Best Beaches in Sydney, Australia

Posted by David Whitley Sep 22, 2007

Sydney’s top class beaches – close to the city centre

I lived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia for over four years, and tried to spend as much time as possible at the beach while I was there. Sydney is one of the few cities in the world that is blessed with top class beaches close to the city centre. The beaches of the Eastern suburbs can all be ticked off within an 8km Bondi to Coogee walk after getting the 380 bus to Bondi.

Iconic Bondi atmosphere

The most famous of these beaches is the iconic Bondi Beach, famous for its surf and atmosphere. I’m not personally a great fan – it’s a great stretch of sand, but there’s a bit of a pretentious feel to it. This is particularly true if you head into any of Bondi’s bars on the other side of Campbell Parade.

Coogee cafes, Bronte surf and Tamarama beauty

At the other end of the Bondi to Coogee walk is Coogee beach, which I much prefer. The surf isn’t as good – there’s a big sandbank which creates a washing machine effect. However Coogee’s cafes and bars are much nicer and more laid back. Other alternatives include Bronte Beach, where the surf is excellent, although it can get seaweedy and the currents can be dangerous. And then there’s the beauty (or beauties) of Tamarama, which is known as Glamarama for a very good reason.