Cathedral Cove: New Zealand’s Real-Life Entrance to Narnia
Long before Aslan ever set foot on screen, New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula was already one of the country’s most photographed coastlines. However, once The Chronicles of Narnia began filming here, this same stretch of coast picked up a second identity. Today, the Cathedral Cove Narnia filming location draws almost as many fans of C.S. Lewis’s world as it does beachgoers and kayakers.
This guide covers what was actually filmed here. It also breaks down how the cove fits into the wider list of Chronicles of Narnia New Zealand locations, and what travelers need to know before visiting, including a few genuinely recent updates to the track itself.
Quick facts:
- Location: Cathedral Cove (Mautohe), near Hahei, Coromandel Peninsula
- What was filmed here: the Pevensie children’s arrival in Narnia and their discovery of the ruined Cair Paravel
- Nearby set location: the Cair Paravel ruins were built on the neighboring Hereherataura Peninsula
- Access today: on foot via the Cathedral Cove walking track, or by kayak, boat, or water taxi from Hahei
- Distance from Auckland: around 2.5 hours by road
Cathedral Cove Narnia Filming Location: The Entrance to Narnia
Director Andrew Adamson, a New Zealander himself, chose Cathedral Cove for one of the franchise’s most memorable transitions. This is the moment the Pevensie children step out of the London Underground and straight onto a Narnian beach. The scene needed a coastline dramatic enough to feel otherworldly, yet grounded enough to still look like a real place. Cathedral Cove’s natural rock archway delivered exactly that.
The cove is closely associated with the ruins of Cair Paravel, the crumbled royal castle the children stumble across not long after they arrive. Actress Anna Popplewell, who played Susan Pevensie, has said the water at Cathedral Cove was so clear that audiences struggled to believe it was real rather than a visual effect. The coastline plays such a memorable role early in the story. As a result, it has become the most recognizable of all the Chronicles of Narnia New Zealand locations, more so even than the film’s South Island sites.
Chronicles of Narnia New Zealand Locations Beyond Cathedral Cove
Cathedral Cove wasn’t the only New Zealand landscape reshaped for Narnia. Consequently, fans chasing the full trail often build a wider itinerary around several other sites:
- Woodhill Forest, Auckland: transformed into the dark, dense camp of the White Witch, roughly an hour northwest of the city
- Flock Hill, Canterbury: the sweeping, boulder-strewn setting for the climactic battle between Aslan’s army and the White Witch’s forces
- Elephant Rocks, Waitaki: became Aslan’s Camp, a rolling landscape of scattered limestone boulders
- Purakaunui Bay, The Catlins: its dramatic clifftops were combined with computer-generated imagery to create the finished Cair Paravel castle
Together, these locations span almost the entire length of the country, from Auckland’s west coast forests to the deep south of the South Island. Because of that spread, most visitors treat Cathedral Cove as a standalone North Island stop. Few attempt to see every site in a single trip.
Cair Paravel Cathedral Cove: On-Set Details Worth Knowing
The beach scene was filmed directly at Cathedral Cove. However, the physical ruins of Cair Paravel were actually built a short distance away, on the tip of the neighboring Hereherataura Peninsula, just south of Hahei. From there, production crews could frame the ruins against the ocean without the archway itself appearing in every shot.
A few details help separate fact from assumption here:
- The final castle seen in wide shots was completed digitally, using Purakaunui Bay’s clifftops as an additional visual layer
- The franchise returned to Cathedral Cove again for Prince Caspian (2008), when the Pevensies rediscover the ruins after their castle has fallen into decay
- Both films used the same stretch of coastline. Because of this, many fans understandably associate the entire Cair Paravel storyline with this one location, even though the finished on-screen castle drew on multiple sites
Hahei Coromandel Peninsula Tour: Getting to Cathedral Cove
Most visitors base themselves in Hahei, the small beach town closest to the cove, before continuing on to the cove itself. A typical Hahei Coromandel Peninsula tour combines Cathedral Cove with at least one or two of the region’s other well-known stops. They all sit within a short drive of one another.
Our Coromandel Peninsula Highlights Tour from Auckland is a straightforward way to see Cathedral Cove as a full-day trip. You won’t need to arrange transport yourself. For travelers who prefer to explore independently, our Coromandel Peninsula things to do guide rounds up the wider region, including nearby Hot Water Beach.
