Discover the best places to swim in Wollongong, one of NSW’s greatest seaside cities.

From sun-drenched sea pools to long, sandy beaches where you can surf or swim under a wide-open sky, here is the ultimate guide to the best beaches and swimming spots in Wollongong and the Illawarra.

In short

Choose Windang Beach for the win if you are in Wollongong with the family. Set at the entrance to Lake Illawarra, this gentle curve of sand is backed by a large grassy foreshore with playgrounds, barbecues and shaded picnic areas. Families can also pitch their tent at Windang Beach Tourist Park, one of the best places to camp in Wollongong.

Austinmer Beach

Best for: Families looking for patrolled beaches and dog owners drawn to the off-leash Little Austinmer Beach.

This compact stretch of sand is bracketed between two headlands, giving it a sheltered, village-like feel. The beach is patrolled during summer, and there are two rock pools for those looking for a chill swim. When you’re done, wander up to the Headlands Austinmer Beach hotel for a well-earned brew with a view. It’s a great local pub and one we’ve featured in our best bars and pubs in Wollongong guide.

Coledale Beach

Best for: Families who want the option to pull the pin if things go pear-shaped.

Patrolled year-round, Coledale Beach ranks as one of the most versatile Wollongong swim spots. Families set up here to play Frisbee and French cricket. The small campground at the southern end of the beach has views of the crashing waves, which adds to the holiday feel. The beach is a popular spot for surfers as it offers consistent right and left-hand breaks. It’s also home to Rosie’s one of the best places for fish and chips in Australia.

Thirroul Beach

Best for: Surfers, lap swimmers and holidaymakers flitting between the beach and the local cafes.

The wind-whipped one-kilometre-long Thirroul Beach picks up swell from most directions. It’s a popular spot for surfers and day-trippers from Sydney who set up camp near the sandy seafront and make the most of a day dipping in and out of the sea. Swimmers gravitate to the Art Deco Olympic Pool, built in the 1930s, where backstroke laps come with uninterrupted views of the Illawarra Escarpment.

Windang Beach

Best for: Young families and picnickers.

Windang Beach is where Lake Illawarra meets the sea. This gentle curve of sand at the entrance to Lake Illawarra, some 15 kilometres south of Wollongong’s CBD, is a popular spot with families. There is a large foreshore park with a playground, barbecues, and covered picnic areas. The beach also has great views over the famous Five Islands off the Wollongong coastline. It’s one of the best places to swim in Wollongong on a sunny day.

Stanwell Park Beach

Best for: Families who want space and seasoned surfers.

Stanwell Tops is well known as a place for hang-gliding and paragliding. Take in the views from Lawrence Hargrave Lookout, which offers panoramic views of the coastline, before corkscrewing down to the base of the cliffs. That’s where you will find Stanwell Park Beach, a sheltered cove popular with families who cluster near the barbecues in the park. The scenic Wollongong swim spot is also popular with surfers due to the shifting beach break that works best in an east or northeast swell.

Sandon Point

Best for:  Surfers – both first-timers learning to surf and experienced swell chasers.

Sandon Point is an exposed point break prized for its clean, consistent waves, particularly through winter. When the swell eases, micro grommets beeline into the shallows at Sandon, often guided onto their first waves by the instructors at Happy Days Surf School or Pines Surfing Academy. It’s one of the best things to do in Wollongong. The beach sweeps for 900 metres between Bulli and Waniora points, so there’s plenty of space for swimmers to spread out on busy days.

Wollongong City Beach

Best for: Families who want an easy day at the beach with playgrounds, rock pools and cafes close by

Wollongong City Beach is one of the city’s most popular beaches. The broad beach that fronts the city curls 3.1 kilometres from Flagstaff Point to the Port Kembla seawall. It’s the city’s most central swimming spot and it’s backed by a foreshore reserve stubbled with coastal grasses. Head to the northern end of the beach in low tide to check for treasures in the rock pools. The beach is adjacent to a park with a playground and picnic tables.

Woonona Beach

Best for: Cyclists, surfers and lap swimmers.

Ride your bike along the Wollongong shared cycleway to check the surf, which works best at the northen end on a northeast swell. Woonona Beach also has a handsome 50-metre pool with diving blocks and a historic Art Deco pavilion. BYO goggles and hedge your bets between a calm lap swim or open-water adventure, before refuelling at one of the local restaurants.

Coalcliff Beach

Best for: Families and those in need of a protected swimming spot.

Coalcliff Beach is another coveted spot for families. Whether you’re looking for a calm stretch of sand to build a castle or a sheltered place to swim, the small beach feels protected and intimate. The beach in the northern suburbs of Wollongong is surrounded by craggy cliffs and rock platforms, which make it a popular fishing spot. Swimmers also seek out the beautiful ocean pool tucked beneath the cliffs where dense emerald-green bushland spills down to the sea.

Port Kembla Beach

Best for: Lap swimmers and families with small children.

Port Kembla Beach stretches for about 6.6 kilometres, making it popular with joggers who love to run barefoot. We love this beach for its dinky dressing sheds, which were constructed in 1912, and its Olympic-sized pool carved into the northern corner of the cliff face. All up, there are three pools: a toddler’s pool, paddling pool and slightly deeper kiddies pool.  The beach is one of the best places to swim in Wollongong with kids. it is only 11 kilometres from Wollongong’s CBD.

Bulli Rock Pool

Best for: Lap swimmers partial to a sunrise dip.

Word has well and truly spread about just how good the lifestyle is in Wollongong and the Illawarra. Kick off your day with a few laps at the Bulli Rock Pool where you are bound to meet smug sea-changers. Ask them about their new lifestyle and they will happily tell you they haven’t looked back since shrugging off their big-city stresses. You will want to join them after a few lazy laps in the 50-metre pool, which dates back to the 1930s.

Bellambi Beach

Best for: Early risers and swimmers of mixed ability.

Bellambi has a rock pool set into the southern rock shelf of the two-kilometre-long beach, which is a popular spot for swimming, surfing and fishing off the boat ramp. Hire a bike and cycle along the shared pathway, which makes the beach accessible from Wollongong. A small creek runs along the back of the beach and there are a few cafes nearby. Come to the beach early when there is zero swell to see the sunrise and start the day with a refreshing dip.