Sydney is renowned for it’s beautiful beaches and with over 100 to choose from, there’s definitely one to suit everyone. From secluded secret spots, to beaches with harbour views, a quiet cove where you can watch the sunset and even one you can drive on!
We’re sharing all the details, including whether they are accessible by public transport and if they require any hiking.
Here are the very best beaches in Sydney.
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1. Palm Beach
2. Burning Palms
3. Resolute Beach
4. Garie Beach
5. Maroubra
6. Washaway Bay
7. Bilgola Beach
8. Longreef Beach
9. South Darook
10. Little Marley
11. Queens Beach
12. Bronte Beach
13. Curl Curl
14. Lady Bay
15. Bondi Beach
The best beaches in Sydney
1. Palm Beach, Northern Beaches
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers, changing room
Walking required: No
Palm Beach is a Sydney favourite and at 2.3km there’s a lot of it to explore! It really is a beautiful beach, especially in the early morning when it will likely be just you and the odd surfer there.
It’s great for swimming and surfing, or there’s a good ocean bath if you prefer to swim without any waves. As it’s a really long beach, you never have to worry about it being too crowded.
If you’re looking for a beach that also has lots to do in the area, Palm Beach is perfect.
It makes a great full day trip from Sydney, with lots of cafes, a stunning secret garden and a short walk up to the Barrennjoey Lighthouse which offers great photo ops, as well as the chance to look for whales.
We’ve got a whole guide on all the best things to do at Palm Beach here.
2. Burning Palms, Royal National Park
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes
Burning Palms is my personal favourite beach in Royal National Park. It’s an absolutely beautiful stretch of golden sand nestled between two steep headlands. The only way you can get there is on foot, which seems to keep the crowds away. The quickest route is 2km each way from Garawarra Farm car park and it’s all downhill on the way, and a bit of a slog on the way back.
It’s a gorgeous walk though, through beautiful forest and the view when you come out of the bush is one of the most beautiful in Sydney.
Burning Palms does sometimes get quite big waves, so it’s not the best for swimming, unless you’re happy to stay in the shallows.
It’s a wonderful spot to sit and relax and feels a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
3. Resolute Beach, Ku-ring-gai National Park
Accessible by public transport: No
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes
Resolute Beach is stunning and unlike Burning Palms is nicely sheltered and great for swimming. The views across to the Barrenjoey Headland and the odd sail boat passing by are the only reminders that you haven’t just rocked up in Jurassic Park. The dense vegetation and gigantic boulders on the beach definitely give it a wild feel.
We’ve visited Resolute in all weathers, and it’s the kind of place that even feels atmospheric in the rain! The quickest way to get there is from West Head Lookout which is roughly 1.3km each way. Yet again, it’s all downhill on the way…..!
Here’s our detailed guide to Resolute Beach for more info.
4. Garie Beach, Royal National Park
Accessible by public transport: No, but you can use the park shuttle
Facilities: Toilets, changing room
Walking required: No
Garie Beach is a great option when you just want to turn up and relax and not have to do any walking. It’s a staggering 900m long, so even though it can be a popular choice on sunny weekends, there’s more than enough space for everyone and it doesn’t feel crowded.
It’s backed by two headlands, which if you feel inclined offer fantastic views from the top! It’s a favourite with surfers and does get fairly big waves, so you’ll want to stay between the flags when swimming.
It’s a truly beautiful spot and is exactly how I used to imagine Australian beaches would be before I moved here!
5. Maroubra Beach
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers, changing room
Walking required: No
Maroubra is one of our favourite inner city beaches and is always much quieter than nearby Bondi or Coogee. It really is a breathtaking beach and it’s hard to believe how close to the city it really is. It’s almost a kilometre long, making it the longest beach in the eastern suburbs - which is probably why it never feels crowded!
Even if you visit on a busy day people all seem to congregate at the northern end of the beach, if you walk to the southern end, you can find your own quiet space.
If you love swimming in ocean baths, Maroubra has one of the best in Sydney, Mahon Pool which is well worth checking out.
6. Washaway Beach, Balgowlah Heights
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes
Washaway Beach is a bit of a hidden gem, located on an unmarked trail off the Spit to Manly walk. Unlike other harbour beaches, this one is between the heads, so it gets proper waves which gives it more of an ocean feel.
It’s backed by a tall cliff and as you watch the waves roll in, you’ll be struggling to believe that hardly anyone seems to have heard of this beach.
When you leave the hiking trail and come out at the cliff top, it feels like you’ve found a real hidden treasure. Make sure you descend on the far left where the rock is nicely tiered, other spots could be potentially hazardous. Exact directions are in this guide.
If you’re walking the Spit to Manly Track it’s closer to the Spit end (3.8km into the walk), but if you’re not interested in the walk you could knock 1.6km off the distance by parking at Clontarf Reserve.
7. Bilgola Beach, Northern Beaches
Accessible by public transport: Not easily
Facilities: Toilets, showers
Walking required: No
Bilgola Beach feels nicely secluded, sandwiched in the middle of two headlands. The gorgeous sweep of sand is 500m long and it’s a great spot for surfing. The rips mean that swimming is best between the flags in the middle of the beach, or you can always use the pretty rock pool instead.
We love visiting for sunrise when you can sit and watch the surfers, with the whole stretch of sand to yourself. It’s really close to Palm Beach so it’s easy to combine the two in one day.
8. Long Reef Beach, Northern Beaches
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers
Walking required: No
The next beach along from Dee Why, Long Reef, is an absolute beauty. It’s always much quieter than Dee Why which gets a big thumbs up from us. It’s a great beach for swimming and surfing and the views over to Long Reef Headland are gorgeous. It definitely makes you feel like you’ve left the city behind.
