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While most people visit Cronulla Beach because of its long beaches, beautiful parks and lively town centre, this beachside suburb is also home to one of Sydney’s prettiest coastal walking tracks.
Starting at Wanda Beach, the Cronulla Beach walking track is a picturesque 6km walk that follows the shoreline of the peninsula, taking in several ocean rock pools, playgrounds, beaches and impressive real estate.
| Cronulla Beach Walk | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 6 km (part circuit) |
| Time: | 2 hours (including stops) |
| Grade: | Easy |
How to Get to Cronulla Beach
If you’ve been to Cronulla Beach before, you will know that there is lots of (free) parking available along the shoreline, between the Wanda SLSC and North Cronulla Beach.
It does fill up quickly on warm summer days though, in which case you can try and find a parking spot on the streets further away from the beach.
What’s great about Cronulla though is that it’s one of the very few Sydney beachside suburbs that has its very own train station on the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line.
Less than an hour from Sydney Central and you’ll arrive right in the centre of town, only minutes away from Cronulla Park and the main beach.
Cronulla Beach Walking Track Notes
The following notes describe the Cronulla Beach walking track starting at the Wanda Beach surf life saving club. If you’re travelling by train however, you should of course start this hiking adventure at the train station. It’s a circuit walk that can be started anywhere.
From the Wanda Beach SLSC head south following the shoreline towards the big lifeguard tower at North Cronulla Beach.
Elouera Beach lives between Wanda and North Cronulla Beach and also has its own surf life saving club, complete with club house and venue hire facilities.
1. North Cronulla Beach
Popular with surfers, North Cronulla Beach is a beautiful 400m long strip of sand facing Bate Bay.
Swimming can be hazardous due to the strong rips that are almost always present, which is why it’s vital to always swim between the flags provided by the North Cronulla SLSC.
The SLSC has an iconic club house situated right behind the beach, next to Dunningham Park with a large playground and a few popular cafes and restaurants nearby.
2. South Cronulla Beach
From North Cronulla it’s only a short walk along the shore to South Cronulla Beach, right in front of Cronulla Park. Opened in 1932, the two popular ocean rock pools between the two Cronulla beaches are a popular spot for swimming in summer months.
Cronulla Park is the perfect location for a picnic, with plenty of tables, a large playground and lots of trees that provide shade. Bring your own food or buy some takeaway from any of the various food outlets and cafes nearby.
3. The Esplanade
Starting at Cronulla Beach, The Esplenade is a comfortable foot path that goes all the way to the southern tip of the Cronulla Peninsula.
It follows the shoreline to Shelly Beach, Oak Park Beach and Bass and Flinders from where you can enjoy great views of Port Hacking, the Royal National Park, Bundeena and also Jibbon Beach in the far distance.
Home to a large ocean bath, a fenced playground and BBQ facilities, Shelly Park Beach is a great spot to have a rest. Also a popular location for wedding ceremonies, Shelly Park was named so because of the many sea shells that can be found in the area.
4. Simon Haul Reserve
Situated at the southern-most tip of the peninsula, overlooking Port Hacking, Salmon Haul Reserve is a very scenic and secluded spot, great for swimming, snorkeling and fishing.
Next door Bass and Flinders Point was named after George Bass and Matthew Flinders, two British explorers who sailed past the headland in 1796 and discovered Port Hacking.
5. Darook Park
The walking track continues around Hungry Point Reserve to Darook Park.
Facing the calm waters of Gunnamatta Bay, Darook Park is home to a very popular sheltered beach, away from the ocean waves that exist 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, right 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 a short stroll past the Cronulla Sailing Club to Cronulla train station.
If you haven’t had lunch yet, now is the perfect time, as the train station is located right at the southern end of Cronulla’s main strip of cafes, shops and restaurants.
Cronulla Map and Route
The best place to start the Cronulla Beach Walk is at the Wanda SLSC from where you simply follow the shoreline towards Cronulla Beach and The Esplanade.
If you’re heading to Cronulla by train, you can go southbound and do this walk anti-clockwise or walk to (North) Cronulla Beach and head south from there.
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