Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities with amazing beaches along its 70 km of coastline. To explore all the hidden beaches in lovely spots in detail requires a couple of days. Most beaches are very well maintained and ideal for swimming. Popular spots like Bondi, Coogee and Cronulla have a lifeguard on duty and have strict regulations for swimming and surfing. A warm summer weekend attracts large crowds to Bondi and Coogee Beaches which are popular locations for swimming and surfing.
Best Beaches in Sydney for Sunrise
Some beaches are easily accessible from the city and are densely populated with young working visa holiday popular and local people who love outdoor and proximity to the ocean. Here is my countdown on some of the best beaches in Sydney:
Sydney Beaches
1. Bondi Beach Sydney for a great sunrise
Bondi is most popular as the Bondi area is the most developed with top-end restaurants, cafes, bars and nice beach view hotels and apartments. Bondi has sprung to fame with the "Bondi Rescue" show aired across the world on different channels. Bondi Beach has located 7 km from Hype Park and is easily accessibly by bus.
The beach is relatively small as compared to other beaches in the city. However, this area is most developed with a skating rink, Bondi Pavilion (movies & events), Bondi Iceberg and North Bondi RSL.
333 Bus Service is the regular service that can take you from the city to Bondi Beach. The nearest train station to Bondi is Bondi Junction which has a massive Westfield Shopping Mall.
Bondi is located in the East of the city and is ideal for Sunrise views. Early morning brings a large number of swimmers and surfers throughout the day. Bondi is home to health freaks and you will see a number of joggers along the beach.
Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk is one of the most popular walks in the city which takes you through the amazing coastal landscape and jagged rocks and outcrops with nicely nested beaches of Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. An early morning walk along the lovely coastline is a great opportunity to enjoy and capture unique views with your camera.
Bondi area is popular with young hype crowds and international travellers from Europe and South America. The party scene is great and Bondi hosts plenty of outdoor festivals and events throughout the year.
City to Surf Race (an annual event) terminates at Bondi Beach and is a great time of the year to enjoy fun and outdoor activities.
I am one of the regular visitors to Bondi Beach for an early morning run. One of my favourite cafes Three Step Cafe serves one of the best breakfasts in Sydney at 5 in the morning. Enjoy the great sunrise views and enjoy an amazing brekkie at Bondi Road.
The best places to stay in Bondi includes:
2. Coogee Beach Sydney for amazing early morning sunrise views
Coogee is located approximately 8km from the CBD is not easily accessibly by train. The only way to reach Coogee by public transport is to catch a bus from the city. You can easily catch a bus to Coogee at the beginning of Oxford Street in the city.
Coogee is a party spot for young European crowds. CBH (Coogee Bay Hotel) & Coogee Pavilion attracts large crowds over the weekend. Coogee is a great place for an early morning walk and to enjoy the amazing view of sunrise.
The weekend is a great time to visit Coogee as you can enjoy midday brunch and one of the nice cafes on Coogee Bay Road. In summers, this beach is packed with visitors and is a great spot for people-watching, basking in the sun or simply enjoying a dip in the ocean. Rockpools are located at the southern end of the promenade.
You can walk from Coogee to Bondi and back in 2 hours. Coast Walk is definitely one of the "Must Do" things if you are visiting Sydney.
Best Places to Stay in Coogee includes:
3. Bronte Beach & Tamarama Beach
Bronte Beach is tucked between Coogee and Bondi is very popular with local crowds. Early risers flock to Bronte and you will find people engaged in group exercises, yoga and an early morning dip in the ocean.
Bronte beach is easily accessibly by bus or taxi from the city. A couple of nice cafes near the beast are popular for brunch, lunch and dinner. Bronte is more of a neighbourhood beach and somewhat secluded as compared to Coogee and Bondi.
Tamarama Beach is within walking distance from Bondi Beach and is a relatively hidden beach. This beach is very popular with the local crowd and is visible on Coogee to Bondi Walk. In summers this beach gets very crowded band people to enjoy volleyball, surfing, BBQ and other beach sports.
Sunrise at Tamarama Beach
4. Brighton Le Sands Beach - Monetary
Brighton is one of my all-time favourite locations. I stayed in Brighton for a year and fell in love with the laid back atmosphere and great views of Botany Bay. This beach has historical importance because some of the early boats to land in Australia in the eighteenth century entered the mainland through Brighton Bay.
There is a shark net located on the boardwalk and people who want to enjoy a dip in the water are suggested to stay in the shark net.
Windy and warm days in summer bring plenty of water sports including speed boats, water scooters, windsurfing and paragliding to the bay. The beach near the Novotel areas gets crowded on the weekends. However, the beach stretches over to Ramsgate and Dolls Point, which is more popular with the families.
Novotel Brighton Beach is one of the best places to stay near the beach area.
5. Cronulla Beach
Cronulla is one of my favourite beaches in Sydney as the best stretch is quite long and you will always find a place for yourself. There is plenty of free beachfront parking available which makes it a popular beach in the Shire District area.
The Cronulla beach is easily accessibly by train from Sydney Central. The main part of the beach has a rockpool and a number of nice cafes and restaurants including some great fish and chips shops. There is plenty of space to swim as the beach stretches towards the Kurnell area. Moving further away from the main area you can find plenty of nice spots for swimming and surfing. Most of the beach areas are monitored over the weekends by lifeguards on duty.
6. Manly Beach & Northern Beaches
Manly area is very popular with young hype crowd. Plenty of working holiday visa workers likes to stay in Fairlight and Manly because of easy access to beautiful beaches, active nightlife and cafe culture.
North Styne beach is popular for surfing and has a surf club. The ferry terminal area is more touristy and has an Aquarium and a large number of restaurants. The easiest way to get to Manly is a catch a ferry from the Circular Quay Ferry terminal in Sydney City. The ferry stops at Torango Zoo which is also a very popular attraction in Sydney.
Travelling northwards from Manly there are a number of nice beaches including Dee Why, Narrabeen and Avalon.
Best places to stay in Manly include:
7. Balmoral Beach, Sydney
Balmoral Beach is a popular beach across the bridge. Located in the posh locality of Mosaman and Balmoral, attracts large crowds in summers. There are a couple of nice restaurants including Bather's Pavilion, Boathouse Balmoral and Public Dining Room. Enjoy a cup of coffee and waterfront cafes and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the bay. IF you are planning to walk from Harbour Bridge to Manly, you will enjoy the views of Balmoral Beach on the way.
Best Attractions in Sydney NSW
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