Sydney Australia: Best Beaches

I decided already a long time ago – I can not live far from the ocean as life is so much better at the beach! That probably sounds like the most mainstream Instagram caption at all, but for me it is more than a common trend. The possibility to wake up and catch up on a daily ocean breeze gives me pure happiness and peace. Watching the waves makes me feel grounded and helps my overthinking mind to calm down. That’s why my intuition told me already 1o years ago to come to Sydney, as I was convinced by the fact ‘that’s my place to be’. After all that excuses why it’s not possible, I am finally here and I am thanking myself that in the end I trusted my own gut. I understand now why my human being was always attracted to this city. As a child I got super bored when I was doing always the same or didn’t feel challenged enough, why I love and will always need variety in my life. Sydney has exactly this Never.Stop.Exploring story I am following! You can go to Blue Mountains for a hike and relax after at one the most beautiful beaches in Australia within one hour drive. The possibilities of culture, city, nature, business and nightlife program are huge, same as the quantity of beaches to spend your time at. Let’s have a look therefore to a few of my favorites once below. The numbering doesn’t explain any preferences, I am just gonna start from the north to the south as it is located along the coast so you guys have a better orientation how to reach it when coming to Sydney.

1. Manly Beach

Just the way how to reach this beautiful beach is an experience itself. You can take the ferry from Circular Quay Sydney with your usual travel Opal card through top-on top-off procedure. The ride takes about 20 minutes and serves you with one of the best views of Sydney’s skyline, Opera house and Harbour Bridge. After you arrive, you will feel you’re in another city – far away from any big city trouble or traffic. People here are walking out their surfboards as it is their own dog, having a quick swim during their lunch breaks. If you have a little bit more time than that, don’t forget to visit the hidden Shelly Beach which is especially recommended by local people. It’s located in a small bay so the waves are having a comfortable size for swimming.

2. Watsons Bay Beach

Which immediately comes to my mind here: seen and to be seen. When I came here the first time, I thought I ended up in a posh city within Croatia with it’s cute little harbor and boats. This area is actually one of the most prettiest one in my opinion. No wonder the houses are insanely beautiful here as well as the view from them. While swimming in the ocean you can see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in distance. For catching the sunset I would recommend to walk up to the Hornby lighthouse. You can not go inside but you can climb the stairs on the exterior. The red and white stripes are causing such a special charm which contributes to an amazing pacific ocean experience as it is famous for watching whales and fishers here sometimes. The waves can get so huge here, I have no idea how they stay cool in that situation.

3. Bondi Beach

You probably heard this name already as it is the most famous beach in Sydney – and I completely understand why: Firstly it is reachable with public transportation quite easily. The area is packed with a lot of shops, coffee places and bars which bring up kind of a nice flair. Secondly you can enjoy the sun even from Bondi iconic Icebergs, which is a pool literally in the middle of the ocean. They even have a sauna here in case you don’t feel hot enough. It’s only 9$ entry fee and open everyday besides Thursdays because of cleaning. If you are not keen for swiming, you can just go end enjoy the beautiful view from the bistro. So definitely worth visiting!

4. Tamarama Beach

I remember when I came to Sydney and this beach was the first one I saw up from the road while driving the hills. As it can be quite windy sometimes in Sydney, it has great surfing conditions. For swimmers it is a little bit dangerous tho, why I would be especially careful if you want to go for a swim. Besides that, surrounded by white houses (expensive like shit I can tell) the view and feeling is just overwhelming. You can literally see until Bronte beach from that point of view which I will talk about in the next point.

5. Bronte Beach

Bronte is not so well known as it’s neighbor Bondi, what is actually a shame as it totally can compete with each other. Firstly it’s not so crowed and touristy her, secondly the natural pool with salty water is for free. So you can just go there without paying a penny for it! You can even change between the pool and the ocean all the time as there is as ladder from one place to the other. Makes it even more adventurous!

6. Clovelly Beach

If you are having kids this place is probably the best to go as there is as rock pool created which is safe and perfect for playing in without getting a heart attack something could happen to your loved once. If this is too boring for you, you can also use the beach area but as it is quite small and not that clean in compare, I would recommend to go for this to one of the other beaches I am mentioning. The view from the rocks here is stunning tho – especially for sunsets. You can sit here and watch the beauty of the ocean, hitting the cliffs over and over again. The power of water is so close here and gives you a kick of breathtaking emotions.

7. Coogee Beach

As there as so many nice beaches in Sydney I can totally understand if you can not decide where to go from the begining. Luckily a few of them are connected to each other so you can basically start a coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee and enjoy the beautiful beaches, cliff tops and cafes along the way. It’s about 6 kilometer in total depending for how long you’re always stopping by, I would plan a whole day for this activity – but it is definitely worth it. For the athletes between us you are probably thinking to challenge yourself and go all the way down the whole coast. Forget it! The streets around Coogee beach are so steep (reminds me always to San Francisco in the US) you would almost die, especially if it is a sunny and hot day. Better to enjoy the rest of the evening at the beach or next to it at Coogee Pavilion. A pub lined up in two floors. The basement is perfect for families and dining, while the rooftop turns into bar with one of the best sea views around that area. Cheers!

8. Maroubra Beach

This place is known for its ‘Big Rubik’s Cube’ in the middle of the beach which is actually a huge colored block from where children have already climbed and jumped from. But even for surfers who want to catch some waves, Marouba is probably the best spot for it. If you are not into sports, try to use the natural pool located a little bit up on the cliffs as the water is perfectly calm there. And if you don’t wanna move at all and just chill your ass, I would recommend to try ‘The Grumpy Baker’ take a pie or pastry to go (I can’t tell you the name I was eating there the last time, but it was a kind of warm munch with chocolate chunks I was almost dying for) and watch the sunset while hearing the sound of the ocean. That’s such a mediation for me!

9. Little Bay Beach

This little secret spot is probably one of my favorites beaches in Sydney. It is tiny and there is not much going on around that place besides people living there in beautiful houses. But the ocean is crystal clear and the waves are not rough, so you can have a perfect swim there. Just maybe don’t go too far, as there was already someone eaten by a shark. But anyway, I don’t want to scare you just don’t gamble with this and stay close to the lifeguards!

10. Cronulla Beach

Located at the southern end of Bate Bay Sydney, 300 meters from the train station the name comes from an Aboriginal word which means ‘place of pink seashells’. Its’ probably one of the biggest beaches in it’s length so it will give you endless ocean views especially for sunset time between 6pm and 8pm. By the way the conditions remind me a little bit to Uluwata in Bali where you can watch the surfers catching the waves from the cliff for hours as well. If you are keen to learn by yourself, there is a bunch of schools and academy’s they will teach you how to do it. If this is too boring for you, Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club provides volunteer life saving services to everyone enjoying the Beach between October and May each summer.

So as you guys can see: These 10 beaches are located just in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and are representing only a small selection. There are so much more! You can literally go to another beach everyday and you will always see and explore something new. And that is exactly what I love about Sydney!

Cheers

Alisa

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