The best things to do in Bundeena, Sutherland Shire

Be it a daycation or a long weekend away, a break in Bundeena has plenty of diversions to keep everyone – from girls on a long weekend to couples and families – happy, writes Sutherland Shire local Carla Grossetti.

How to get to Bundeena

The best time to catch the dinky wooden ferry to Bundeena is early in the morning, when a slate-grey light coats the water, and the sun hasn’t yet crested over the South Cronulla peninsula. Certainly, you can pick the Sutherland Shire locals bound for ‘Bundo’, as they are always decidedly blasé about just how charming it is to arrive in Bundeena onboard the M.V. Curranulla, which was commissioned in 1939 and is the oldest commuter ferry in Australia operating to a timetable.

Jump onboard the M.V. Curranulla, which is the oldest commuter ferry in Australia operating to a timetable.

Although the scenic jaunt across the bay to Bundeena only takes about 40 minutes, the loop around Gunnamatta Bay and across Port Hacking is picturesque. Subsequently, when we arrive, the scene is bucolic, with children hurtling into the water off the wharf, fisherman pootling about in tinnies, and locals walking barefoot along the beach like they have all the time in the world.

The beachside town has, in recent years, become a popular destination thanks in part to the many off-the-grid activities you can enjoy. You can hike, swim, and snorkel around Bundeena, which has access to four local beaches, or punch past Deeban Spit on stand-up paddleboards and kayaks.

You can hike, swim, and snorkel around Bundeena, which has access to four local beaches. (Image: Monde Photo)

Waterfalls, walks and ancient rock art

There’s so much to see and do in and around Bundeena that it invites visitors to laze and linger. In between exploring the waterways, we make time to hike along some of the trails that wind up to viewpoints that overlook the ocean and surrounding bushland of Royal National Park, Australia’s first official national park.

The hustle and bustle of Sydney feels far away as we squeak across the sand at Jibbon Beach and along the Jibbon Loop Track until we get to the Aboriginal rock art engraved by the local Dharawal people. The light sifts down in shafts through the tall gum trees around the viewing platform to the rock art. It’s like being in Mother Nature’s cathedral.

While in the grey-green bushland, you will likely come across many friendly hikers who ricochet around the park and ply you with enthusiastic recommendations: “Make sure you head to National Falls where you can actually stand behind the large curtain of water." “Wattamolla Falls is the easiest waterfall to get to as it’s just a one-minute walk from the carpark." “You will have to come back another day to walk to Winifred Falls and Karloo Pools."

We also vow to be back in Bundeena between May and November, when whale-watching season is in full swing as the Royal National Park – in Bundeena’s backyard – where you’ll find some of the best vantage points in the country.

Bundeena’s art trail and markets

Arrive in Bundeena on the first Sunday of the month and you can meet artists in their studios along the Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail, which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. The art trail will leave you with a collage of impressions about the village, which appears to be a haven for travellers, bohemians, artists, hipsters and hippies. Meanwhile, you will find the normally tranquil back streets of Bundeena buzzing with people filing in and out of the artist studios for the art trail, which coincides with the Bundeena Saltwater Market, spruiking everything from ceramics and jewellery, to clothing and soaps.

Audley Dance Hall Café, which was first established in 1949 and is located on the banks of the Port Hacking River.

You can also fill a morning at the historic Audley Dance Hall Café, which was first established in 1949 and is located on the banks of the Port Hacking River, where the deep-green water forms a corridor for birds, ducks and kayakers. Concurrently, find a patch of shade and make like you’re in a painting of an Edwardian picnic in the surrounding ‘pleasure grounds’, built in the early 1900s.

Find a patch of shade in the surrounding ‘pleasure grounds’, which were constructed in the early 1900s.

Exploring Bundeena’s waterways

When you plan your visit to Bundeena, factor in a paddle into Cabbage Tree Basin with Marnie Sigal, of Bundeena Kayaks who has been hosting tours on the fringes of Royal National Park for the past 20 years. After a quick coffee at Driftwood Café, where we are met by friendly locals eager to hear about our day’s plans, we head to Bonnie Vale where bright blue skies show further promise for a brilliant day.

Factor in a paddle into Cabbage Tree Basin with Marnie Sigal, of Bundeena Kayaks. (Image: Monde Photo)

“It’s a destination that feels like a sanctuary. I feel like I’m on holiday every day," says Marnie, who operates year-round apart from one month in winter (dates vary depending on weather).

