6 Of The Best Coastal Walks In Sydney

As a city, some of the world’s best coastal walks are in Sydney. Sydney boasts around 200 km or 125 miles of continuous coastline linked by walking trails. From Palm Beach in the north to Cronulla in the south, you could spend weeks hiking Sydney’s coastline or 60 hours to be precise! If you’ve got a short visit to Sydney it’s definitely worth trying to incorporate a few of the stunning coastal walks into your itinerary.  It’s a great way to experience Sydney’s gorgeous outdoor lifestyle which is so much about the harbour. Make a day of it if you can, bring a picnic lunch or plan your journey around stopping at one of the many devine Sydney cafes this city has to offer!

The list below includes my favourite coastal walks around Sydney.

Bondi to Coogee coastal walk by Pinterest

Probably one of the busiest coastal walks in Sydney, the 6km stretch between Bondi to Coogee has been a popular Sydney walk for some time. The walk either starts or finishes at Australia’s famous Bondi Beach and Bondi Icebergs pool and passes through the rugged sandstone cliffs to Coogee via boardwalks and the mansions of the eastern suburbs.  Time your walk around a meal in Bondi – there are plenty of amazing cafes to choose from.

For three weeks every October, the section of coastline between Bondi and Tamarama hosts Sculpture by the Sea. The free public exhibition is the largest annual sculpture exhibition in the world.

Distance: 6km

Time: About 3 hours

Watsons Bay to Bondi Beach coastal walk

Definitely a favourite of mine! Catch a ferry from Circular Quay passing through Sydney’s iconic harbour to start your walk from Wastons Bay. Walk out towards the Hornby Lighthouse to catch views towards Sydney Harbour. Follow the coastline south checking out the views and vistas from the viewing platforms along the rugged coastline.  You may even catch a glimpse of some migrating humpback whales between July and September or Aussie birds in the trees and scrub.

Distance: 5km

Time: 1.5 hours

Okay technically a pedestrian bridge crossing, not a coastal walk but walking the Harbour Bridge is one of my favourite things to do in Sydney. This harbour city is like no other and the views from the bridge are absolutely breathtaking.  Catching my first glimpses of the Opera House from the bridge always brings a smile from ear to ear. You can walk across the bridge via the pedestrian walk for way free of charge in just 20 minutes or via over the top bridge span with Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb for about $200. The Pylon look out can be accessed for $15 from the pedestrian footbridge and offers views over the city skyline and harbour also.

Extend your walk by exploring the surrounding villages of the Rocks and Kirribilli.

Distance: 1.5 km

Time:   20 mins (one way)

Spit to Manly coast walk

One of my personal favourites, the Spit Bridge to Manly walk travels along the harbour taking in bushland, ocean views and Aboriginal rock engravings. This walk spans about 10km in length and can be started at either end but I personally like finishing up in Manly, for a drink or ice cream then to ferry back to the city or to a parked car at the Spit Bridge.

When the weather is warm be sure to bring your swimmers for a dip in the ocean, there are many beaches along the way for you to cool down in.

Distance: 10 km

Time: 4-5 hours

This walk ticks all the boxes for iconic Sydney experiences starting with a ferry ride with picturesque harbour views to Taronga Zoo. The harbour views just keep getting better as you follow the coastline north towards Balmoral.

Distance: 7km

Time: About 2-3 hours

Barrenjoey lighthouse walk

A visit to Palm Beach just isn’t complete without walking to the tip of the northern beaches to Barrenjoey Headland. This is a relatively quick walk of 30 minutes one way and is quite steep in places. Walking from the beach via Smugglers Track, the path to the Barrenjoey Headland takes in 360 degree views back towards Palm Beach and Pittwater. Making it to the top of the lighthouse you’ll see vast views of the Pacific Ocean, the Hawkesbury River and the still waters of Pittwater and Broken Bay.

Distance: 3km

Time: 1 hour (return)

More on Sydney coming soon!