Cathedral Cove Walking Track: Current Status
Anyone planning a visit around the Cathedral Cove walking track should check conditions before setting out. The track’s history has been more turbulent than most New Zealand walks. Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle caused extensive damage in early 2023. This closed the track entirely for close to two years while the Department of Conservation worked through a landslide-prone hillside.
Walking access was eventually restored in December 2024, following a rebuilt boardwalk and rerouted sections around the worst of the slip damage. Even so, the coastline here remains naturally unstable. DOC has continued to close the track temporarily after heavy rain events, including a brief closure and reopening in early 2026. As of mid-2026, the track is open. DOC still advises checking its website before visiting, since closures can happen at short notice.
For travelers who would rather not depend on the track’s status, the cove remains fully accessible by other means:
- Kayak tours departing from Hahei Beach, including our Cathedral Cove Classic Kayak Tour
- Glass-bottom boat cruises, such as our Glass Bottom Boat Cathedral Cove Cruise, which also lets visitors see the marine reserve beneath the water
- Water taxis running short trips directly from Hahei Beach
Comparing Your Options for Visiting Cathedral Cove
| Method | Duration | Best For |
| Walking track | ~1 hour each way | Travelers who want the full clifftop views and don’t mind a moderate hike |
| Kayak tour | 2–3 hours | Visitors who want an active, guided experience with time in the water |
| Glass-bottom boat | 1–2 hours | Families or travelers who want to see marine life without swimming |
| Water taxi | ~10 minutes each way | Anyone short on time or wanting to skip the walk entirely |
A Note on the New Narnia Film
Fans hoping to see a new round of filming at Cathedral Cove should know one thing first. Netflix’s upcoming Narnia adaptation, directed by Greta Gerwig, is not being shot in New Zealand. Production instead moved to Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom, reportedly beginning in mid-2025. In other words, Cathedral Cove’s connection to the franchise remains tied to Andrew Adamson’s original films rather than any current production. That makes the existing filming locations even more worth visiting as the definitive on-location Narnia experience.
Visiting the Wider Coromandel Peninsula
Most visitors won’t want to see just one beach. Because of that, it’s worth building a Cathedral Cove stop into a longer Coromandel itinerary. Hot Water Beach sits only a short drive away, where visitors can dig their own natural hot pool directly in the sand at low tide. Our Hot Water Beach guide covers timing and tides in more detail, since the experience depends heavily on when you arrive.
If you’d like to see more of New Zealand’s other film locations while you’re planning, our New Zealand filming locations roundup covers everything from Hobbiton to Milford Sound’s appearance in Alien: Covenant.
Planning an Itinerary Around Cathedral Cove
The Coromandel Peninsula sits close enough to Auckland for a day trip, yet it rewards a longer stay. Because of that, it’s worth deciding upfront how much time you want to give the region. A North Island self-drive tour can build Cathedral Cove and the wider Coromandel into a longer route through Rotorua, Taupo, and beyond. Alternatively, our customizable New Zealand vacation packages can shape a trip entirely around your own interests, whether that’s film locations, beaches, or a mix of both. You can also add Cathedral Cove directly to your custom vacation package wishlist.
When to Visit
Timing matters more here than at many New Zealand sites, largely because of the track’s weather sensitivity:
- Summer (December-February): the busiest season, with the most reliable track access and the warmest water for kayaking
- Shoulder seasons (spring and autumn): quieter crowds, though it’s worth checking track status more closely given increased storm risk
- Winter (June-August): cooler and quieter, though heavy rain can trigger short-notice closures
Regardless of season, it’s worth checking the Department of Conservation’s website before setting out. The track can close with little warning after severe weather.
New Zealand’s Real Narnia
Most visitors walking down to Cathedral Cove know they’re standing somewhere famous, even if they’ve never read a page of C.S. Lewis. That’s the strange power of this coastline. It looked convincing enough to become Narnia on screen, and it remains just as striking decades later, storms, landslides, and all.
Whether you’re drawn here purely for the scenery, or specifically chasing the Cathedral Cove Narnia filming location and the wider Chronicles of Narnia New Zealand locations, this is one of the more accessible pieces of New Zealand’s screen history. It sits just a couple of hours from Auckland, rather than deep in the backcountry.
Browse our Coromandel Peninsula tours or get in touch to start planning a trip built around Cathedral Cove and the rest of the peninsula.
