Sydney is well know for being a city of beautiful beaches, with hundreds to choose from, but often the more famous ones can get very crowded. We prefer our beaches a little more tranquil, and are always on the hunt for new hidden spots.
Many of these secluded beaches are a little harder to get to, but that’s what keeps the crowds away, so put in just a little extra effort and you will be greatly rewarded.
Here are our favourite secret beaches in Sydney.
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1: Resolute Beach
2: Washaway Beach
3: Castle Rock Beach
4: Werrong Beach
5: Flat Rock Beach
6: Burning Palms
7: Athol Bay
8: Lady Bay
9: Little Marley
10: West Head Beach
11: Queens Beach
12: Tingira Beach
13: Reef Beach
14: Little Congwong
15: Chinamans Beach
The best secluded beaches in Sydney
1. Resolute Beach, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Resolute Beach is not just one of our favourite secluded beaches, but one of our favourites in the whole of Sydney.
This beach, located in Ku-ring-gai National Park, has pure jungle vibes and if it wasn’t for the fact you can see the Barrenjoey Headland in the distance, you could easily think you’ve just arrived at a desert island somewhere.
There are huge Jurassic Park-esque rocks and really gorgeous emerald water, which is perfect for swimming.
The sand is golden and backed by tall cliffs covered in dense forest. This is one beach which is well worth the hike.
Here’s our guide to Resolute Beach with full track notes on how to get there.
2. Washaway Beach, Dobroyd Head
Washaway Beach may lie just off trail on one of Sydney’s most popular walking tracks, but it never gets busy. It’s a harbour beach, but it has all the feels of something much more wild.
It’s probably one of the biggest harbour beaches that virtually no one has heard of, which is pretty staggering when you see how absolutely magnificent it is.
The walking track takes you to a cliff above the beach, and one of my favourite things to do is to sit on the cliff edge and watch the rolling waves.
To descend to the sand itself requires walking to the far left of the cliff, and climbing down the rocks and then a small ladder - a little more adventurous than your average beach walk!
Here’s exactly how to find Washaway Beach, located on the Spit to Manly walking trail.
3. Castle Rock, Clontarf
If you like to visit more than one beach in a day, you’ll be pleased to know that Castle Rock Beach is located along the same walking trail as Washaway, but has a completely different vibe.
This tiny beach is much easier to get to, yet most people continue straight past it without every realising it’s there.
The beach is backed by lots of dense bushland and has really calm water, which is turquoise on a clear, sunny day. If you’d like to mix things up a bit you can actually get to Castle Rock Beach on a kayak from the Spit.
If you do happen to arrive and find there’s someone already there - which has only happened to us once - then there are two other similar beaches you can visit. They are located a short walk to the left of Castle Rock, in the direction of Clontarf Beach.
4. Werrong Beach, Royal National Park
For those who like their beach experience “au naturel”, then Werrong Beach is going to be the one for you. Yes, this is one of Sydney’s lesser know nudist beaches and probably the most secluded on this entire list.
It is one of those ‘proper nudist’ beaches, where you won’t see anyone in bathing suits, so if that’s not for you, you probably want to try and visit mid-week or early morning at the weekends, otherwise you might feel uncomfortable….
Werrong feels truly cut off from the rest of the world and hiking through the dense jungle to get there only adds to that feeling.
The beach is a mixture of sandy and rocky, and whilst it isn’t the most spectacular of Royal National Park’s beaches, we thought it was a beauty and definitely gets a 10/10 for seclusion.
Here’s our full guide to Werrong Beach and the hike to get there.
5. Flat Rock Beach, Garigal National Park
We’re coming at you with something a little left field with Flat Rock Beach, but hear us out. You may have been looking for white sand and blue ocean, but there’s something really special about this little creek beach at Bantry Bay.
The moment we laid eyes on it, we both said how much we loved it, which we definitely weren’t expecting. It just so happened to be at the end of a hike we were doing!
If you love to swim in calm, still, emerald water and listen to the sound of a waterfall as you sit on the beach, then Flat Rock should be next on your hit list.
There was no one else there on our visit and it gave us definite Robinson Crusoe vibes.
If you’d like to combine a trip to Flat Rock with a hike check out this post on Garigal’s Magazine Track.
6. Burning Palms, Royal National Park
If you were to ask me what my favourite beach in Sydney is, I would answer Burning Palms with no hesitation. Despite the fact it’s one of the most glorious beaches in Sydney, it never seems to get busy!
This sweep of golden sand is backed by headland on either side, which gives it that secluded, remote feeling.
There is a small community that lives down here, so it’s not completely untouched, but we’ve visited many times and there’s never been many people around.
You can only reach the beach via one of two steep hiking trails, easy on the way and then a bit of a climb on the way back.
It’s always completely worth it and if you happen to be enthusiastic enough to catch a sunrise here you won’t regret it!
7. Athol Bay, Taronga
Teeny, tiny Athol Bay takes very little effort to get to, yet still remains completely off the beaten track. Located a short way along the Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach Walk, most people skip straight over the short side track which takes you down to the beach.
