The Central Coast is renowned for its beaches but if you really want to know the best of the best, you ask a local. Here, Megan Arkinstall lets us in on her top 16.
Home to more than 40 beaches that occupy an 80-kilometre coastline, the Central Coast of New South Wales is the perfect summer holiday destination or mid-winter seaside getaway. But with so many strips of sand to choose from, where do you start? Here, a guide to 15 of the best beaches on the Central Coast to suit sun seekers of all kinds – from water babies to surfing pros to people who just enjoy long walks along the sand.
Note: patrol season is from late September to late April
1. Avoca Beach
Patrolled
Surfers and families alike flock to Avoca Beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
The hometown of many surfing greats, including Wade Carmichael and Adrian Buchan, it’s no surprise that Avoca Beach is popular for those chasing waves. But this two-kilometre stretch of golden sand appeals to all beach lovers, with a shallow rock pool and lagoon for kids to play about in, a rocky platform for fishermen, and some great beachside dining including chic bar and restaurant Avoca Beach House, and Point Cafe located under the surf club. You could easily spend an entire day here, but during the summer months, you’ll need to arrive early to nab a patch of sand as it can get really busy.
Find a collection of takeaway and dine-in cafes overlooking the beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
2. Toowoon Bay
Patrolled
A favourite with families, this 700-metre-long curved beach boasts calm turquoise water and white sand, perfect for little ones to splash about in the pristine shallows. The bay is sheltered by reefs, which means it’s also a great spot for snorkelling, as well as stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, while novice surfers enjoy the soft rolling waves. There’s a café serving breaky and lunch at the surf club, with complimentary sea views.
Toowoon Bay is a perfectly sheltered family beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
3. Soldiers Beach
Patrolled
Just south of historic Norah Head Lighthouse, Soldiers Beach is loved for its pristine white sand, clear water and reliable waves, which draw in the board riders year-round. There’s also a calmer swimming area. The surf club is home to Dunes, a restaurant with a tapas-style menu and incredible views, and there’s a kiosk at the top car park that offers burgers, milkshakes and the like.
Soldiers Beach is a popular local surf spot.
4. Wamberal Beach
Patrolled
Around the bend from buzzy (and often busy) seaside town Terrigal, you’ll find a wide expanse of golden-sand beach that’s much less crowded. It has an off-leash area for dogs and is a local favourite for surfing. The surf club has a café but less than a hundred metres down the road, Lagune serves up some epic coffee and focaccia sandwiches.
Wamberal Beach is a less-crowded option over Terrigal Beach (pictured in the distance) come summer. (Image: Destination Central Coast)
5. Pelican Beach
Unpatrolled
Surrounded by Wyrrabalong National Park, Pelican Beach – or ‘Pelos’ as locals call it – is accessed via the rather unassuming Pelican Beach Road off Wilfred Barrett Drive. This is true surfing nirvana for experienced board riders and, due to its relative isolation, is usually uncrowded and feels a million miles away. It’s a beauty, with an untouched white-sand coastline and crystal-clear water.
Pelican Beach is true surfing nirvana. (Image: John Spencer/DCCEEW)
6. Umina Beach
Patrolled
Umina is home to two patrolled beaches, Umina Beach and Ocean Beach, which occupy a 2.8-kilometre stretch of golden sand in Broken Bay. Both beaches are relatively calm for swimming and usually offer small waves, perfect for kids and novices learning to surf.
Umina is home to two patrolled beaches.
Umina Beach is also home to the fantastic and family-friendly NRMA Ocean Beach Resort (a great place to camp). It features an incredible kids’ playground and cafe; both within walking distance from the sand.
Set up camp at the NRMA Ocean Beach Resort for easy-access to the beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
7. Frazer Beach
Unpatrolled
Located in Munmorah State Conservation Area, you may have secluded Frazer Beach to yourself. At 400 metres, this little patch of paradise packs a punch with striking turquoise water and white sand. It also serves up reliable surf, a calm lagoon and nearby bushwalking tracks for all-day adventures. There are picnic tables that overlook the beach, a campground and toilets, but no other facilities.
Frazer Beach is fairly unknown, so you may have this patch of paradise to yourself. (Image: John Spencer/DCCEEW)
8. Shelly Beach
Patrolled
Stretching an impressive 1.5 kilometres, Shelly Beach is a great all-rounder beach. It attracts surfers of all abilities for its consistent beach break, a dog exercise section, small sand dunes for tumbling down and a great grass area up the top for picnics. The surf club also has a restaurant upstairs and a café downstairs, which is a popular spot for coffee or a sun-drenched breaky post-swim. Shelly Beach Golf Club is one of the most spectacular golf courses on the coast for its ocean views.
