Sydney The sand is blessed with dozens of beautiful beaches for swimming, surfing or simply sunbathing.
Be around anywhere Sydney The city center and you have a choice of beaches to visit: from pocket-sized harbor bays, where you can slip into calm seas while watching the boats bob by, with strong waves and the pulse of Australia’s coastal culture. to popular surf spots. All are practically at your doorstep.
Even in winter the water temperature in and around Sydney hovers around 18 °C (64 °F). Should you rent a wetsuit? Only if you plan on surfing.
1. Bondi Beach
Closest beaches to Sydney city centre
Definitely one of the most famous beaches in the world, Bondi in Sydney. It’s the closest beach to the city center (8km/5 miles away, but a bit of a pain to get to by bus) and has consistently good waves, although they get crowded in the summer. If you’re confident in the waves, it’s perfect for rough and tumble swimming (average water temperature is 21°C/70°F). If the sea is particularly rough, try the saltwater sea baths at either end of the beach. Free beach-friendly wheelchairs can be booked through Bondi Pavilion.
2. Palm Beach
Perfect for spotting celebrities Home and away
The tall, beautiful Palm Beach is a crescent of bliss made famous by the setting of the Australian TV soap. Home and away. The 1881 Berenjoi Lighthouse punctuates the northern tip of the headland in an annex of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The suburb of Palm Beach has two sides: stunning beaches and a pleasant strip on Pittwater, where the calmer shores are perfect for small children. From here you can catch ferries to Pittwater’s other attractions, including parts of the park that are suitable for walking.
3. Shelly Beach
Perfect for snorkeling
Shelley Beach is a beautiful, sheltered, north facing seaside cove a 1 km (0.6 mi) walk from the Manly Beach strip. The calm waters are a safe haven for marine life – fishing has been banned in the Cabbage Tree Aquatic Reserve for decades – so it offers excellent snorkelling opportunities. On a calm day you can also see the rocky coast back to Manly’s main beach. For guided tours, check out Ecotreasures.
4. Manly Beach
Great place for beginner surfers
Manly Beach, Sydney’s second most popular beach, is a spectacular strand that stretches for almost two golden kilometers (1.2 miles), lined with Norfolk Island pines and midges apartment blocks. The southern end of the coast, near Corso, is known as South Stane, with North Stane in the middle and Queenscliff at the northern end. Right sand based, Manly Surf School Trusted and well established, offering good two-hour surf lessons as well as private one-to-one tuition throughout the year. Half the fun is getting to Manly by ferry – it’s well worth the journey.
5. Stour Beach
It is better to avoid the crowd.
A jewel on North Head, magical Stour Beach can only be reached by kayak – you can hire them. Manly Kayak Centre – or a boat. Pack a picnic lunch, plus plenty of water and your sense of adventure. It is a breeding ground for little blue penguins, so access is restricted at dusk when the birds roost for the night.
6. Balmoral
The perfect beach for a family day out
The North Shore enclave of Balmoral faces Manly across Middle Harbour, with a beautiful swimming beach and some good restaurants such as Bathers’ Pavilion, Public dining room And more comfortable Boathouse. Bisected by a very picturesque rocky island accessed by a small bridge, Balmoral attracts picnicking families from this well-heeled Sydney neighbourhood. Swimmers usually migrate to the southern tip of the shark net.
7. Cut it out.
Excellent sea bath
A few miles south of Bondi, Sydney’s Coogee Beach (pronounced “koo-jee”) has not one but three tidal pools. At the southern end, McIver’s Ladies Bath There is a shelter for women and children only. Noise is kept to a minimum and photography is not permitted. After this, Wylie’s Sea Baths A large rock pool is cut into the rocks, which means it’s possible to swim in the sea at high tide if you’re not careful (check online for daily low and high tide times). At the northern tip of Coogee, Giles Baths is a natural sea bath, which can get a little wild in stormy seas. Many locals will tell you they prefer Coogee to Bondi, with the Cliff Top Walk via Bronte Beach highly recommended among them.
8. Lady Bay Beach
Perfect for nudists
Close to the entrance to Sydney Harbor is the well-hidden Lady Bay Beach, where Sydneysiders can go for a nude swim and sunbathing session. It’s a short journey from Watson’s Bay Ferry Wharf, which you can access from Circular Quay in the city centre. Bring your own food and water if you’re making a day of it, although fish and chips from Doyles in Fisherman’s Wharf is a highlight. Check the tide times before you head: high tide further erodes the 100m (328ft) strip of sand. The harborside beach enjoys gentle waves to match the relaxed atmosphere here.
9. Bronte Beach
Perfect for the perfect environment
A winning family-oriented beach lined with sandstone cliffs and a grassy park, Bronte Beach claims to be the world’s oldest surf lifesaving club (founded in 1903). Contrary to popular belief, the beach is named after Lord Nelson – who doubled as the Duke of Bronte (a place in Sicily) – not the famous literary sisters. A kiosk and a changing room are attached to the surf club and there are picnic tables near the public barbecues. Follow the inland park to find a natural waterfall in a rare patch of remaining bushland.
10. Avalon
The perfect beach for a surf challenge
Stuck in a 70s sandy time warp, Avalon is the legendary Australian beach you’ve always dreamed of but never found. Challenging surf and slopes, the tangerine gold sands have a boutique headland for a backdrop. At the southern end is a tidal pool. Good, cheap food options abound in the back streets.
11. Maroubra Beach
Perfect for experienced surfers
The last major beach before hitting Botany Bay, Maroubra Beach is Bondi’s match in the wave department, but its suburban location provides an exemption from Bondi’s more pretentious trappings. Maroubra means “like thunder” in the local indigenous language, and the beach is part of Australia’s second national surfing reserve. The breaks here provide plenty for skilled surfers, so sit on the sand and watch the action. Be warned: shark attacks have been known to occur here.
12. Parsley Bay
The perfect beach for peace and tranquility
The beauty of Little Parsley Bay has a quiet swimming beach, a lawn lined with sandstone sculptures for picnics and games, a small cafe and a beautiful suspension bridge. Watch out for water dragons (native reptiles) as you walk down the bush.
This article was first published on March 20, 2017 and was updated on November 4, 2023.