This little slice of golden sand, in the middle of Sydney Harbour, offers spectacular Harbour Bridge and Opera House views, and is surrounded by dense bushland, which makes it feel cut off from the rest of the world.
It’s the perfect choice if you don’t want to walk too far and can’t get enough of those beautiful harbour views.
We’ve written more details on the beach, and what’s nearby in our guide to the Taronga to Balmoral Beach Walk.
8. Lady Bay, Watsons Bay
Lady Bay is another nudist beach, but you’ll often find a mix of people wearing bathing suits and those that aren’t.
It’s one of my favourite beaches in Sydney because although it’s just below one of Sydney’s most popular harbour walks, all the vegetation behind the beach helps to retain an air of seclusion.
The views from this beach are spectacular and the cliffs on either side add to the feeling of being cut off.
It’s a real beauty and well worth stopping for a dip in the calm water, especially if you’re planning on walking the gorgeous South Head Trail.
9. Little Marley, Royal National Park
Little Marley Beach is an absolute delight. It’s not the best if you’re looking to swim because the currents can be really strong, but if you’re looking to relax on a little piece of paradise, then it’s a must.
It’s far enough away from any trail heads that no one has ever been here when we’ve visited, and even if you do run into someone, they are more like to be hiking past than stopping here. So it really does feel like a true hidden spot.
The sand is beautiful and the rolling waves are mesmerising to watch. If you are going to have a paddle just watch for Bluebottle Jellyfish, which we’ve seen here regularly.
We’ve written a guide on the most spectacular route to take to Little Marley Beach.
10. West Head Beach, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
West Head is really close to Resolute Beach, so you could visit both in one afternoon very easily. It’s another wild and wonderful spot.
It’s a bit rockier than Resolute Beach, so we don’t love it quite as much. However, the rocks do make for a great spot to sit and watch the world go by.
It’s slightly easier to get to than Resolute Beach because it’s nearer to the trail head.
You do have a steep climb down from the cliff top, but it’s on a staircase so it’s not difficult, just a bit of a puff on the way back up!
You definitely won’t regret it when you set foot on that gorgeous sand!
11. Queens Beach, Vaucluse
Queens Beach is another pretty little harbour beach with great Harbour Bridge views.
As with many on this list, it sits along a popular walking track. However, just like the other beaches on hiking trails, most people tend to motor on past, missing this little gem completely.
Queens Beach has got pristine golden sand and nice calm water if you fancy a swim. It sits in front of some lush vegetation, which keeps it largely hidden from the walkers above, and if you visit in the late afternoon and hang around for sunset you will not be disappointed!
You can watch sunset from the beach itself, or the lookout just above it, which is one of our favourite sunset spots in all of Sydney!
12. Tingira Beach, Vaucluse
Tingira Beach is very close to Queens Beach, so it’s easy to combine the two. It’s even more secluded than Queens, with more dense vegetation shielding it from the track, and no proper staircase down.
It only takes a minute to get down to the beach, but the rocks are covered in a fine layer of sand, which does make them slippery so just watch your footing. You wouldn’t fall far but no one wants to slip!
Tingira has yet more stunning harbour views, you really are spoilt in Sydney!
The water is calm and it definitely feels like you’ve found your own secret spot, which is pretty hard to believe when you’re staring right at the Harbour Bridge!
Tingira is located along the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay Walk which we detail in this guide.
13. Reef Beach, Dobroyd Head
Reef Beach is surprisingly quiet given its proximity to the ever popular Manly beaches.
It’s a peaceful spot with great views and calm water, which is great if you’re not keen on the bigger swells at Manly Beach. It isn’t likely that you will get it all to yourself, but you won’t have to share it with many people.
It’s a nice picnic spot or place to come with a book and escape the hustle and bustle of Manly.
You can find it along the Spit to Manly walking track.
14. Little Congwong Beach, La Perouse
Little Congwong Beach is yet another nudist beach, but I guess that kind of makes sense when you’re looking for secluded beaches! This beach usually has a mixed crowd and is very relaxed.
On a sunny day it feels positively tropical, with stunning two tone blue water. It’s cut off from the main Congwong Beach by several hundred metres of walking track which gives it that hidden beach feel.
You can look across the water to the picturesque Bare Island while you’re relaxing on this lovely sweep of golden sand.
It can get quite busy on a sunny weekend so whilst it feels nicely secluded it’s one of the busier beaches on this list. If that’s not your thing, we’d recommend visiting midweek or early morning on a weekend.
If you’re up for a stroll after relaxing on the beach, you can try the gorgeous Cape Banks Circuit , which Little Congwong is a 275m diversion from.
15. Chinamans Beach, Mosman
Chinamans Beach is the easiest to get to on this list, and only requires a couple of minutes walk from the car park.
Despite the ease of getting to this beach, Chinamans remains a hidden spot. It’s in a residential area, which you’d never guess had an amazing beach sitting right in the middle of it.
It is just round the corner from popular Balmoral Beach, and though it’s much smaller, it has the same great sand and calm water which is perfect for swimming.
It will probably be a little busier than any other beach on this list, simply because it’s so easy to get to, but it never feels crowded.
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What’s your favourite secret beach in Sydney? Are there any you think we should have included? Let us know in the comments below!
