The Pool of Athena is a little slice of Greek Island paradise hidden away in a rarely visited corner of Murramarang National Park.
Surrounded by rocks on three sides and backed by a striking cliff wall, the setting is special. The pool is deep, yet the clarity is excellent and it’s the perfect size for a proper swim while still feeling largely protected from the rolling waves beyond.
The dazzling water is azure blue in one direction and a stunning aquamarine in the other, giving it those quintessential Greek island vibes.
Here’s how to find it.
Safety info: tide & swell
The thing you need to get right to visit here safely is the swell. Do not even think about visiting if the swell is up as this would be extremely dangerous and there has been a rescue required here when the conditions were rough. Please check the BOM website to make sure conditions are safe for your visit.
You need to visit on a slight swell and if you want the best chance at very calm conditions you want the wave height to be below 1m. If it’s on the higher end of slight (1-1.2m) you can still visit but you will likely get near constant wave action in the pool.
We’ve been three times and my favourite experience was when the swell was below that 1m mark. None of the waves that came in on the higher end of the slight swell were concerning, but it was a bit choppy and that detracted from the experience a bit for me.
Reaching the pool also requires negotiating two narrowish rocky sections which are exposed to the waves so you really do want to pick a calm day to mitigate the risk of incoming waves as you traverse the rocks. Make sure the swell is going to be slight for the entire duration of your visit as you need to be able to cross back along all the beaches safely and this is a longer walk than to your average rockpool.
You can visit the pool on any tide as it’s very deep even on a low tide, so there’s no worries about there being enough water to swim.
You can see the 5 day tide and swell forecast here.
The walk to the Pool of Athena
The stats
Distance: 1.1km each way
Elevation gain: 20m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate (but off-track)
Trailhead: Honeysuckle Day Use Area, Murramarang NP
Summary: As soon as you leave Honeysuckle Beach there is no formal path to the pool. You will cross a couple of beaches and traverse some rocky areas, including two short but narrow sections.
The rock is grippy when dry and no scrambling is required, though you do need to do a little rock hopping.
The walk is flat for the majority of the way and if you go with the swell conditions mentioned above you shouldn’t have any trouble - though rogue waves are always a possibility and swell forecasts can be wrong, so if any section looks sketchy to you due to the waves then you should turn back.
The walk
From the Honeysuckle Beach car park you take the stairs down to the beach which is 50m away. Once on the beach head right and cross the sand for 110m to the rock platform.
Continue along the rock platform for 200m, along the way you will pass by the pretty Honeysuckle Rockpool which is another lovely spot if you have the time to stop.
At the 350m mark you have a short section of narrow rocks to cross to reach the next beach. This spot is prone to larger waves, but on a slight swell should not be a problem (though if the waves are up you should turn back).
You’ll then reach a little gravel beach and cross it to continue onto the next rock shelf. None of the beaches are the prettiest in the national park as they have a grey gravelly sand, but the cliff walls make them feel dramatic and the fact there is no track gives the whole walk a remote and wild vibe.
This second beach is 225m long and at the far end you will come to another rock platform.
Cross this rock platform and you will come to the second exposed section after 65m. This is the most exposed part of the walk and though brief, should not be attempted if large waves are crashing around the rocks.
Assuming that’s not the case you need to round the corner and walk down the sloped rock shelf onto the beach.
This is not a scramble and the rock is grippy when dry, but you are climbing down the shelf as opposed to walking along it.
After this all that’s left to do is cross the final beach (80m long) and then bear left onto the rocks when you reach the far end of the beach.
Traverse the rocks for 40m to the pool, which you’ll reach 1km after leaving the car park. Note that crossing all the rock shelfs is easy but only if you have shoes, do not attempt this barefoot as the rocks are sharp.
Swimming at the Pool of Athena
I defy anyone to set eyes on the shimmering blue water of the Pool of Athena and not feel compelled to take a dip. It’s utterly glorious and the cliffs and rock walls add to those incredible Greek Island vibes.
The clarity is excellent, but the water is very deep and as one side of the pool is not fully enclosed you do get some waves entering the pool.
When the waves are below 1m this is very minimal, but it’s not a millpond experience if that is what you are looking for.
Entering the water is easy as there is a tiered entry point on the western side of the pool. You can step down onto the rock shelf and then into the pool, exiting is just as easy.
Inside the pool the water is so deep that you won’t encounter any rocks and there has never been any weed on our visits either so you can swim in perfect serenity.
It’s a magnificent place for a swim and it’s well off the beaten track meaning you’re highly unlikely to see anyone else here.
When you’re ready to leave the pool you retrace your steps back the same way.
There is a second rockpool further along the rock shelf but it’s located on a higher level and therefore always stagnant (it’s possible after a super rough tide it could be cleared out but we’ve not seen it clear before).
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen to protect the marine life inside the pool.
Parking for the Pool of Athena
The closest parking area to the rockpool is the Honeysuckle Beach car park located in Murramarang National Park, you can see it here on Google maps. The car park isn’t very big but it never seems to get busy, even on hot weekends in summer. There are no facilities here, the closest toilets are located at the North Head Campground (just a few minutes drive away).
The last 7km of the road to the car park is unsealed, but suitable for any vehicle at time of writing.
The Honeysuckle Beach car park is just under a 20 minute drive from Batemans Bay and 50 minutes from Ulladulla.
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How to find one of Batemans Bay’s least well known rockpools, as well as the required tide and swell for a safe visit.