Sydney easily boasts the best beaches and ocean swimming pools of any city in the world, on both its harbour and its coasts. The Bondi to Bronte walk — one of our favourite strolls in the world — showcases three of the city’s most beautiful beaches, Bondi Beach, Tamarama, and Bronte Beach.
The Bondi to Bronte walk was established way back in the 1930s and in recent years was extended all the way to Coogee, via Waverly Cemetery, perhaps one of the planet’s most spectacularly located cemeteries.
Bondi to Bronte Walk — Sydney’s Spectacular Coastal Stroll
Aside from the views of the cobalt coloured sea through elaborate white tombstones, it’s worth exploring to see the graves of famous Australians, including writers and poets such as Henry Lawson and Dorothea Mackellar.
While it’s worth doing the whole walk if you have time, we recommend doing the Bronte to Bondi section if you’re only in Sydney for a few days and on a tight schedule.
We recently did the Bondi to Bronte walk, but in reverse, as we took a 20-minute ride on the 378 bus from Oxford Street to Bronte, an enjoyable trip in itself. (This route starts at Circular Quay).
If you have the time, add an hour for lunch first at one of the many laidback cafés opposite Bronte Park, which boast stunning sea views from their footpath tables, or take a picnic lunch to eat on the way in one of the parks or on a bench overlooking the sea.
Bronte Park, where I used to go during my uni years with my uncles and their friends for beachside barbecues and games of cricket, is a lovely spot to spread out a towel for a lazy lunch.
But then so is the park at Tamarama and the South Bondi headland that has sweeping views of Bondi Beach.
The walk is what a guide friend of ours calls a ‘huff and puff walk’, meaning it’s not too difficult (it’s a smooth, well maintained path), but there are hills to ascend and descend as you leave and arrive at each beach.
It’s easy to discern the tourists from the locals. The tourists will be the ones catching their breath at the top of a set of stairs, while the locals are jogging up the steps with ease.
As you stroll around the spectacular rocky headlands, the sandy curves of beach sitting prettily below, the surf crashing on the rocks, wildflowers sprouting on the hillside, don’t be surprised if you begin to think that Sydney might just be the most beautiful city in the world.
Expect, however, as you turn the final corner and see the crescent of Bondi Beach stretching around the bay, that you will think: this is the most drop-dead gorgeous city on the planet.
How to do the Bondi to Bronte Walk
Getting there
Bus 378 from Circular Quay via Oxford Street to Bronte, although you can also take the 333, 380 and 381 to Bondi and the 361 to Tamarama.
Duration
Allow 1.5 hours to do the Bondi to Bronte walk alone; 2-3 hours if including a café lunch or picnic stop on the way.
More information
There’s a link to a map of the Bondi to Bronte walk (not that you need it; it’s signposted and you won’t get lost) on the Bondi to Bronte Coastwalk page on the Waverly Council website. The site also has lots of info on the history of the area, as well as other self-guided walks.
The Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
If you continue south from Bronte along the walking path, which extends all the way to Coogee, you’re effectively now doing the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. We’ll test out the stretch to Coogee on our next trip to Sydney.
Ahh… my favourite thing to do in Sydney. I used to try to walk or run it at least once a week. You’re making me feel homesick with these photos… :)
I’ve visited Sydney a number of times, and there are still a few things I’ve yet to see. Oddly enough, now that I’ve arrived in Sydney, it’s time I did this walk – great timing!
While I really like Sydney, respectfully, I’ll disagree with Sydney as the most beautiful city on the planet. :-)
Thanks for your post!
Ah, what a shame we’ll miss you – we’re in Malaysia now! Have a wonderful time!
But you can’t say Sydney isn’t the most beautiful city in the world without saying which is…?
Awwww! Enjoy Malaysia!
With easy access to mountains and sea, the downtown/CBD skyline “in front” of this natural backdrop, and one of the largest city-parks in the world right up against the CBD, Vancouver, Canada is a very serious contender for “most beautiful city” in the world. :)
Gorgeous pictures! I’m hoping to get to Sydney one of these days and will definitely go on this walk. It sounds great!
Thanks, it is a beautiful city!
I agree that the Bondi to Bronte Walk is one of the best in the world.
As I lived in the Sydney western suburbs we only managed to get there a couple of times (I see comments where people lived in the area with envy). But the walk was well worth the trip!!
Heaven, isn’t it? I do hope that as those lucky bastards are jogging and walking along it they appreciate how lucky they really are.
Ha! I spent my whole time in Sydney being ‘homesick’ even though I never longed for it at all in the 14 years we were away. Aren’t humans funny creatures?
I was born in Parramatta and grew up in the western suburbs too – but my parents had all sorts of friends, from artists to horse-trainers, who lived all over the city. So I was lucky in that we were always getting out and about, going to harbourside restaurants and to Randwick races, concerts at the showgrounds, barbecues in the national parks, and skiing on the Hawkesbury river. It was a fun childhood.
But we never lived there, so I definitely share your envy. Thanks for dropping by! :)
Beautiful descriptions! I can’t wait to see it in person someday. Australia (and many countries in Oceania) has been at the top of my list for a long time! Thanks for the beautiful photos too!
Thanks, Brooke! You must go! Again, for a creative person, you will find Sydney truly inspiring. Have you heard of the artist Brett Whiteley? Whenever I think of Sydney I think of him: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/brett-whiteley-studio/