Who would have thought a city like Sydney would have so many nudist beaches?!
There’s (apparently) something very freeing about wearing your birthday suit at the beach, going skinny dipping and getting your bits out to tan (who likes white bits anyway right?!).
But you of course can’t just do that at any beach – it’s always best to do it at designated nudist beaches so as not to upset anyone and you don’t get in trouble!
Sydney is actually home to several designated nude beaches, all dotted around the coastline, and this article will go into detail about each one and how to get there!
Clothes are optional at nudist beaches if you don’t feel comfortable letting it all hang out. However please never take photos if there is anyone naked on the beach.
Nudist Beaches in Sydney Eastern Suburbs
1. Lady Bay Nudist Beach
The nudist beach of Lady Bay Beach lies at the tip of South Head in Watsons Bay in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
It is located in between Camp Cove Beach and Hornby Lighthouse and is in fact just a five minute walk from both of them so it is very convenient to get to.
Lady Bay Beach is an incredibly picturesque and secluded beach. The sheltered beach feels very private and quite rugged with the forested cliffs behind, and the views of the city and the harbour are absolutely spectacular from here!
As Lady Bay Beach is sheltered it is also a great place to go for a swim!
Lady Bay Beach has been a nudist beach since 1976 – it is actually one of Australia’s first nudist beaches!
There is a very relaxed vibe here – there are a few exhibitionists around, plus it’s also a popular spot for gay people to hang out, but absolutely everybody is welcome.
How to get to Lady Bay Beach
Car
If you’ll be driving, head towards Watsons Bay. The nearest car park to Lady Bay Beach is Camp Cove Car Park, located 550 metres from the beach.
Arrive early if you want to get a parking spot easily, otherwise you might have to drive around a bit to find one!
Google maps location of Lady Bay Beach.
Bus
You can also get to Lady Bay Beach by bus. The 324 and 325 buses depart from the Queen Victoria Building to Watsons Bay.
The bus also stops off at Edgecliff Station if you want to pick up the bus from there. Get off at Robertson’s Park and walk 1.2km to Lady Bay Beach.
Ferry
The best way to get to Lady Bay Beach is actually by ferry!
You can take the F9 ferry from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay (the ferry ride takes just under 25 minutes and the views along the way are incredible!) and then walk 1km (15/20 minutes) from Watsons Bay Wharf to Lady Bay Beach.
It’s a lovely walk going past Camp Cove – one of Sydney’s most Instagrammable spots!
2. Little Congwong Nudist Beach
Located in La Perouse, Little Congwong Beach is another stunning sandy beach that is definitely worth a visit! The bay is sheltered, making it a great spot for swimming as the water is lovely and calm.
There’s also some really nice rock formations here. It can get pretty busy though, especially if you visit on a weekend!
To reach Little Congwong Beach, follow the track next to Cann Park on Anzac Parade that leads to Congwong Beach. It is 600 metres to get to Little Congwong Beach and it should take less than 10 minutes to walk.
You have to go across Congwong Beach to reach the path that leads to Little Congwong Beach – that’s the only way to access Little Congwong Beach!
How to get to Little Congwong Beach
Car
Car is the quickest way to reach Little Congwong Beach from Sydney CBD – it should take around 25 minutes.
Google maps location of Little Congwong Beach.
Bus
To get to La Perouse from Sydney CBD you will need to take the 396 from Hyde Park to Maroubra Beach. Get off at Juniors Kingsford and then at the same stop you can catch the 290X to La Perouse.
You’ll then need to walk the 1km to get to Little Congwong Beach via Congwong Beach. The whole journey should take just over an hour.
Nudist Beaches in North Shore Sydney
3. Cobblers Nudist Beach
Located in the upmarket neighbourhood of Mosman by Middle Head is Cobblers Beach, the next beach along from Balmoral Beach.
It is a stunning beach and is definitely one of the busier nudist beaches in Sydney! Naked people just strolling about everywhere and there is a lively atmosphere here.
You can get really lovely views overlooking the harbour from here. Plus, the beach is west-facing (a rarity for Sydney!) so if you stay for sunset you’ll be rewarded with glorious colours hopefully!
