Aside from some specific islands, there are only about two months in summer when you can swim at Japan’s beaches. You can swim in the summer in Sydney of course too, but in spring, fall, or even winter if the weather’s nice, you can actually get some perfect beach days without the intense heat of summer. I’m guessing you can enjoy an ocean swim around half of the days of the year. Summer, on the other hand, is too hot—so I personally like to head to the beach on fair-weather days in March (fall) and October (spring).
There are several options for enjoying time at the beach. There are tons of people who play in the ocean along the clear-water shoals, go surfing where the waves pick up a bit, or enjoy a game of beach volleyball in the sand.
Once you’re tired of swimming, it feels amazing to lay out on the sand and just listen to the sound of the waves. Several beaches have big grassy areas in addition to sand, so you can enjoy a picnic or just spread out a blanket and nap or swim without worrying about getting sand all over you. People who prefer not to get in the ocean have the option of swimming in a pool instead. Some of the well-appointed beaches have pools right next to the ocean, so you can swim to your heart’s content while enjoying the beautiful, wide-open ocean views.
Like Japan though, the popular beaches around Sydney get very crowded on weekends and holidays. It’s just a fact of life. Those that are popular with tourists, like Bondi Beach, draw crowds during tourist season—to the point that the sand is completely packed with people. I certainly get why Bondi Beach is so popular, so I try to go on weekdays or during the off-season when there are fewer tourists. More recently I’ve been enjoying Bronte Beach, which is right next to Bondi. There’s a boardwalk connecting the two beaches, so you can walk between them while enjoying the ocean and rocky views. You can swim at each one before walking, or just take your time strolling. You often see long-distance runners and people out walking their dogs as well.
If you continue a little farther north, you’ll get to the popular Manly Beach and Palm Beach. They’re both wonderful, with beautiful sand and a resort feel. They’re close enough for a day trip from the city, making them great destinations. There are also fancy cafés, restaurants, bars, tourist shops, and hotels around. It’s a great place to spend a holiday.
Sydney has many other beaches, but the one I like most out of the ones I’ve been to so far is Jervis Bay, about three hours from the city by car. The views, the ocean, the water, the sand—it’s all incredibly gorgeous. I love walking in the sand barefoot, but this is the only beach where the sand makes a squeaking noise, thanks to the tiny, uniform grains. It’s known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I had always thought of Sydney as a big city, but having all these gorgeous beaches around feels like winning the lottery—and they’re even easy to get to! It may be expensive to live here, but if you like the ocean and the mountains, you can easily enjoy them without spending much money at all.
