Many of our favourite beaches in the whole of Sydney are found in Royal National Park. There are so many beautiful ones that you really are spoilt for choice. If you’re looking to surf, swim in calm water, find a hidden spot, or even relax “au naturel” Royal National Park has the beach for you.
Some require very little effort to get to, whilst others will require a hike - but the extra effort often rewards you with a spectacular beach all to yourself.
After visiting them all we can categorically say that these are the best beaches in Royal National Park.
Royal National Park Beaches
These are the 9 best beaches in Royal National Park:
Whilst a few of these beaches are close together, the majority are spread across the length of Royal National Park. Many are close to car parks, but some gems will require hiking. We tell you about each beach below, what to expect and what is required to get to them.
1. Burning Palms
Burning Palms is my personal favourite in the park. It feels cut off from the outside world, with no road access, so the only way to get here is on foot. This generally keeps the crowds away.
The beach is nestled between two headlands, giving it a really secluded feel. I’ve been here so many times, and it still hits me every time that I come out of the forest and get my first view of the beach from above - it’s just breathtaking.
It can get quite big waves, so it’s not always the best for swimming. I tend to enjoy just sitting on the rocks and watching as the waves roll in. It’s also a magical spot for sunrise.
Burning Palms is just over a kilometre’s walk from the famous Figure of 8 Pools. If you’re planning to visit the pools, we’ve written a detailed guide on how to make sure you have a safe and extra special trip.
Essential info about Burning Palms
Facilities: None
How to get there: The quickest route to Burning Palms is to walk from Garrawarra Farm Car Park. It’s just over a 2km walk, all downhill on the way and a fairly steep climb back up on the way back.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Garrawarra Farm unless you have a parks pass. If you’re happy to do a longer walk, you can park for free at Otford Lookout.
2. Garie Beach
This is Joe’s favourite beach and an absolute beauty. If you’re looking for a beach you can drive right up to, then Garie is a really great choice.
The beach is huge, 900m in fact, and like Burning Palms, it’s bookended by headland on either side.
It is absolutely spectacular and if you are lucky enough to be able to visit mid week it’s really quiet. It gets much busier at the weekends, but there is a lot of space to spread out and find a spot away from the crowds.
It’s a popular surf beach and is also good for a swim if you don’t mind waves. You will need to stay between the flags though as it does have rips.
If you’re keen for a stroll after relaxing on the beach, a couple of fantastic walking tracks start at Garie Beach. You can walk to Eagle Rock which is 9km return or North and South Era beaches which are just over 4km return.
Essential info about Garie Beach
Facilities: Toilets, changing area (it’s a pretty new block)
How to get there: Garie Beach has its own car park right beside the beach or you can use the park shuttle system from Sutherland Train Station.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Garie Beach unless you have a parks pass.
3. Little Marley
Little Marley is one of Sydney’s best secluded beaches, which is probably because it takes a little while to get there, whichever direction along the Coast Track you’re coming from.
It’s one of the most beautiful beaches in the park and I always pinch myself when we regularly get it all to ourselves!
It isn’t the best for swimming because there are quite strong currents, and we often see bluebottle jellyfish here.
However, if you want somewhere idyllic to relax and have a paddle in the shallows, then it’s a wonderful choice.
There are several ways to get to Little Marley, but our preferred route is from Wattamolla. This 7km return walk is stunning, especially the section that takes you along the cliff tops with jaw dropping ocean views. You can read all the details on the walk in this guide.
Essential info about Little Marley
Facilities: None
How to get there: The only way to access Little Marley is on foot.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Wattamolla car park unless you have a parks pass. Parking at the Bundeena end of the Coast Track is free.
4. Big Marley
It’s easy to combine both Big Marley and Little Marley in one visit because they are only 650m apart along a flat, scenic boardwalk.
There’s even a good chance of seeing whales along this stretch of track if you visiting between May and October.
The waves at Big Marley are even more dramatic than at Little Marley and it’s mesmerising to just sit on the long sweep of golden sand and watch them roll in.
Big Marley feels wild and is backed by some pretty big sand dunes.
You can walk to Big Marley from Bundeena (roughly 3.7km each way) or Wattamolla (4.2km each way). The walk from Bundeena, will take you via the famous Wedding Cake Rock. Whichever route you choose, it’s spectacular.
Essential info about Big Marley
Facilities: None
How to get there: The only way to access Big Marley is on foot.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Wattamolla car park unless you have a parks pass. Parking at the Bundeena end of the Coast Track is free.
