Balmoral Beach

Nice beach with crystal water. Good spot for fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding. Restaurants were there also, you can easy get drink and food or bring your own food to enjoy at the beach.

One of the best beaches in Sydney. Even though the beach is small compared to other beaches, it really is splendid. The greenery makes the place special. Also as it is situated a little inside from the main ocean, the waves are not so strong. Must visit!

Nice and quite beach with picturesque views and island style scenery. There is ample parking which is free after 8pm. Wide sidewalk along the beach and beautiful hill tops overlooking water, perfect to find inner peace, yoga, or meditation.

Beautiful neighbourhood beach, protected so calm even when its windy. Lots of trees as well for sun protection if it gets too hot.

Lovely beach with beautiful calm blue water, soft sand, and nice views—great for swimming, picnics, and easy walks. A peaceful spot!

My favourite north shore summer destination. A quick swim, sunbake for 20 minutes, fish & chips for lunch at the Bottom of the Harbour and then a leisurely stroll up and down the beach promenade. A wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. Only issue is the parking, best to go on the 114 bus.

Beautiful secluded beach just across the Harbour Bridge. Not as long as the better known beaches, i.e, Manly making for a cosy experience. A little island on the corner with a nice flat walking path and seating around. Very calm, lots of picnics and swimming without any waves. Lovely in summer.

It’s not far from CBD Beautiful peaceful, clean blue water, it's easy to swim here. Ocean views are great. It’s easy to find parking spots here even on weekends and walk around and get some fresh air and sunshine and chill out.One of my favourite beaches

Lovely long beach, lots of areas for swimming including a net-protected area with a pier (for jumping off, obviously). Restaurants, lots of benches. Just about perfect for swimming, people watching, strolling.

Balmoral Beach is absolutely one of my favorite beaches in the world!!! It is a family friendly, protected beach without the massive waves and harsh currents. It is also less populated by surfers and their boards. There are great rock pools to explore at low tide. There is grassy, shaded park area for those who want to stay out of the sand and sun. Availability of food, drink, and bathrooms is good. Parking can be an issue but it is worth a brisk walk.

Walked here to walk off the high tea and it was a great spot! The water is warmer because it's a bit of a bay which was really nice and the first time I properly went into the water in Australia. I got a bit bit up, can't tell if it was from the beach because the bumps started showing up later and I didn't feel anything, so keep you eyes pealed!

Do you like: - parking fines? - driving around for ages trying to find a park? - expensive fish and chips? - impossibly long car queues on a sunny weekend? If you said yes to all those . . . well, congratulations, I didn't expect that. Look, nobody likes that crap, do they? And yet flocks of people are willing to overlook those special little tortures to while away the day at Balmozza. It is, very simply, that good. Actually, I lie - it's better. The beach to the left is the family beach, it's got a beautiful, shallow little rock pool that's filled twice daily by the tide, perfect for teaching the little nippers how to doggy paddle. In the middle is Rocky Point Island, known to those who grew up here as Pirate Island, because, hey, who doesn't like pirates. Oh, and it has some caves and stuff. Ripe for a picnic if that's your thing. The beach to the right is the young/cool/tanned/good looking section, populated by, well, you get the idea. BUT. Tucked away at the very left hand edge of the left hand beach, past the rock pool, and behind a large boulder that has no place being there, is a tiny little piece of sand that abuts the rocks of the point. This, friends, is Secret Cove. It's frequented by a set of very friendly regulars. You'll see the same old familiar faces here, all loving life sick - especially the brown, tanned, wrinkly old woman with the big bolt-on cans who I've not once seen with a bikini top on. She loves life the sickest of anyone. There's a 0% wank factor, everyone's here to let the good times roll. Absolutely world class.

Before I start, just thought I'd let you all know that the following review contains bias on my part due to Balmoral being my local. So, Balmoral Beach...a little jewel on the North Shore. Easy to get to by car or public transport (the 257 bus takes you right to the beach, everything else will drop you at Military Rd with a nice walk down the hill), just be mindful when driving to get here early for parking and pay attention to parking conditions, the parking inspectors will fine you otherwise! Right off the bat, understand that Balmoral is not a surf beach. It can get choppy at times but pretty calm, so you can simply come down, enjoy yourself & relax. I love that its not as busy as most Sydney beaches (most people continue on to Manly from Military Rd), but does get busy around lunch time & early afternoon. It is a great place for families, picnics, chilling all day and/or evening. I've spent countless hours in the early evenings strolling along the promenade, climbing around rocks, admiring the gorgeous views & watching the tide come in/out (a little sappy huh?). Speaking of views, sunrise here is pretty amazing (have a little pic showing how stunning in in my profile). Balmoral has all the amenities needed for a day at the beach (toilets, showers, changing rooms etc) and some great eateries only steps from the beach for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's clean, the sand is fine and depending on how far you swim out a nice combination of warm & cool currents. All in all, I'm ecstatic that this is my local and happy for you all to come share it too...just not on nice, hot sunny days. Keep going to Manly instead ;oP

