cave without swimming.

My husband and I went to Cathedral Cove Beach on 4/1/2025. As Cathedral Cove Hiking Trail has just been reopened in Christmas 2024, this is the first time we literally walked to Cathedral Cove Beach. It took us around 40 minutes from car park to Cathedral Cove Beach and around 35 minutes back to the car park. There were quite a lot of tourists and locals walking along the trail, including young children and the elderly. Towards the end of the walking trail, there was a public toilet and two food trucks, selling ice cream, soft drinks and food. When we arrived at the Cathedral Cove Beach, many people were enjoying their sunbathing, swimming and diving. We highly recommend you to take a relaxing walk along this newly reopened trail if you happen to be around Hahei Beach area.

Do not follow Google’s directions to get here. It takes you to a private driveway which is not the way! You’ll need to reach the car park, pay the entrance fee and then walk through the bush/fields for roughly 20-30 minutes before you reach the ice cream, drinks and porta-loo spot. Then it’s another 10-15min climb down, before you reach the beach. The steps are a bit steep, and do not bring your strollers or prams! It is not practical! No changing rooms, you’ll need to use the dead tree branches for privacy. But amazing beach, beautiful to swim.

Best in the world. The water is deep, but clean. The walk is almost 30mins ups and downs. Govt has renovated this year. You'll get an ice cream store between the way down and the toilet facility. The view is breathtaking.