Six climbers have been rescued in Tasmania after spending an uncomfortable night at the base of a towering rock formation.

The climbers set off their emergency beacon at 8:00pm on Christmas Day after climbing at Cape Hauy on the rugged south-east coast.

They were found at the base of the 110-metre-high formation known as The Candlestick, near another popular climbing destination called the Totem Pole.

Flashing torch lights were seen from the rescue helicopter just before midnight.

An initial rescue attempt by boat failed owing to weather conditions.

A police officer and a paramedic were winched down to the group, which was forced to stay overnight accompanied by a police officer and paramedic.

Tasmania police said the group encountered difficulties completing a return traverse to Cape Hauy.

Five of the climbers were retrieved by a police marine rescue team early this morning, while the sixth member of the party elected to return by foot to the Fortescue Bay camping ground.

Earlier this year, a climber suffered spinal injures and had to be winched to safety from a cliff edge in the same area.

The 26-year-old was hurt while crossing from the Totem Pole to Cape Hauy.

The areas has long been a drawcard for hard-core climbers.

It almost claimed the life of British man Paul Pritchard who suffered a head injury when he fell while climbing the Totem Pole in 1998.

He returned to conquer it in 2016.