After slipping gently into the water near Bonnie Vale picnic area, we paddle along the shoreline into Cabbage Tree Basin where the still surface of the water mirrors the cliffs and trees and sky. The basin is a mix of saltwater and freshwater and its depth is determined by the currents and tides, says Marnie, who points out a bird of prey looking for fish in the turquoise waters. With the current doing most of the hard work, we have time to stop, pause, and take in the scenery: gum trees with strips of bark that twist like colourful ribbons, cabbage palms that cast shade over the river, mangroves with their bony limbs, and crackles of black cockatoos that explode out of the treetops with their screeches and alien cries.

The basin is a mix of saltwater and freshwater and its depth is determined by the currents and tides.

Sleeping over in Bundeena

While Bundeena is definitely perfect for a daycation, staying overnight at Periscope House, Simpson Cottage, Hilltop Cottage or Bundeena Beachhouse is the best way to settle into a pleasant rhythm. It allows you to get your bearings and to have enough time to join Lost & Found Wellness Adventures at dusk for an 11-kilometre gourmet guided walk to Marley Beach. The tour is as much about food as fitness and we enjoy pressing pause to watch the setting sun honey the cliffs at Marley Head while tucking into artisanal delights.

Where to stay in Bundeena

Periscope House is perched like an eyrie on the cliffs, and cracking views of bush and bay.

Additionally, you’ll find luxury beachfront option Bundeena Beachhouse on the shores of Little Gunyah Beach. It can accommodate up to four people.

Hilltop Cottage hovers over the heart of the Royal National Park, while Simpson Cottage is an historic sandstone house near the Hacking River. Weemalah Cottage is located on the banks of South West Arm Creek, and a top spot for amateur anglers and ornithologists.

Reids Flat Cottage is located at Audley, just one hour south of Sydney, and convenient for cyclists who want to give Lady Carrington Drive a crack.

Simpson Cottage is an historic sandstone house near the Hacking River. (Image: Tim Bean Photography)

Read more: 5 best Bundeena beach shacks

Where to eat in Bundeena

Stop and chat over coffee with barefoot locals at Driftwood Café, take the family for gelato at The Gelato Factory and embrace the tradition of eating fish and chips by the sea at Vinegar & Brown Paper

The Bundeena Community & Services Club has opened after a multi-million-dollar refit. Head here when the sun starts to swell molten in the west and watch the ebb and flow of the tide in the bay. Additionally, order a plate of salt and pepper squid and schooey of locally brewed Bundeena Jibbon IPA.

Catch the ferry back to Cronulla to enjoy being in the heart of the action where you can follow up dinner with a few cocktails at some of the neighbourhood’s favourite haunts.

Where to shop in Bundeena

Head to Little French Heart on the main street of Bundeena for beautiful homewares such as candle, children’s clothing and linen. Visit the beachside village on a Saturday and you can pick up a bouquet from Blooms & Beans, a pretty little flower stall. Acclaimed interior designer Kelly Ross has also opened Jean, a funky general store devoted to design objects and vintage furniture.

Find a mix of ceramics, jewellery, clothes and soaps for sale at Bundeena Saltwater Market, on the first Sunday of every month. The market coincides with the monthly Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail when local artists open their studios. Meanwhile, if you’re enjoying a weekend break, catch the ferry back to Cronulla where you can stroll along the pedestrianised mall with its vibrant mix of shops such as The Best Little Bookshop in Town, Roar and Meet that Store

Getting there

By train and ferry: Catch a train from Central to Cronulla and connect with the ferry to Bundeena. The ferry terminal is just a short walk away from the train station.

By car: Take a scenic drive through Royal National Park, the second oldest national park in the world.

Shuttle bus: There is a shuttle bus service that operates in the Royal National Park and offers transfers to popular locations such as Wattamolla and Garie Beach. Pick-up spots include Audley, Bundeena Wharf and Otford Train Station.

A break in Bundeena has plenty of diversions to keep everyone. (Image: Monde Photo)

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!

The best things to do in Bundeena

Be it a daycation or a long weekend away, a break in Bundeena has plenty of diversions to keep everyone – from girls on a long weekend to couples and families – happy, writes Sutherland Shire local Carla Grossetti.

How to get to Bundeena

Waterfalls, walks and ancient rock art

Bundeena’s art trail and markets

Exploring Bundeena’s waterways

Sleeping over in Bundeena

Where to stay in Bundeena

Where to eat in Bundeena

Where to shop in Bundeena

Getting there

Travellers get relief as Sydney Airport introduces flat-rate taxi fares

This iconic Bondi venue is about to land at Sydney Airport

Soft Forest: A free, immersive show is on in this historic Sydney garden

Be transported to an Italian summer at this new Sydney restaurant

I’ve stayed in 21 hotels in Sydney and this is my favourite

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.