New Zealand North Island - Coromandel Peninsula and Geothermal Sites Cathedral Cove Beach Coromandel Peninsula The Coromandel Peninsula is a peninsula on the eastern coast of the North Island east of Auckland. It is the home of beautiful beaches and amazing scenery. Two of the most famous beaches, Cathedral Cove Beach and Hot Water Beach, are on the eastern coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. The far north of the Coromandel Peninsula is much less populated and remote, while the western side beaches are much more rocky than the eastern beaches, all are stunningly beautiful in their own right. Cathedral Cove Beach Cathedral Cove Beach is famous for its stone arch with a stone pinnacle that can be seen through that arch. This is one of the most photographed sites in New Zealand. Be sure to time out your stay around low tide so you can walk through the stone arch cove to get to the other side of the beach. The other side of the ...