Originally posted on https://kokodagear.com/bondi-to-coogee-walk/

 

A cliff top coastal stroll and arguably the most famous walk in Sydney, the path from Bondi to Coogee stretches in the southern parts of Sydney for 6 km. The trek has amazing views, beaches, parks, cliffs, bays and pools of rock. In one of the cafes, hotels, shops or takeaways, the beaches and parks provide a fantastic route to relax, walk or eat.

Most of the beaches have free electric barbecues offering picnic facilities, play places, kiosks, bathrooms and changing rooms, Tamarama, Bronte, Coogee and Maroubra. The coastal trek from Bondi to Coogee is an urban path and considered of medium difficulty, it would otherwise be easy except that along the path there are some steep gradient routes and several steps. There are relaxing stops along the shoreline with excellent opinions and seating. Completing the Bondi to Coogee Beach segment of the trek requires about two hours and another hour and a half if you decide to travel to Maroubra.

Although accessible and a pleasant stroll the Bondi to Coogee walk, do make sure you carry comfortable clothes, take a jacket, lenses, sunscreen, water and carry suitable clothes in colder weather because the breeze from the ocean in colder temperatures may not be so pleasant. On particularly hot days a bit of shade might help you avoid sunstroke also – make sure you’re getting plenty of fluids and reapplying sunscreen when you rest.

If you’re not tired from your walk when you get to Bronte, most people move on to Clovelly and even then on to Coogee. But plenty still prefer to complete the Bondi to Bronte walk only.

Highlights of the Bondi Coogee Walk

Featuring fantastic ocean views, sandstone cliffs and the crashing waves across the entire panorama, Bondi Beach to Coogee offers a stunning view of Australian coastline and beach culture. Be sure to keep an eye out for the surfere, kite sailors and boats across the horizon!

Bondi to Coogee Walk Distance

The route from Coogie to Bondi is 6km long or 3.5 miles.

Bondi to Coogee Walk Time

It’ll take you approximately 2.5 hours to 3 hours to comfortably walk the Bondi to Coogee route.

Bondi to Bronte Walk Distance

If you’d prefer to stop after Bondi to Bronte then note the distance is only 2.5km one way or 1.5 miles. That’s a 5km round trip or just over 3.1 miles.

Bondi to Bronte Walk Time

The walk time for the shorter Bondi to Bronte route is 1 hour or 1.5 hours to complete it comfortably.

How Hard is the Walk from Bondi to Coogee?

Difficulty and Track Conditions

Bondi to Coogee is a considered a Grade 2 track and is suitable for pretty much all ages and fitness levels. It is an urban walk and the walkway is paved with some sections of stairs. Do note however that despite it being a paved and boardwalk route the stairs which can be steep may disqualify anyone with a pram who is not prepared to pick that pram up and traverse the steps that are peppered around the route.

Disability Access

Much like the advice with prams, please keep in mind that there are no disabled walking tracks on this route. However Bronte and Bondi are booth wheelchair accessible. The walk between them for the disabled is not recommended, with similar issues regarding prams due to stairs.

How to Get to Bondi Beach?

It can be hard to access parking at Bondi Beach, plus beginning at Bondi and ending at Coogee can trigger issues. Not to mention the cost of parking in Bondi is quite unpleasant.

You are better off taking public transportation to Bondi as the bus connectivity is excellent. Then you can walk to Coogee and take the public transport back (unless you really fancy a long walk back to Bondi again).

The simplest route to get to Bondi Beach from the city is to take the train to Bondi junction (from Central, Town Hall, Martin Place) and then find the buses to Bondi Junction. These are the 380, 381, 382 or 333 buses and take 15 minutes to the beach.

Is it better to go from Bondi to Coogee or from Coogee to Bondi?

Even though the Bondi to Coogee route is the standard and more famous route to take, we would actually recommend going in the other direction, from Coogee to Bondi. Seeing Bondi Beach appear on the horizon at the end of your walk is a far more spectacular view with the rocks and natural landscape and then the happening around it.