Cobblers Beach is also a great place to go snorkelling, so if you have your snorkel kit with you then pop it on and see what you can see underwater!
Cobblers Beach is also the starting point for the Sydney Skinny – an annual charity skinny dip swim where people from all over the world come to join!
The cobbled walking path down to Cobblers Beach from Middle Head Road is fairly steep. It’s about 450 metres long and should take you about 5 minutes to walk down.
How To Get To Cobblers Beach
Car
Driving from Sydney CBD to Cobblers Beach should take just over 20 minutes.
At the end of Middle Head Road by the Sergent Major’s Quarters there’s a big car park to park in (you need to pay for parking here), and then it’s a 5 minute walk down to the beach.
Google maps location of Cobblers Beach.
Bus
Take the 100 bus from QVB and get off at Military Road opposite Mosman High School. From here it’s about a 30 minute (2.8km) walk to Cobblers Beach. You’ll walk some very impressive houses so it is a nice walk!
4. Obelisk Nudist Beach
Also located in Mosman is Obelisk Beach, located on the other side of Middle Head to Cobblers Beach.
Obelisk Beach is just off Chowder Bay Road, and at only 650 metres from Cobblers Beach (10 minute walk), you can visit the two of these at once!
This beach is however much less crowded than Cobblers Beach and there’s usually just a few people here, so it’s great if you want a more peaceful beach than Cobblers!
A big flight of stairs takes you down to the beach, so you’ll definitely get your workout going up and down here! The beach is small and peaceful, with perfectly calm waters and a fabulous view over to Watsons Bay.
Obelisk Beach is one of the most beautiful nudist beaches in Sydney – it is simply stunning. It is actually named after the big white obelisk above the beach which is pretty impressive to see.
How to get to Obelisk Beach
Car
A 20 minute drive from Sydney CBD will take you to Obelisk Beach. The nearest car park is on Chowder Bay Road (paid parking), and you’ll have to walk about 250 metres to get to Obelisk Beach.
Get here early on the weekends as the car park can fill up quickly!
Google maps location of Obelisk Beach.
Bus
Take the 100 bus from QVB and get off at Bradleys Head Road after Ellamatta Avenue. From here it is a 25 minute (2.2km) walk to Obelisk Beach.
Ferry & Walk
Alternatively you can get the ferry to Obelisk Beach, although it will take longer and it involves a lot of walking.
Take the F2 ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo Wharf, then do the start of the Taronga to Balmoral Beach coastal walk, going past Bradleys Head and Chowder Bay until you get to Obelisk Beach.
It’s about 5km but it’s an absolutely stunning walk along the harbour, with perfect views and in fact one of the best Sydney harbour walks.
Nudist Beaches in Northern Beaches Sydney
5. Washaway Beach
Named so because the beach ‘washes away’ at high tide – Washaway Beach is only visible at low tide. It’s one of Sydney’s lesser-known beaches as it isn’t that easy to get to.
How to get to Washaway Beach
Washaway Beach is located in Clontarf and runs along the Spit to Manly Walk track.
However most people don’t even know it exists as they don’t head down the Lighthouse Track, which comes off the Spit to Manly Track, to see the charming Grotto Point Lighthouse.
Along the Lighthouse Track you’ll see the Washaway Beach Track and you’ll need to scramble over lots of rocks to get to the beach. Make sure to only visit at low tide – you can check the tide times at willyweather.
Google maps location of Washaway Beach.
6. Resolute Beach
One of Sydney’s best kept secrets is the hidden cove that is Resolute Beach!
Located in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park and overlooking Palm Beach, the tiny 60 metre long Resolute Beach is the perfect place to get away from the world – plus it’s one of the most beautiful beaches in Sydney!
Walk down the steps coming off the main walking track and admire this stunning beach. Alternatively you can get some great views from above, along the path!
The water is calm to swim in so it’s great to go for a dip here.
How to get to Resolute Beach
Car
You can drive here from Sydney in about an hour (45km), parking at West Head Lookout and then walking the 1km walk to Resolute Beach.
