Giles Baths has to be the best rockpool in all of Sydney. The water is crystal clear and shimmers turquoise in the sunshine. The setting is almost entirely natural and to top it all off there’s a huge amount of room for a proper swim. There are gaps in the rock from when it was a proper bathing facility, so a constant flow of water enters the pool keeping it flushed clean.
The clarity is superb and it’s hard to believe you’re still in Sydney! Added to that, compared to nearby Coogee Beach, it’s actually not too busy.
Here’s what to expect from a visit to the fabulous Giles Baths.
Visiting Giles Baths
The walk - 365m each way
The walk to Giles Baths is so quick it barely even qualifies as a walk.
Of course you could come via the longer coastal paths from Bondi or Maroubra, but if you simply want the quickest route to the rockpool you can park at the Coogee parking area just off Arden St and head along Dunningham Reserve, beside the northern end of Coogee Beach.
You follow the paved path until the fork which is 200m from the car park, at which point you keep right. You’ll be able to see the cute old archway with the word ‘Baths’ written on it.
Head through the arch and you’ll see a well maintained staircase leading down to the pool, which is 15m away.
Swimming at the rockpool and advice for the tide and swell
Despite the name, the rockpool is now mainly natural, with just a few remnants of the old stone walls remaining. The water looks absolutely glorious from the staircase and it’s just as good from inside the pool.
The clarity is incredible due to the constant flow of water entering the pool and keeping it beautifully clean. It’s honestly hard to believe that you are moments away from one of Sydney’s most popular beaches.
Entering the pool is pretty easy as there are stairs leading all the way down to the water. However, there are still rocks inside the pool just as you enter and it can be a little slippery.
Depending on conditions, waves come right up to the stairs and can knock you around a little. If you visit when the swell is slight this will be substantially mitigated, but even when we’ve been on a moderate swell it’s still fine if you sit down and slide in.
You have to be a bit more careful when getting out if it’s wavy and you should time your exit for when there isn’t a wave rolling in.
Once inside the pool, there is plenty of room to swim, with a large deep pool to the left and then what feels like a narrower rock channel to the right.
There are some rocks around the channel and for this reason and for better depth, I would recommend visiting on a mid to high tide.
I would say mid tide with a slight swell is perfect conditions, but even a moderate swell is ok, though you will experience a steady stream of waves in the pool.
I would avoid a rough swell when you’re going to get knocked around a lot. You can visit on a high tide though preferably with a slight swell. At low tide it’s a little shallow, although if you just want to relax rather than swim, that’s no bad thing.
Swimming here is a dream and it’s incredible to look over to Coogee Beach, which is usually busy and marvel that there’s barely anyone at all in the rockpool.
Well midweek that is, I am sure it gets much busier on weekends, so if you can make it midweek or early in the morning on a weekend it’s going to be a much more tranquil experience.
If you are into snorkelling, definitely bring some gear with you as you often see people snorkelling here and the visibility is excellent.
In terms of the baths history, they were built in 1928 and were formerly a male only bathing area. After falling into disrepair the buildings were demolished in 2000 and now all that remains is the archway you enter through and a bit of the old stone walls which create the rock channel.
The fact this has been a popular swimming spot for nearly 100 years all adds to the charm and it really is an unmissable experience if you love wild swimming.
Facilities at Giles Baths
There are no longer any facilities at the baths, so if you want to get changed somewhere it’s best to use the changing rooms at Coogee Beach which you can find here on Google maps.
Please remember to take all rubbish out with you and use reef safe sunscreen in the water to protect the marine life.
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