Garie Beach — Royal National Park
Garie Beach — Royal National Park
Garie Beach is the largest and most open beach in the Royal National Park — 900 metres of sand backed by steep forested headlands, with the kind of scale and wildness you don't find on Sydney's suburban beaches.
The beach sits at the end of a winding road down through the park, which makes it feel genuinely removed from the city despite being less than an hour's drive from the CBD.
The Road Reopens
Garie Beach was closed for two years after floodwaters caused a section of the access road to collapse in 2022. The repair was substantial — a section of road was moved into the hillside and supported by over 100 concrete piles driven into the embankment along a stretch exceeding 150 metres.
The road reopened in 2024. New sandstone stairs have been built at the southern end of the beach replacing the old clifftop track, and a new lookout has been added to the walkway above. If you haven't visited for a while, it's worth a fresh look.
The Beach
Garie is a surf beach — exposed, powerful, and patrolled on weekends and public holidays by the Garie Surf Life Saving Club. It's not a calm swimming beach, but on the right day the conditions attract good surfers and the wave quality can be excellent.
The southern end of the beach connects to the Royal Coast Track, which runs the full length of the park from Bundeena to Otford. The new stairs near the surf club are the current access point if you're continuing south along the coast.
The headlands at either end of the beach are worth exploring — rock platforms, tidal pools, and views back along the coast that give a sense of the park's scale.
Getting There
From the Farnell Avenue entrance near Otford, follow the road through the park to the Garie Beach turnoff. The descent to the beach takes around 10 minutes by car. There is a car park at the beach with toilet facilities.
Alternatively, Garie Beach is a stopping point on the Royal Coast Track for walkers doing longer sections of the coastal route.
Visiting with Sydney Nimble Tours
Garie Beach is a regular stop on our Royal National Park private day tour from Sydney — typically for a picnic lunch on the beach or a walk along the headlands. The combination of scale, wildness and relative quiet makes it one of the more memorable spots in the park.
Where are the surfers, beach walkers and fisher people?
Garie Beach with Foaming Seas
path and track gone - go back to the stairs
new stairs
just in case you forget
nice to see that headland again
love those supports
new road