Bondi to Coogee gets all the attention, and fairly enough, it’s the one everyone’s heard of. But it’s not the only walk worth doing out here, and depending on how much time you’ve got, who you’re with, or whether you’ve already done the main one, there’s a handful of others genuinely worth knowing about.
Some of these run off the main route, some head in a completely different direction, and a couple are worth doing precisely because they’re quieter than the one everyone else is already on.
Bondi to Coogee (6km, 2-3 hours)
The flagship, and the one most people mean when they say “the coastal walk.” Five beaches, a handful of ocean pools, and a stretch through Waverley Cemetery that’s more memorable than it sounds. We’ve written the full guide to this one separately, with the route section by section and where to eat at each end, so I won’t repeat all of it here.
Bondi to Bronte (2.3km, 45 minutes to an hour)
This is the one to do if you’ve got less time, you’re with someone who isn’t up for the full six kilometres, or you just want a taste of the walk without committing to the whole thing. It’s the first half of the full route, Bondi, past Tamarama, into Bronte, and it’s genuinely easy, with a bit of stair work but nothing that rules anyone out. Good for a first attempt if you’re not sure the full walk is for you yet.
The Tamarama-Bronte gullies loop (quieter, inland)
Most people doing the coastal walk stick to the clifftop path, which means they miss this one entirely. It loops inland from Bronte through Tamarama Gully and the parks behind the beaches rather than along the water, and it’s noticeably quieter than the main route, worth it on a day when Bondi to Coogee feels like it’ll be shoulder to shoulder. It’s short, more of a green, leafy detour than a coastal walk in the usual sense.
Coogee to Maroubra (4.9km, just over an hour)
If you’ve finished the main walk at Coogee and you’re not ready to stop, this keeps going south rather than turning back. It’s flatter and quieter than the Bondi to Coogee stretch, with virtually no steep sections, and it’s worth timing for low tide if you can, since part of the route follows an undercliff path that’s easier to walk when the water’s out. There’s a rock pool along the way, Rob Walker Rock Pool, that blends into the ocean rather than sitting apart from it, and Mistral Point near the Maroubra end gives you a proper 360-degree lookout before you finish. Genuinely underused compared to the main walk, mostly because people don’t realise it’s there.If you’re keen to go further again, Malabar Headland picks up from around here too, with tracks out to Magic Point and Boora Point, though that one’s worth checking before you go, since parts of it close when the rifle range nearby is in use.
The Bondi headland loop (short, best at sunset)
This one stays entirely within North Bondi rather than heading toward another suburb, and it’s the one to do if you’ve only got twenty minutes and want a proper view rather than a full walk. There are three lookout points on the way up from North Bondi: the first looking straight back across the beach, then Sam Fiszman Park, then Ben Buckler Point at the top, where you can see down the coast as far as Clovelly and Maroubra on a clear day. Sunset’s the better time for this one specifically, the light sits right across the water from up there.
Bondi to Watsons Bay (9km+, half a day)
This is the odd one out on this list, and the most different in character. It runs north from Bondi rather than south, out past Diamond Bay and Dover Heights, past The Gap, and around South Head to Watsons Bay, swapping ocean cliffs for harbour views by the end. It’s considerably longer than anything else here, closer to half a day than an afternoon, and it ends somewhere completely different in feel: a harbourside village rather than a beach.The Gap is worth slowing down for rather than just passing, it’s a genuinely dramatic clifftop, and it’s the kind of spot that’s better appreciated on foot than from a car park. Past South Head, Camp Cove is a sheltered little swimming beach that’s a good excuse for a break before the final stretch into Watsons Bay itself. Gelatissimo at Watsons Bay is a non-negotiable stop if you’ve got kids with you, ours won’t do the walk without knowing it’s coming.I don’t usually stop at Watsons Bay itself and turn back, either. If there’s time, I’ll cut across to the other side of the peninsula to Nielsen Park, stop at the café there for something to drink, and walk down to Milk Beach, it swaps the ocean views for harbour views properly, with Sydney Harbour laid out in front of you rather than just glimpsed at the end. It turns the walk into a proper loop rather than an out-and-back.The 380 bus covers both ends, so you don’t need to walk back the way you came, and there’s also a ferry from Watsons Bay Wharf back into the city if you’d rather finish on the water.
Where to eat, depending on where you end up
If you finish at Bondi, whether that’s the full Coogee walk, the shorter Bronte version, or just the headland loop, walking straight into Macelleria afterward is the easy move. No booking, no waiting around, which matters when you don’t know exactly what time a walk like this actually finishes. If you’re finishing at Coogee, Sugarcane’s worth it for something more substantial, or Melonhead if you just need a smoothie to get you home. We’ve gone into all of this properly in a separate guide to eating after the Bondi to Coogee walk specifically.Whichever one you end up doing, it’s worth remembering these all connect, you’re not choosing one walk forever, just picking the right one for the day you’ve got.Macelleria Bondi · G09/180 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach · Open 7 days · No bookings required
FAQs
What is the best walk in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs? Bondi to Coogee is the one most people mean by “the coastal walk” and it’s the most complete version, five beaches, ocean pools, and the Waverley Cemetery stretch. But the best one for you depends on time and who you’re with.How long is the Bondi to Bronte walk? About 2.3km, taking most people 45 minutes to an hour at an easy pace.Are there other coastal walks near Bondi besides Bondi to Coogee? Yes, Bondi to Bronte as a shorter version, Coogee to Maroubra as an extension south, a quieter inland loop between Tamarama and Bronte, a short North Bondi headland loop, and the longer Bondi to Watsons Bay walk heading north instead of south.What is the easiest coastal walk near Bondi Beach? The Bondi headland loop, if you just want a short walk with a proper view. For something a bit longer but still easy, Bondi to Bronte is the next step up.
