The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

We have done this walk in both directions, and either way is great. We do Bondi to Coogee more often, because there is a lot more parking at Bondi.

The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk is 6 km along the cliffs on Sydney’s Pacific coast, from one beach to the next, with ocean pools and cafés along the way. There are also a lot of stairs, so wear proper shoes.

The first time we did this walk, in August 2020, we parked at Bondi, walked all the way to Coogee and caught the bus back to Bondi to get the car. We have done it a few more times since, and later Coco started coming with us. On those days Coco and I would hang out at Coogee while JP took the bus back to Bondi for the car and came to pick us up 😊

Every beach on the way is a bit different. It is also a very popular running track, so there is always someone jogging past us.

About the walk

The walk links Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Coogee, with smaller bays, lookouts and rock platforms in between. It is easy to follow, so it is a good one for visitors and locals.

Destination NSW rates it a Grade 2 track: 6 km one way, two to three hours with stops, and a full day if you want to swim at every beach. It is well signposted, but there are steep stairs (especially around Gordons Bay), so it is not suitable for prams or wheelchairs. Dogs are allowed on a lead.

Getting there

There is no train station at Bondi Beach or Coogee, so you will need a bus. Regular buses link both Bondi and Coogee with Bondi Junction. From Circular Quay you can get to Bondi via Bondi Junction, or to Coogee via the CBD. Use an Opal card or contactless payment and check the current routes before you leave.

You can start at either end. Bondi to Coogee is the usual direction, and it’s nice if you want to finish with food or a swim at Coogee. Coogee to Bondi works just as well, and you get to see Bondi Beach open up in front of you at the end.

You can drive, but parking near the beaches is hard to find and time-limited, so we prefer the bus.

What to see along the way

From the southern headland at Bondi you can see the whole beach, with the Bondi Icebergs pool right below.

Bondi from the southern headland.

Bondi Icebergs pool is the world’s most famous pool and one of the most photographed locations in all of Australia. It’s built in the ocean, so the waves crash over the rocks into the pool ❤️ Note that the pool is closed on Thursdays for cleaning (weather permitting).

See it on our Instagram.

From there the path climbs around the cliffs, past sandstone rock platforms and small coves, to Tamarama. It is a smaller beach with big waves.

Just south of McKenzies Point, keep an eye out in Marks Park for Aboriginal rock carvings estimated to be about 2,000 years old. In spring, the Bondi to Tamarama stretch also has Sculpture by the Sea, which calls itself the largest annual sculpture exhibition in the world, with over 100 works along the cliffs for three weeks. Even outside Sculpture by the Sea, you will come across random art installations along the way.

The murals along the Bondi promenade.

The sandstone cliffs just south of Bondi, from the drone.

Bronte has a grassy park, a beach and the Bronte Baths, an ocean pool cut into the rock shelf right where the waves come in. It’s a good place to stop and catch your breath. At the southern end there is also the Bogey Hole, a natural sheltered rock pool. Keep going and you reach Waverley Cemetery, with rows of white headstones on the clifftop and the boardwalk running right along the edge of the sea. The cemetery is heritage-listed, and the poet Henry Lawson is buried there.

Bronte Baths from above.

Waverley Cemetery, right on the edge of the cliffs.

Clovelly is narrow and sheltered, and people swim and snorkel there. Next comes Gordons Bay, with little fishing boats pulled up on the shore and a 600-metre underwater nature trail for divers and snorkellers.

One of the art pieces we passed near the Coogee end.

The last stretch brings you to Coogee. Wedding Cake Island shelters the beach, and there are four ocean pools: Giles Baths, Ross Jones Memorial Pool, Wylies Baths and McIver Baths. McIver Baths is described as the last ocean pool in Australia reserved for women and children only. By the time you get to Coogee, you will be happy to sit down 😊

Coogee Beach, the end of the walk 😊

Tips for the walk

• Start early, or later in the afternoon, so you miss the worst of the sun.
• Take water, sunscreen and a hat. There isn’t much shade in parts.
• Wear comfortable shoes, even if everyone else is in thongs.
• Only swim where it is safe, and listen to the lifeguards.
• Give yourself extra time if you want to stop at the ocean pools or cafés.
• Dogs are allowed on the walk on a short lead, so Coco can come too, but they are not allowed on any of the beaches.
• In winter, watch for humpback whales on their migration. Bondi Icebergs is a good place to see them from.

Public toilets are at Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte and Coogee, and every beach has a drinking fountain to refill your bottle. So it’s easy to do the walk in bits if you want.

Source: Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, sydney.com (Destination NSW).

We love this walk. It’s breathtaking, and it will leave you wanting to come back time and again.

Enjoyed reading this? Like, Comment and Share. 😊