Last Updated on December 19, 2022 by Helen E. White
Looking to know the best beaches in Sydney? We leave you a list of the 16 beaches in Sydney that you cannot miss on your way through the city of the Opera House.
The Top 16 Beaches in Sydney
1. Bondi Beach, One of the Best Beaches in Sydney
It is the beach that for many is synonymous with Sydney. It is one of the widest beaches in the eastern suburbs. We can say that if you are looking for a Latin scene, you will find it here! You will also find surfers, families and tourists both Australian and international.
The waters of Bondi beach are transparent and its waves are of high voltage. But if you want to relax in calmer waters you can go to the Bondi iceberg, a saltwater pool where the waves slide over its walls.
In Bondi, you can also enjoy an Australian barbecue – barbecue – with a view of the sea. Keep in mind that the grills are often turned off at 9 pm – Australians eat early. Another thing that is not lacking in Bondi is green spaces. Enough to relax by reading a book or listening to music. And if you are more into sports, we recommend a game of beach volleyball. You can form your team or join the free classes.
2. Watsons Bay
Nothing is more beautiful than a day on a ferry ride and beautiful beaches! Watsons Bay is Australia’s oldest fishing village, at the southern entrance to Sydney Harbour.
Enjoy the view of the dramatic cliffs along the walk to the Watsons Bay Lighthouse (Horny Lighthouse). At lunchtime, we recommend that you savor the famous fish and chips in one of the most famous seafood restaurants in Sydney.
In its neighborhood Vaucluse, you will find the famous Shark Beach, surrounded by Nielsen Park. This beach, as its name indicates, is famous for sharks, but don’t worry, there are nets that – in theory – stop them from entering the beach. It is quite crowded on weekends, but the truth is that it is worth visiting!
3. Bronte Beach, One of Sydney’s Beaches Ideal for a Barbecue
A little further from Bondi, is the beautiful Bronte Beach, one of our favorite beaches, stretching along its crescent-shaped coastline. It is an ideal beach for lovers of snorkeling since on the right side of it, there is a rocky area where you can appreciate beautiful schools of all colors. Here you will also find the beach and a large green space that surrounds it, Bronte Park. It is very common to find groups of friends and families having a barbecue or simply having a drink. Australians always have reason to celebrate.
Except during the holidays, or on weekends, its streets are much quieter than those of its neighbor Bondi Beach.
4. Milk Beach, One of the Most Secret Beaches in Sydney
A little further down you will find the Milk Beach – yes, the milk beach(?) -. Perhaps it is not a beach to sunbathe, since it is only meters from several boats and its water is not entirely clean. But the views of the city are unbeatable, which is why we recommend it for a picnic at sunset.
5. Tamarama
It is a Bondi-style beach but much smaller and quieter. It is only a 10-minute walk from Bondi Beach. And it is surrounded by cliffs and backed by Tamarama park.
6. Coogee
If you are looking for a more relaxed and less pretentious beach, Coogee is your place! It is a paradise for surfers and backpackers, but also for families.
When the sun goes down you can make a stop at the Coogee Pavilion, a resto-bar that is located a few steps from the beach, where you can taste everything from pizzas to elaborate dishes. Of course, we recommend that you book or go early because on hot days it is usually full.
7. Maroubra, One of the Beaches in Sydney for Surfers
Maroubra is “the” surfer’s beach, it is one of the two most important surfing nature reserves in Australia. We already said that the other beaches are surfers, but in this one, they take it much more seriously, it is their main focus, and there is no party to fix it.
8. Little Bay
Little Bay is located 14km southeast of the CBD. It is another of the beaches rarely frequented by tourists, but quite common among locals and especially families from Sydney. It is a perfect place for swimming and snorkeling as it does not have big waves.
To access the beach you must descend a steep wooden staircase. It is equipped with public toilets and changing rooms as in all the beaches of the city of the Opera.