Shelly Beach is a great all-rounder. (Image: Destination NSW)
9. Killcare Beach
Patrolled
This secluded seaside enclave is known by holidaymakers for two luxe guesthouses Bells at Killcare and Pretty Beach House; both charming and indulgent options for a weekender from Sydney. Down by the water, things are just as appealing: sweeping views towards Sydney’s Northern Beaches, uncrowded golden sand, a rockpool at the western corner for the kids to splash about in, and decent waves for surfers of all abilities – what’s not to love? There’s also a sand cruiser wheelchair available for hire so people with disabilities can fully enjoy the beach.
Views above Killcare Beach.
10. MacMasters Beach
Patrolled
Immediately south of Copacabana Beach, which is a magnet for surfers, MacMasters Beach is more of an all-rounder for beachgoers of all kinds. It has calmer conditions for young swimmers and those learning to surf, an ocean pool built in the 1960s, a great picnic spot with barbecues, an off-leash dog section and a fabulous kids’ playground nearby.
MacMasters Beach ocean pool is the perfect spot for families to enjoy. (Image: Destination Central Coast)
11. North Avoca Beach
Patrolled
The northern stretch of Avoca Beach is a favourite with families, particularly for the rock pools that kids love to hop about in. Surfers of all abilities come here for the waves and it’s a dog-friendly beach too. It’s usually less crowded than its southern counterpart but come summertime locals and visitors alike will pitch their cabanas on the sand and settle in for the day.
Surfers at North Avoca Beach. (Image: Destination NSW)
12. Ettalong Beach
Unpatrolled
The quaint seaside town of Ettalong has a shallow and calm beach that is ideal for families, with views across Broken Bay and towards Box Head. Stand-up paddleboarding, fishing, boating and jet skiing are popular in the waterways around here.
Ettalong Beach is an under-the-radar gem. (Image: Destination NSW)
There’s also a beautiful three-kilometre pathway that traces the foreshore from Ettalong to Umina, past The BOX on the Water, which is a great spot for a coffee or sundowner. There’s also an excellent playground beachside that the kids love.
Take advantage of BOX on the Water’s proximity to the sand. (Image: Destination NSW)
13. Terrigal Beach
Patrolled
Perhaps the Central Coast’s most popular holiday spot, Terrigal is a buzzy seaside town with a host of restaurants, bars and accommodation. The beach itself usually has calm and gentle waves, so it’s popular with families but during summer is filled with umbrellas and cabanas.
Terrigal Beach is one of the Central Coast’s most renowned beaches. (Image: Destination NSW)
Terrigal is a scenic spot to take a beachside walk, its pathway running along the beach and across a cliff-hugging wooden boardwalk to Terrigal Haven. Here, kids will love fossicking in the rock pools and climbing up – and often rolling down – Terrigal Skillion, a steep headland that offers incredible views from the top.
Kids are at play in the rock pool alongside the boardwalk connecting Terrigal Beach to the Haven. (Image: Katie Carlin)
14. Pearl Beach
Unpatrolled
Sharing a peninsula with the sleepy beachside enclave of Patonga, Pearl Beach is the Central Coast’s southernmost beach. Facing Broken Bay, the calm southern end is popular with families.
Calm waters make for perfect SUP conditions. (Image: Destination NSW)
It’s also known for its 25-metre rockpool that was built into the cliffside during the 1920s. Amalfi is a sophisticated Italian restaurant housed in an historic cottage just steps from the sand – it’s an idyllic spot for long, lazy beachside lunches.
The beauty of Pearl Beach is on full display. (Image: Destination Central Coast)
15. Birdie Beach
Unpatrolled
This four-kilometre stretch of white sand lapped by cerulean waters is much loved by naturalists for its clothing-optional liberties. The Central Coast’s only nudist beach, Birdie is hidden within Munmorah State Conservation Area just north of the town of Budgewoi.
Birdie Beach is the only nudist beach on the Central Coast. (Image: Destination Central Coast)
Hugged by craggy cliffs, it’s not only for perfecting an all-over tan, but also a haven for surfing and snorkelling. If you prefer to stay in your cozzies, make sure you keep an eye out for the sign that indicates the ‘unclad bathing’ section and head to the southern end instead.
Read the Ultimate travel guide to the Central Coast for more insider tips.
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