This was our go-to beach when we lived in Neutral Bay. But now that we're Inner Westies we still tend to go here, because it suits us, for three main reasons: 1. It's large, and there are lots of shady spots just off the beach (and, at the north end, some on the beach). 2. It has very few tourists. 3. Being in the harbour it's very sheltered, and so easy swimming. It's quite popular with families, so that can be a plus or minus depending on your point of view. There are almost no preening body-self-worshippers. It's very laid-back, and there are plenty of picnics likely to be going on in the grassy spaces just behind the beach. The eating is fantastic, from fish 'n' chip shops, to breakfast cafes, to sandwich kiosks, to the wonderful treat that is the Bathers Pavilion. Parking is, relative to other beach areas, not too terrible if you're not afraid of walking a couple of blocks up the hill.

This is my favourite beach in Sydney. I used to live 5 minutes walk from this beach and went there quite often. Unfortunately of late this place has become too busy on weekends and it takes away from the charm and serenity of this beach.

I run down here almost every morning and still feel honoured to see he sunrise over the heads and the occasional cruise ship coming in. There's an abundance of PT groups down here and I'm sure you can join one if it takes your fancy. The cafe culture is awesomesauce and cafes are often filled with swimmers and runners gobbling down a well deserved avocado, lime and pepper on rye. The beach is super clean, the sand is raked each weekend morning and the street sweepers are out in force sweeping p sand and leaves. There's even blokes with blowers blowing he trash and leaves off the sand! In fact, this is the perfect beach and only loses one star because of two things: 1) the sand part of the beach is not dog friendly. 2) I want to poke my eyes out after seeing packs of 70 year old men in Speedos.

We absolutely love this beach, it does get busy on the weekends and parking can be a bit tricky but it is worth it.

Balmoral Beach is the first beach I visited when I arrived in Sydney and it confirmed my expectations of what this cities lifestyle was all about. White sand, lush green headlands in the distance, quaint old buildings like the Boatshed, gorgeous homes and expensive yachts. The beach itself is not huge - it's certainly more of a small bay than a Manly style beach so it feels more intimate. That is, unless you visit on a summer weekend in which case every man and his dog (dogs are welcome on leashes) are soaking up the sun on the sand or the large grassy areas. For those new to Australia and have listed to too many shark stories there is a section of the beach that is enclosed by shark nets and a boardwalk. There are a few cafes and expensive restaurants to eat from which are all nice enough but if you are bringing the kids it's a great place to picnic as there is a lot of grass area and a few picnic tables. The toilets, showers and change rooms at the rear of the Bathers' Pavilion are pretty nice as far as public toilets go. The head lands in the distance is actually the Sydney Harbour National Park and is the gateway to Sydney Harbour.

It is my favorite beach in Sydney. It can be a little bit busy at the weekends, but not as busy as Bondi or Shelly Beach. The publuc toilet is decent when compared with the the toilets at the other beaches. Water is very clear and stull, so it is great for swimming. Not for surfers.

I can't think of another city that has a swimmable beach within its harbor. Sydney has several. Balmoral Beach, to me, is the most standout. With some of the nicest, most velvety sand around, this beach offers panoramic views of Sydney harbor, from Manly to Watson's Bay and more. Make sure to head out to Rocky Point--massive sandstone boulders jutting out into the harbor, furnished with eroded crevices ideally suited for sitting. There are natural caves on these small 'cliffs' that recall the geology of the American Southwest. The water is very calm and quite pristine for a harbor beach. You'll see shark nets not too far from the sand, which give an illusion of safety (though their effectiveness has been questioned). When I was there last, the view out to the harbor was filled with hang gliders, parasailing, sailboats, kayaks, paddle boarders--any water sport, you name it! There are several cafes that line the Esplanade, a perfect option if you haven't packed your own picnic.

I'm lucky enough to live within walking distance of this World Class harbour beach. It's utterly perfect and I don't even need to be biased. A walk along here at any time of day can connect me to myself in seconds. I'm a little spoilt as I get to enjoy this place during the week when it's quiet and serene but hot weekends see the throngs descend filling the sand and the grassy areas with boisterous hubbub. It's an ideal beach for families. Being a harbour beach it's protected from ocean waves and rips but it's worth staying vigilant - this isn't a patrolled beach and sharks are (infrequently) sighted in the area - it's gets its fair share of Blueys too when the wind is in the right direction. The Wishing Well about half way along the parade has a notice board that is maintained by the Rotary Club and gives all sorts of useful information about the water temperature and what to look out for. The Parking Meter furore is the stuff of much debate by locals as the council have introduced paid parking. The proceeds appear to have helped with the renovations of the toilet blocks and shower facilities which are now truly impressive. If you'd prefer not to pay for parking then Sydney Buses run services to here from the City and Chatswood and there is a local 'hail and ride' operated by the Council to get you back up the hill to Mosman Village, where there are a greater number of transport options. There are great formations to the North End of the beach that are worth exploring with a camera or fishing net - but watch out for the deadly Blue Ringed Octopus likes to hang out here too (are any non-Australians freaking out yet!). The Island in the centre of the Esplanade is a great picnic spot if you prefer less sand in your sandwiches - you might even spot a proposal. The Rotunda has been restored recently and provides a beautiful setting for weddings (you can hire it through Mosman Council). The Southern end of the beach has a bathing area, playground and kayak hire. A number of restaurants, cafes and kiosk for when you've done your exploring. It's really got everything. What's not to love?!