Aside from that there are way more places to eat at the end of your walk, so you’ll have lots of choice to replenish post walk which a lot of people don’t relaly consider.

However if you’re actually planning to do the Great Coastal Walk where you go from Palm Beach to Coogee, then you’ll obviously have started at Palm Beach, gone to Manly, then Manly to Bondi and then finally Bondi to Coogee. But that’s a long day!

Parking at Bondi Beach and Coogee

We really don’t recommend parking at Bondi, you really would be better taking a bus. At Bondi it’ll cost you $8 per hour if you do, that is if you can even find a space, especially in Summer. There’s also a private parking facility operated by Wilson Parking on Campbell Parade with an entry via Curlewis Street.

However for that you’re talking about a $58 fee for the day. There is an Early Bird Parking price which only costs $9 if you arrive between 6:00am – 9:30am and leave between 4:00pm – 7:00pm.

There’s also a Wilson Parking but it is a bit further back in Hall Street (entry via O’Brien St) which will cost you $36 for a full day. There are also free parking spots if you can ever find them around Bondi’s streets but they are marked for 1-2 hours and the parking inspectors are deadly accurate and on time.

If you’re parking at Coogee instead there’s a car park in front of Coogee Pavilion at the northern end of Coogee Beach which is free. There is a paid parking stations at the Crown Plaza Hotel but it’s $25 for a full day so you’re better off trying for a free space a few minutes from Coogee and you can walk there in about 10-15 minutes from the free parking if it’s not too busy and there are spaces.

Swimming breaks in and around the Bondi to Coogee Walk

The trek includes five swimming pools: Coogee Beach (there is also a women’s sea pool), Clovelly Beach, Bronte Beach (there is also a rock pond), Tamarama Beach and Bondi Beach. Swimming and snorkeling can also be done at Gordons Bay.

With the exception of Gordons Bay, there is a lifeguard service for all islands along the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. In fact, they even created the Bondi lifesavers a reality television series: Bondi Rescue. The purple lifesavers are paid experts, while the more commonly used red and yellow lifesavers are volunteers.

Great Places to Eat along the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

Coogee has a lot of shops, especially along Coogee Bay Road, which runs parallel to the beach. Check out the Coogee Pavilion for cool vibes with nice opinions over the beach’s southern part.

Clovelly Beach has a kiosk that you can get takeaway food from or eat in for sit-down snacks. Which isn’t nearly as full of options as the other places but it’s better than nothing in a pinch anyway. Besides there are some nice spots to sit if you bring a picnic along.

Bronte has a food strip up the back of the grassed region, and Tamarama Beach also has a kiosk. Which is one of the reasons why we recommend doing the route backwards because Bondi has better selection.

There are also many shops and restaurants in Bondi Beach. As a generalisation, Campbell Parade and restaurants opposite Bondi Pavilion are catering for tourists so can be a bit pricey. So drive up Hall Street, which operates parallel to Campbell Parade for better meals that are a bit more cheap and cheerful. Le Paris Go Cafe, Bills Cafe, Gelato Messina, with its world-renowned ricotta hotcakes – plenty of nice options

Another local Bondi Beach hangout is up the beach’s southern edge. Try take away from Speedos Cafe or give Sean’s a go for something with a fancier feel to it.

Bondi Beach’s best views don’t have to be costly: Bondi RSL on the north end and Bondi Icebergs on the south end offer bistro restaurants and fairly priced beverages (fairly priced for Bondi that is). Just note that the very swanky Icebergs Dining Room and Bar is upstairs at Icebergs, and downstairs the much cheaper bistro. Though if we’re honest as unusual and fun as the Icebergs are, it’s always overcrowded and there’s a cost to get into the grounds anyway. At least the view of the rocks crashing against it is great – though you may go to the pool and look out at the beach and question why it is you’re paying to be in a pool when you have all that ocean to swim in.

Check out some of our other Australian Walking Routes and other guides for walks around Australia.