Sydney Beaches and Pools

Sydney Australia is a wonderful city to visit! It’s especially great to visit in summer, which is when we were there. On top of celebratory fireworks and outdoor festivals, Sydney has many excellent and popular beaches. Summer is hot; the temperature got to almost 40C, and the best way to cool off is to jump in the water. The good news is Sydney beaches and pools are plentiful, and the water is definitely cool. Sometimes it’s too cold, but when it’s this hot, it feels good, at least for a while.

Summer Weather in Sydney

Australia’s biggest city, Sydney is located on the New South Wales coast. Considered to be part of a temperate climate zone, Sydney has warm to hot summers and no dry season. Our experience in summer is temperatures from high teens to high 30s C, with days of full sun alternating with days of clouds and/or rain. Sometimes the best days are the cloudy ones because that sun is strong!

City Pools

Sydney has lovely beaches, all outside of the city center. Our anchorage was full of jellyfish and too close to the city to make for good swimming. Instead, we found the city pools were great places to cool off for approximately $8/day. Some pools in Sydney are even outdoors, so we enjoyed the fresh air while swimming laps or simply relaxing in the water.

Some pools, like the Victoria Park pool, are located in urban parks. Others are located adjacent to the Sydney Harbour. And all are reasonably priced and offer lockers and showers. In a pinch on a hot day in Sydney, going to a public pool is a good idea. With all the opportunities to swim in Sydney and around Australia, it’s no wonder Australia has so many champion swimmers.

Sydney Beaches

We loved the beaches in Queensland, with long swathes of soft empty sand. Sydney beaches still have stretches of that same soft sand, and many beautiful beaches close to the city. However, it’s more difficult to find the luxury of space like in Queensland. From 20 miles north in Pittwater to 30 miles south in Port Hacking, and all the oceanfront in between, people flock to Sydney beaches.

One thing we really loved about Sydney – and much of the Australian coast we’ve seen – is the beaches are accessible to the public. We didn’t see a lot of private landholders occupying beachfront property. Even many of the hills overlooking the water contain public trails. Compare this to the resorts taking up miles of coastline in the Caribbean, and you see the advantage to going to the beach in Australia.

Sydney’s beaches are easy to visit via transit. Manly Beach, for instance, is accessible by ferry from the CBD, followed by a quick walk through town. Other beaches like Bondi and Coogi are on the bus lines from downtown, or a ferry to Rose Bay and then a bus. It’s easy to get to Sydney’s beaches and pools, another reason they’re so popular.

Walks Between Beaches

Some of the best hikes in Sydney take you between beaches, with gorgeous views along the way. The hiking trails are well defined and popular.

The drawback is climbing stairs between beaches, but it’s good exercise and you can always cool off in the water along the way. We saw a lot of beaches, and some pools, between Manly and the Split, and on the iconic Bondi to Coogi Walk.

Pack a swimsuit and towel, and definitely sun screen. You can rinse off at outdoor showers at every beach.

Sydney Beaches and Pools: Pools at Beaches

One of the highlights of Sydney beaches is the salt water pools. Since the early 1900s, locals built these pools for safety against rip tides. All the way up the coast, thes ocean pools are still in popular use, and Sydney has more pools than anywhere. Some are called Baths and some are called Pools, each one is different, and many are spectacular.

Many have lanes for swimming laps, and some are more protected than others. Waves crash into some of these pools, making for an exciting day at the beach. Some are surrounded by rocks or concrete to separate them from the ocean, while others are only separated by netting. Swimming in some of these Sydney beaches and pools is an adventure!

Bondi Icebergs is probably the most famous of all Sydney’s beachfront pools. Set into a cliffside, it’s pretty spectacular to look at. It’s an almost 100 year old swimming club with a restaurant that’s open to the public. Unlike most of the other pools at Sydney’s beaches, you must pay to swim in this iconic spot, or be a member.

When we swam or bathed, the temperatures ranged from high teens C to low 20s. That’ll cool you down on a hot summer day! But keep in mind, these pools are still not 100% safe, with stingers and sharks always a looming presence. We’ve been to beaches while the water was emptied due to shark sightings, and have seen signs warning of sting rays. It’s best to stay alert.

It’s a Lifestyle

Australians are beach people. Most of the population lives on or near the coast, and in Sydney at least, it seems like everybody swims. If they’re not swimming, they’re surfing or boarding or paddling or rowing. The water is home in Australia. Beaches are packed and beach towns are full of people wearing nothing but their swimsuits. It took a little getting used to so close to downtown, but it’s the norm here, mate.

If You’re Further North

While not technically in Sydney, Newcastle is a bustling town just a couple hours north. There’s even a commuter train, though it’s not fast. But, if you love Sydney beaches and pools, you’ll also love the Merewether Baths, the largest ocean baths in the Southern Hemisphere. We were so impressed we cycled there for a swim. If you’re near Sydney, you really must bathe in some of these incredible pools.

Let me know where your favorite swimming holes are, in Sydney, Australia, or anywhere else in the world!