The Coogee to Maroubra walk is a beautiful coastal track that hugs the ocean for much of the way. The rugged cliff tops, sea views and numerous ocean baths make it a really picturesque walk. It’s a great track in its own right, or can be added on to the much more famous Bondi to Coogee walk or lesser known Malabar Headland walk for a longer hike.

It’s starts and ends with two of the eastern suburbs most beautiful beaches. Maroubra is our personal favourite of the two and where we’d recommend spending some time afterwards if you can. If possible, do this walk at low tide as you will be able to spend the maximum amount of time beside the water.

Here’s what to expect from one of Sydney’s best coastal walks.

The Coogee to Maroubra Walk

The stats

Distance: 4.9km
Elevation: 114m
Difficulty: Easy
Type of trail: One way

The Coogee to Maroubra walk is an easy walk, with virtually no steep section at any point. The trail is paved (unless you take the Low Tide Trail) and takes up to 1-1.5 hours, if you are going one-way.

Which direction to choose

It really doesn’t matter which way you walk the track, we’ve done it both ways and never noticed one being easier than the other. The tide is the main thing to consider, as the high tide path involves more walking along residential roads (something we dread on a walk).

Directionwise, you can pick the option that fits in with where you want to spend time afterwards. We prefer to finish at Maroubra Beach, but ending in Coogee and heading for a drink or some table tennis at the Coogee Pavilion is also a great choice.

Coogee Beach - Start of the Coogee to Maroubra Walk

Starting the trail at Coogee

The walk begins on the paved path above Coogee Beach and follows the beach south until you reach a turning 500m later into the Grant Reserve.

The path is lined with vegetation on either side with glimpses out to the ocean through the trees. It’s pretty popular, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be alone along this section but it’s a nice relaxed vibe!

A few hundred metres later you’ll come to the popular Wylie’s Baths.

It’s one of Sydney’s old ocean baths and is heritage listed. It’s also one of the only ones which requires you to pay an entrance fee ($5.50 for adults).

It’s gorgeous and one of the larger ocean baths in the area and you can even get a massage right by the sea!

It’s a lovely option for a dip if you prefer pools to ocean swimming, but towards the end of the walk you will pass Mahon Pool which has an equally stunning view and is free.

Walking along the cliff tops

After Wylie’s Baths you come to Trenerry Reserve on Coogee’s southern headland. The views here are wide open and you can look back on Coogee Beach as well as out to Wedding Cake Island.

You’ll come round to a really picturesque boardwalk with fantastic views of the cliff tops stretching to Maroubra.

We were walking after quite a lot of rain and the whole boardwalk was alive with the sound of frogs chirping.

The path continues to stick close to the ocean and we saw lots of cormorants drying their wings on the rocks below.

At the 1.9km mark you’ll come to Ivor Rowe Rockpool which is pretty small, but it has a lovely view if you were keen to stop for a paddle (it’s fairly shallow) just before the half way mark.

The low tide or high tide route

The section between Liguria Street and Mistral Point is the one short section of this walk which can only be done at low tide (it’s marked on the map above). If the timings don’t work for you, you can divert to some residential streets but it’s more scenic to take the low tide route.

Whichever option you take there is a short stretch of road walking at this point anyway. If you’re taking the low tide route that stretch is only around 800m.

From Ivor Rowe Rockpool, walk through the alleyway towards Cuzco Street. This is where the walk gets a little dull as you’ll need to head up Cuzco Street to Malabar Road (which is a fairly busy road).

Turn left down Malabar Road and it’s here where you have the choice of two routes: if it isn’t low tide, then you will need to head down Malabar Road until you see Torrington Road on your left. After heading down Torrington Road, you will need to turn left on Inman Street before joining the main path again.

If it’s low tide, head left down Liguria Street. At the bottom of Linguria Street is another alleyway that leads down to the shoreline once more.

The low tide route

Once down the stairs you can rock hop your way around to the next part of the paved trail. The rocks aren’t slippery for the most part, just avoid the weedy patches.

The low tide trail - Coogee to Maroubra Walk

It only takes around 5-10 minutes walking over the rocks, or longer if you stop to check out the little rock pools or the Rob Walker ocean bath.

The rockpool on the Low Tide Path on Coogee to Maroubra Walk

We’ve taken the high tide route before and the low tide route is definitely the way to do it.

Once you’re back on the paved path you’ve got just over a kilometre to go before you hit Maroubra Beach.

Heading on to Maroubra Beach

After 500m back on the paved path again you’ll arrive at Mistral Point. The rock formations here are beautiful and the ocean views are expansive and unobstructed. It’s a lovely place to sit and relax before heading on to Maroubra.

On leaving Mistral Point you’ll walk over the rock shelf and come to Mahon Pool. In our opinion this is the prettiest pool along the route and big enough for a proper swim.

There are also some fairly swish changing rooms you can use to.

From Mahon Pool you continue along the rock shelf before heading back onto the paved path and follow it round for the last stretch to Maroubra.

From the pool to the beach is around 900m. You’ll get some fab views of the beach along the walkway and it’s a great spot to photograph surfers.

You can then either hit the beach, get a bus back to the city, or continue the walk on to the Malabar Headland, which is a very pretty track.

Maroubra Beach at the end of the Coogee to Maroubra Walk

Packing suggestions for the walk

Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:

Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon

Essential information about the Coogee to Maroubra Walk

Public transport to the walk

This walk is really easy to do by public transport from the city. Hop on the 353 bus to Coogee and then get the 376 or 395 bus from Maroubra back to the city.

Parking for the walk

If you’d rather drive to one end of the walk and then get the bus back to your car, there’s free parking around Dolphin Street in Coogee or behind the beach at Maroubra. In Coogee the spots along Dolphin Street are either 2P or 4P. Make sure you park in the 4P area so that you don’t feel rushed.

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