The Cronulla Beach Walk is a scenic 6 km trail along the Cronulla Peninsula shoreline, featuring beaches, ocean rock pools, parks, playgrounds, and impressive real estate.
While most people visit Cronulla Beach because of its beautiful beaches, parks, and lively town centre, this beachside suburb is also home to one of Sydney’s prettiest coastal walking tracks.
In this article, we’ll share everything you need to know about this enjoyable, family-friendly hike and its many highlights.
| Cronulla Beach Walk | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 6 km (part circuit) |
| Duration: | 2 hours (depending on stops) |
| Grade: | Easy |
Getting There
If you’ve been to Cronulla Beach before, you will know that there is ample (free) parking available at the beaches, between the Wanda SLSC and North Cronulla Beach.
It does fill up quickly on the weekends, but you can also try and find a parking spot in the suburban streets further away from the beach.
What’s great about Cronulla is that it’s one of the very few Sydney beachside suburbs that has a train station.
That train ride takes less than an hour from Sydney Central, and you will arrive right in the centre of town, only minutes away from Cronulla Park and the main beach.
Track Notes
The Cronulla Beach Coastal Walk is an easy, family-friendly trail, suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
The trail is not wheel-friendly, but there are sections that are accessible, such as The Esplanade and the shoreline at Wanda, Elouera, North Cronulla, and Cronulla Beach.
Map
The below track notes describe the Cronulla Beach walking track in a clockwise manner, starting from North Cronulla Beach, along the following highlights and landmarks:
- North Cronulla Beach
- Cronulla Beach
- The Esplanade
- Salmon Haul Reserve
- Hungry Point and Darook Park
- Gunnamatta Bay and Park
Here is a map with the above highlights and landmarks:
1. North Cronulla Beach
Depending on where you’ve parked your car, follow the walking path along Wanda Beach and Elouera Beach southbound towards the lifeguard tower at North Cronulla Beach.
North Cronulla Beach is a beautiful 400m long strip of sand facing Bate Bay, with waves that are perfect for surfing.
Swimming can be hazardous due to the strong rips that are almost always present, which is why it’s important to always swim between the flags provided by the North Cronulla SLSC.
The SLSC has an iconic tower between the beach and Dunningham Park, where you’ll find a large playground and various cafes and restaurants nearby.
2. Cronulla Beach
From North Cronulla, it’s only a short walk along the shoreline to Cronulla Beach, situated in front of Cronulla Park. This beach is often referred to as South Cronulla Beach.
Opened in the 1930s, the two ocean rock pools (Cronulla Rock Pool and Cronulla Beach Rock Pool) between the two Cronulla beaches are popular spots for swimming during the summer months.
Cronulla Park is the perfect location for a picnic, with plenty of tables, a large playground and many trees that provide shade.
Bring your own food, or otherwise buy some takeaway from one of the many food outlets and cafes nearby.
3. The Esplanade
Starting at Cronulla Beach, The Esplanade is a comfortable footpath that extends all the way to the southernmost tip of the Cronulla Peninsula.
It follows the shoreline to Shelly Beach, Oak Park Beach, and around the corner to Bass and Flinders.
This is where you can enjoy great views of Port Hacking, the Royal National Park, Bundeena, and also Jibbon Beach in the far distance.
Shelly Beach
Home to a large ocean pool, a fenced playground and BBQ facilities, Shelly Park and Beach is a great spot to have a rest.
Also a popular location for wedding ceremonies, Shelly Park was so named because of the many sea shells that can be found in the area.
A few hundred metres further south is Oak Park, which is also home to a popular ocean pool, the Oak Park Rock Pool, similar to the Shelly Beach Ocean Pool.
We liked the Shelly Beach Ocean Pool so much that we have it included in our list of best ocean pools in Sydney.
Note that the Shelly Beach Ocean Pool provides disabled access into the water, but the Oak Park Rock Pool does not.
4. Salmon Haul Reserve
The trail continues southbound to Bass and Flinders Point, a scenic spot that was named after George Bass and Matthew Flinders.
They were two British explorers who sailed past the headland in 1796 and discovered Port Hacking.
Right next to Bass and Flinders Point is Salmon Haul Reserve at the southernmost tip of the peninsula.
Overlooking Port Hacking, Salmon Haul Reserve is a very pretty and secluded spot, great for swimming, snorkelling, and fishing.
5. Hungry Point and Darook Park
The walking track continues to Hungry Point Reserve, which is worth exploring.
Hungry Point Reserve was opened in 2019 as a public park, and offers scenic views of Port Hacking and Bundeena to the south and Gunnamatta Bay to the west.
From Hungry Point, the trail continues northbound to Darook Park.
Facing Gunnamatta Bay, Darook Park is home to a popular sheltered beach.
It’s a family-friendly beach as the water is very calm, especially compared to the beaches on the other side of the Cronulla Peninsula.
6. Gunnamatta Bay and Park
With low tide, it is possible to continue the circuit walk along the sandy foreshore in front of the beautifully designed homes that face Gunnamatta Bay.
This small and quiet bay forms the natural boundary between the suburbs of Cronulla and Burraneer.
From Gunnamatta Park, it’s only a short stroll past the Cronulla Sailing Club to Cronulla station, which marks the end of the walk.
If you haven’t had lunch yet, now is a good time because the station is close to Cronulla’s main strip of cafes, shops, and restaurants!