From West Head Lookout make your way down to West Head Beach on the Resolute Track and then carry on to Resolute Beach.
Both beaches are incredibly stunning small secluded beaches with beautiful golden sand, and this is the most stunning walk in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.
From West Head Lookout to Resolute Beach it will take about 20-30 minutes to walk (it is just over 1km).
It’s a loop track, so if you follow the loop track back it will take you longer to get back but you’ll come across some more incredibly well-preserved Aboriginal engravings along the way.
Alternatively, you can drive to Palm Beach and catch the ferry across to Great Mackerel Beach and then walk the 30 minutes to Resolute Beach. Check the time for the ferry beforehand.
Google maps location of Resolute Beach.
Bus & Ferry
Another way to get to Resolute Beach is to take the ferry from Palm Beach – although it is a lot more time-consuming! Take the B line bus (the big yellow double decker B1 bus) from Wynyard Station all the way to the end of the line at Mona Vale.
The B1 bus goes every few minutes and is an express stop so misses out lots of stops on the way compared to the other local buses. At Mona Vale switch to the 199 bus that goes all the way to Palm Beach.
The 199 bus goes from Palm Beach all the way down to Manly, so if you’ll be in Manly just take this bus all the way up to Palm Beach.
Get off the bus at Palm Beach Wharf.
The whole bus journey from Sydney CBD to Palm Beach will take the best part of 2 hours, especially on busy summer weekend days when everyone is driving to the beach!
Palm Beach is the northernmost of the Northern Beaches, located 45km from Sydney CBD so getting up here does take a while.
From Palm Beach you then need to get the ferry across to Great Mackerel Beach. View the timetable here. The ferries leave every hour and it takes around 30 minutes to get to Great Mackerel Beach from Palm Beach.
When you get off at Great Mackerel Beach it is about a 1km (30 minute) walk along the Mackeral Track to get to Resolute Beach.
Nudist Beaches In Royal National Park
7. Little Jibbon Beach
Located at the very northern end of Royal National Park, Little Jibbon Beach is not an official nudist beach but nudity is tolerated here. Little Jibbon Beach is small at only 50 metres wide and is a lovely secluded spot.
As Little Jibbon Beach is located right on the Jibbon Beach Loop Track, a fair few bushwalkers will be walking past so be prepared!
How to get to Little Jibbon Beach
Car
Travelling by car is definitely the quickest way to get to Little Jibbon Beach. From Sydney CBD it should take just over 1 hour to get to Little Jibbon Beach.
You’ll need to park in Bundeena and then walk across Jibbon Beach to get to Little Jibobn Beach. Get here early to find a parking spot as spots are limited!
Google maps location of Little Jibbon Beach.
Train & Ferry
Take the T4 train to Cronulla from Bondi Junction, Town Hall or Central. Walk from Cronulla Station to Cronulla Wharf (5 minutes walk) and then take the ferry across to Bundeena Wharf.
The ferry takes 30 minutes and are usually every hour – you can check the timetable here.
From Bundeena Wharf it’s around a 30 minute (2.2km) walk to Little Jibbon Beach.
8. Werrong Nude Beach
Located in the southern part of the Royal National Park is Werrong Nude Beach – a stunningly picturesque and secluded rugged beach.
Werrong Nude Beach in a 2km walk from the nearest car park, so it’s a great place for active people who are up for an adventure!
The surf is pretty rough here, and rips occur frequently, so swimming is not recommended, but this is a great nude beach if you’re just looking to lie in the sun and tan!
How to Get To Werrong Nude Beach
Car
Car is definitely the most convenient way to get to Werrong Nude Beach. Located 60km south of Sydney, it will take just over an hour to get to Werrong Beach along the Princes Highway/A1.
Google maps location of Werrong Beach.
Train
Get on the South Coast Line (going to Kiama) and get off at Otford Station. From here it is a 2.4km walk (around 45 minutes) to Werrong Beach. Trains aren’t too frequent on Sundays so always check the timetable beforehand.
Best Nudist Beaches In Sydney Summary
I hope you enjoyed this collection of Sydney nudist beaches! Let me know if you find any other spots – and don’t forget your sunscreen!