If you fancy a stroll, the short walk up to the headland offers fantastic views, as well as great whale watching opportunities in season. We like this walk for sunset when the golden light makes everything look especially picturesque.
You can find more details on the trail in this post.
9. South Darook, Cronulla
Accessible by public transport: Yes if you’re happy to walk 2km
Facilities: Toilets
Walking required: No
This beach is probably a little left field when you’re thinking of the best beaches in Sydney. It’s only small and it’s not very well known, but we love it!
It’s completely sheltered and offers perfectly calm water for swimming. You’re likely to share the water with the odd pelican or two and the whole vibe is incredibly relaxed. It always feels like we’re on holiday! There’s even a rope swing at the far end of the beach.
However, our absolute favourite thing about South Darook is the fact that you can watch the sunset from there, one of only a handful of Sydney beaches where this is possible. There are few places we’d rather be at sun down.
10. Little Marley, Royal National Park
Accessible by public transport: No
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes
We’re trying not to fill this blog with every beach in Royal National Park but it’s hard when there are just so many good ones! Spending time at Little Marley is always a treat and it feels wonderfully secluded, probably because wherever you decide to access it from it’s going to be a fair walk. Whether you choose to go from Bundeena or Wattamolla the walk is absolutely beautiful and pretty easy going.
Once you get there Little Marley is a little patch of paradise. The water might not be the best for swimming with some large waves and regular Bluebottle sightings, but the beach itself is idyllic and the perfect place to relax. If you want to visit more than one beach in a day it’s only 650m from Big Marley Beach, which is another one we could have easily put on this list!
If you'‘re looking for other secluded beaches you can find them here.
11. Queens Beach, Vaucluse
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes unless you get lucky with parking
Queens Beach is another hidden gem, and though many people walk past it every day on the popular Rose Bay to Watsons Bay track, not many take the short detour to this beach. It’s definitely your gain because not only is it a great little beach but it also offers phenomenal harbour views.
The calm water is perfect for swimming and the beach is backed by lots of dense vegetation, which makes it feel completely secluded from the walkers above. It’s another of our favourite Sydney sunset spots, you can watch it from the beach or on the lawn, which is just up the staircase from the beach.
There is limited parking at Queens Avenue in Vaucluse which is a five minute walk away, so you might need to park at Vaucluse Road which is a little further.
12. Bronte Beach
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers, changing room
Walking required: No
Bronte is a great beach and it’s no secret, in fact, even if you go at sunrise you will feel like half of Sydney is right there with you. Despite that, it’s a great beach with one of the most photogenic ocean baths we’ve ever seen. It’s great for swimming, surfing and soaking up those eastern beaches vibes.
If you tire of hanging out with the crowds on the beach itself and are craving a bit of tranquility, you can walk just a few minutes away to one of our favourite secret picnic spots in Sydney. It does require climbing up a few rocks to get there so it’s only if you’re looking for a little adventure!
Your reward is an exquisite view of the beach and rock pool and serenity in a spot which never sleeps!
13. Curl Curl Beach
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers, changing room
Walking required: No
You’ll find Curl Curl Beach between Manly and Dee Why and it’s yet another northern beaches beauty. It does get busy, so we like it best in the early morning. We’ve seen some stunning sunrises from here! It’s good for swimming, surfing and lounging.
We like it because if it gets too busy you can head to the northern end of the beach and just a couple of minutes walk up the stairs will get you to a series of large rocky platforms which are perfect for picnics in solitude.
As with most of the surrounding beaches there is a fab ocean bath if you prefer a less wavy dip.
14. Lady Bay, Watsons Bay
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: None
Walking required: Yes
Lady Bay Beach is such a gorgeous spot along the South Head Trail in Watsons Bay. You get to it by descending a staircase which along with the vegetation keeps it nicely hidden from the walking track above.
It’s a sheltered cove so the water is lovely and calm which is perfect for a leisurely swim, it also has fabulous harbour views. It’s a nudist beach, and though there tends to be a mixed crowd there most days, if that makes you uncomfortable you might want to visit in the early morning when you’ll likely get it almost to yourself.
If you park near Camp Cove it’s just under 500m easy walking to Lady Bay Beach. If you’re coming from the ferry wharf it’s 1km each way.
We love Watsons Bay and have lots of suggestions for things to do on your visit in this post.
15. Bondi Beach
Accessible by public transport: Yes
Facilities: Toilets, showers, changing room
Walking required: No
We couldn’t write a post on Sydney’s best beaches and not mention the most famous of them all! I’ll admit it, I didn’t particular want to like Bondi, with the crowds and the slightly showy nature of it all.
But the truth is, it’s a great beach, on a sunny day the sand almost looks white. The cliffs on either side are incredibly picturesque and we’ve often seen dolphins from there.
I like it best in winter when it’s much, much quieter, but if you love to feel part of the action you’ll prefer Bondi in summer.
It’s also the start of one of Sydney’s most spectacular coastal walks, which you really shouldn’t miss.
A bonus one for something completely different!
Boat Harbour
Accessible by public transport: No
Facilities: No
Walking required: No
Whilst this isn’t one of Sydney’s best beaches as such, we wanted to include it because it’s unique. It’s the only beach in Sydney you are allowed to drive on!
It’s a family favourite and you shouldn’t be surprised to see BBQs and even inflatable sofas down on the beach, where people have set up camp for the day. It really doesn’t feel like you’re in Sydney anymore!
Drivers are very considerate and the beach is wide enough that we felt completely comfortable down there as pedestrians!
You could combine it with a trip to Cronulla Beach which is just a little further down. That way you can try out the beach driving, but also have the opportunity to relax away from any vehicles.
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What’s your favourite beach in Sydney? Any of ours that you disagree with? Let us know in the comments below!