I have a deep and abiding love for Balmoral Beach. It's simply a spectacular place to visit - to play, to picnic, to stroll or to swim. Sure it can be maddening finding a park (particularly on sunny weekends), but once you're in you won't want to leave! There are a scrummy collection of cafes to grab a bite, but my favourite times at Balmoral have been strolling arm in arm with a loved one - catching up or making plans, the conversation punctuated by deep sighs of contentment. You really do feel spoiled as a Sydneysider when you visit Balmoral. Tourists all flock to Bondi and Manly, so if you have overseas guests in town, treat them to a visit here instead. The surf may be virtually non-existent, but the ambiance is just magic.

It takes a lot to convince me to go to the North Side, but Balmoral Beach is one convincing sand bank! Along with Camp Cove, this is my favourite beach in Sydney. Its inner-harbour location means that it's not a beach for the surfers out there, but great for those who aren't a massive fan of waves (or not a fan of massive waves), such as myself. As well as the double beach split by the grassy peninsula in the middle, there are number of good take-away cafés, so that's lunch taken care of. Buses (although I can't remember the numbers) service the area, otherwise you're best driving down, as it is at the bottom of a rather large hill making walking there - especially on a hot, summer day - inadvisable. If you're in town for just a few days and you've drawn up the list of beaches to go to, make sure that this is on that list!

Its so close, its so convenient, and every time I go there I realise how lucky I am to have this place less than 10 minutes away from my apartment. I heard people complain about parking, but this has never been a problem for me. And as long as I live in Australia I will not tell you my parking secrets as I enjoy their availability and convenience. But that is enough of me wasting your time, on to the review. This is a nice long beach, all of it sheltered so people who do not like big waves when you go for a swim will love this place. There is an area near the south part of the beach where all the kids hang out as there is a pseudo enclosure. There is a long esplanade which is great for walking and taking in the view. There is a rocky part at the north, which is my favourite. What makes this spot great you are probably asking. Well bring two towels with you, one to lay/sit on and one to make a pillow/backrest. Now put on some sunglasses and take out a book. Spend a couple hours and then walk to the cafe for a coffee.... repeat as needed.

This is one of my favorite beaches in Sydney. It isn't that crowded, kid-friendly, has good food options close by, and has a decent public toilet. It can get a little windy at times, but generally, this is a nice beach to come to. The surf is very small, so if it's waves your after, this isn't the beach for you.

Great beaches all along Sydney's north suburbs. What's special about this one? The Bathers Pavilion and the walkway. I've never seen so many strollers on a beach walkway. I'd guess close to 50% of the walkers were pushing a stroller. This has to be a popular residential area for young families. And dogs. Lots of leashed dogs enjoying the walkway too. And at the beachfront, on the esplanade, is Bathers Pavilion. Bathers Pavilion is a very nice restaurant, locally owned with a highly regarded chef, which does great brunches and lunches. They do dinner too, but I've not been there in the evening. To the side of the pavilion is a little coffee stand, where I've many times scored a cappuccino and then sat on a bench in the grassy area enjoying the beach views.

A not-so-touristy beach that has lots of parking. You can either go to the beach, swim in the dedicated pool area, or even have a picnic under one of the trees. The kids can play in the playground area too.

Ah Balmoral. I've just rediscovered my love of Balmoral Beach after a five or so year hiatus. I moved away from the North Shore and found a boy who likes to surf so I was either at Bondi or even further north at Manly. I have however recently returned to Balmoral and remembered why I love it. It is super relaxed, low key and you can find a nook on a weekday with nobody around. This beach seems to draw families so beware the weekend parking which is horrible. Still. If you go far up either end of this beach you'll still feel like you're not part of a manic Saturday crowd. There are lots of food options down here from your standard takeaway fish & chips to some of the nicest restaurants on the north shore. Also there are some great picnic spots so this place is really suited to 'a day at the beach'.

A classic and iconic Australian beach, Balmoral is home to bathers who enjoy a sunbake and a dip in the water (much like almost every other Australian). Rather than trekking it out to the Northern Beaches or heading to Bondi's overpacked beach, Balmoral is the perfect solution for a relaxing day in the sand. There are plenty of shark nets, so there is nothing to fear. The beach is fairly sheltered and there are plenty of renowned restaurants nearby. The local fish and chip shop is famous in Sydney for selling some of the best fish and chips. Plenty of locals run or walk up and down the beach on the pavement which is parrallel to the beach. There is a lot of activity at Balmoral Beach and makes for great people watching. With decent walks nearby and a spectacular view, you can't go past a visit to Balmoral Beach.