Wattamolla Beach
Royal National Park, New South Wales, New South Wales, 2232
Wattamolla Beach is a scenic picnic area within Sydney’s Royal National Park. It’s a popular spot with families in summer, thanks to the calm lagoon ideal for snorkeling, swimming, and relaxing on an inflatable sun lounger. Wattamolla Beach is also a good starting point for fishing and bushwalking adventures with the park.
The basics
Wattamolla Beach is a lovely beach sheltered between the cliffs and the bush of the Royal National Park. The thumb-like peninsula of sand that forms the beach faces a calm lagoon formed by Wattamolla Creek and Coote Creek on one side and a relatively sheltered bay facing the Pacific Ocean on the other. It’s accessible from Sydney and Wollongong, making it a lovely day trip destination in nature–but don’t expect to have the beach all to yourself on a hot summer’s day! Travelers typically visit independently while checking out the national park.
Things to know before you go
A waterfall on the Wattamolla Creek feeds into the lagoon–don’t jump from the waterfall into the lagoon as people have been injured doing this.
As Wattamolla Beach is inside a national park, there’s an entry fee per vehicle per day.
There are toilets, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities at the beach, but bring your own drinking water.
How to get there
Wattamolla Beach is within the Royal National Park, south of Sydney and north of Wollongong. From either city, travel along Princes Highway and turn off at the access roads into the park. The Wattamolla entrance to the park is on Wattamolla Road, off Sir Bertram Stevens Drive.
When to get there
The Royal National Park is open from early morning until late evening but may sometimes close at other times for safety reasons. The safest time to swim at Wattamolla Beach is in the summer (December–February) when lifeguards patrol the beach. As the main attraction of this beach is swimming and water activities, summer is the best time to visit, but bushwalking may be more comfortable in other, cooler months. The roads within the park can be bustling on weekends and public holidays during the summer.
Birdwatching in the Royal National Park
Over 300 species of birds live within the Royal National Park, so whether you’re sticking to Wattamolla Beach or venturing deeper into the park, there’s plenty to look out for. Superb lyrebirds, satin bowerbirds, rock warblers, and crimson rosellas are some species that live in the rainforest, eucalypt forest, and coastal scrub. Introductory birding safaris can also be arranged within the park.
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