9. Yarra Bay Beach
Many of Sydney’s beaches are ideal for surfers. But if you are looking for a quiet and family beach, Yarra Bay is a good option. It is located in the north of Botany Bay, in the suburb of Phillip Bay. It is a white sand beach with very few waves, making it ideal for swimming! In the surroundings, there is a very nice park where you can have a bbq, or rest under the shade of the trees.
10. Little Congwong Beach, Another of the Best Beaches in Sydney
Very close to Yarra Bay Beach is Little Congwong Beach, a small but very pretty beach. It has more waves than its neighbor, but the color of the water is also a beautiful bluish-green. We went on a Sunday, the truth is that it was very crowded, we recommend that you visit it on a weekday to be able to enjoy it without so much company.
11. Cronulla, One of the Lesser-known Beaches in Sydney
Cronulla is another of the Sydney beaches that only a few know about. The reason? It is located 1 hour and 30 minutes from the CBD. But it is a nice beach away from the chaos of the city. During the weekends it is usually quite crowded, but it is still quiet and familiar. It also has an esplanade to walk, and enjoy the scenery. Its center has some streets, where you will find cafes and restaurants.
12. Manly, is one of the Beaches in Sydney Where You Can See Whales
Manly is a suburb of Sydney with a population of 11,165. It is the gateway to the northern beaches. Its main attractions are its beaches and activities such as surfing and diving. Whale watching is also possible between the months of May and August. In the afternoon you can enjoy a few beers or why not a coffee with a dream view, and walk the streets of the Corso, the main street of Manly, which has shops and bars.
Extra fact: If you take the Ferry back at 5:00 p.m. in winter, or later in summer, you can enjoy the sunset from an incredible angle.
From Manly you can take Sydney’s second most famous walk: the Manly to Spit Bridge Coastal Walk. The walk covers about 10 km, is well signposted and takes around 3-4 hours to complete, depending on your physical condition and the course.
Important points to see there are many, some of them are:
- Grotto Point Lighthouse is located within the Sydney Harbor National Park.
- Dobroyd Head has beautiful views and is a very picturesque place.
- The shorelines of Clontarf Beach, Sandy Beach and Fisher Bay.
13. Shelly Beach
It is a smaller beach than Manly, and calmer, it is excellent for snorkeling because it has almost no waves. Also, the pines of the place are full of rainbow parrots.
14. Curl Curl, is One of the Best Beaches in Sydney for Surfing
Curl Curl Beach is located between Dee Why Beach and Freshwater Beach.
It is one of the best surfing beaches in Sydney. It faces east-southeast and averages 1.6-meter waves. The beach is about 1.2 km long and is divided into North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl.
The northern part of the beach has a lagoon, so there are good conditions for swimming and boarding. This area is ideal for children, as they can wade through the shallow water and play in the sand.
The beautiful south end of Curl Curl has much higher surf, so it’s important to always swim between the flags set up by the lifeguards.
15. Avalon Beach, One of the Best Beaches in Sydney
Avalon is a seaside suburb, 37 km from the CBD. It has a beach with great waves and is little frequented, perhaps because it is not so easily accessible by public transport. It has a relaxed and surfer spirit, like many beaches in Sydney, the coffee culture is very present so you can find a large number of bars and restos.
You can also find free pools by the ocean and hiking trails in Palmgrove Park, an ideal place to relax and enjoy the sea breeze.
16. Palm Beach
Palm Beach, or also known as Palmy, is just over an hour’s drive from Sydney. It is located at the end of the long peninsula on the north coast. In Palm Beach, you can visit its lighthouse, the Barrenjoey Lighthouse, built in the 1880s. From this lighthouse, you can see the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Broken Bay, and you can also see the two coasts, Pittwater is calmer and quiet where there are boat rental centers and sailing, kayaking, fishing and on the other side, the ocean, much busier, where surfing predominates.
To get to the lighthouse, you will have to walk for approximately 30 minutes, or a 20-minute stairway. If you go in summer, don’t forget your sunscreen, water, food and a hat, the walk to the lighthouse is quite tiring, and you won’t find many places to stock up.