5. Jibbon Beach
Jibbon Beach is an absolute beauty and another very easy one to get to. It’s one of the longest beaches in Royal National Park at 800m in length, and it is just gorgeous.
Unlike many of the other beaches on this list the water is really calm, so this is a great choice if you love swimming without waves.
There are also some really well preserved Aboriginal engravings very close to the beach, which are well worth taking a look at.
We usually visit JIbbon Beach as part of the fantastic 5.3km Jibbon loop track but you can also drive and park a few minutes from the beach on Loftus Street.
Essential info about Jibbon Beach
Facilities: None
How to get there: You can reach the beach using public transport by taking the Bundeena ferry from Cronulla or you can drive and park just behind the beach on Loftus Street.
Parking fee: Car parking is free in Bundeena and there are no time limits.
6. North Era
It took us a while to discover both North and South Era Beaches, and we have no idea why we waited so long!
North Era is an absolute delight and is just a few minutes walk from South Era, so both can be visited on one day.
North Era is small but perfectly formed, and is a wonderful spot to sit and relax. There is a campground behind the beach which is a favourite grazing spot for the resident wallabies, so it’s worth popping behind the beach to see if they’re there!
Obviously it goes without saying not to feed them.
The quickest way to reach North Era Beach is on the 1.5km walking track from nearby Garie Beach. It does require a short, steep climb, but the views in every direction are phenomenal! We’ve got all the trail details in this post.
Essential info about North Era Beach
Facilities: Bush toilet, campground
How to get there: You can reach North Era Beach in a couple of a different ways but the quickest is from Garie Beach, which has its own car park.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Garie Beach unless you have a parks pass.
7. South Era
South Era is another beauty, and is a longer beach than North Era. Both North and South Era do get quite strong rips, so it’s good for a paddle, but be careful when swimming.
It’s a truly incredible beach and is backed by dense vegetation, which makes it feel nicely secluded.
There is a small community of people who live by the beach, as they do at the south end of Garie Beach and Burning Palms, but in the case of all three beaches this really doesn’t make them feel busy.
You can walk round to South Era from North Era along the rocky platform at low tide, which takes just a few minutes. If it’s high tide, you can use the track that takes you up and down the hill behind the beach, which is 700m long.
The vegetation along the high tide route is another good wallaby spotting opportunity and the walk here from Garie Beach is one of our favourites in the park!
Essential info about South Era Beach
Facilities: None
How to get there: You can reach South Era Beach in a couple of a different ways but the quickest is from Garie Beach, which has its own car park.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Garie Beach unless you have a parks pass.
8. Werrong Beach
Werrong Beach is a real hidden gem in Royal National Park, and many Sydney locals have never even heard of it!
The beach is reached via a steep 1.6km absolutely spectacular trail through the jungle and all the time you can hear the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance.
When you emerge from the forest you’ll find a wild beach which feels completely cut off from the rest of civilisation, which makes it perfect for those who preferring their beaches “sans swimsuits”.
Werrong is not one of those nudist beaches where you’ll find a mix of those in bathing suits and those who aren’t, if you don’t want to go au naturel then you could try visiting mid week or very early morning.
Essential info about Werrong Beach
Facilities: None
How to get there: The closest parking for Werrong Beach is at Otford Lookout.
Parking fee: Parking at Otford Lookout is free with no time restraints.
9. Wattamolla Beach
Wattamolla Beach is wildly popular with families and groups of friends, particularly on weekends. Its great facilities mean you can come and spend an entire day, and there’s plenty enough to do in the Wattamolla area to keep you busy, besides the beach. Many of the best walks in Sydney begin here.
The beach itself is gorgeous and has the dual benefit that you can swim in the ocean or the lagoon, which is right beside the beach. Bringing a float and whiling away the day drifting along the lagoon is a favourite past time.
There’s also a waterfall which drops into the water, which makes the whole scene even more impressive.
To get to the beach you walk for around 300m along a bush track before descending a couple of staircases to the sand.
Essential info about Wattamolla Beach
Facilities: Toilets, changing area, BBQ’s, picnic tables
How to get there: Wattamolla Beach has its own ginormous car park, but despite that, it can still fill up on busy weekends. You can also take the park shuttle from Sutherland Train Station if you don’t have a car.
Parking fee: It costs $12 a day to park at Wattamolla Beach unless you have a parks pass.
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What’s your favourite beach in Royal National Park? Were any of these beaches new to you? Let us know in the comments below!
