Freshwater Beach: The Perfect Place to Relax and Escape the City
Kooloora Avenue, Freshwater NSW
Area: Northern Beaches
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy Freshwater Beach with family and friends. The warm weather and long days make it ideal for spending time outdoors, and the beach provides the perfect setting for a variety of fun activities.
Freshwater Beach is located north of the Spit Bridge, near Manly. It’s a beautiful beach with golden sand and clear blue water. The beach received its name due to the freshwater springs that flow into it. There are many activities that you can enjoy at Freshwater Beach such as swimming, surfing, snorkelling and rock pooling. You can also relax on the beach. And the best part is the beach is patrolled by lifeguards from September until May so it’s safe for everyone. When you visit the beach, make sure to bring all your essentials like water, snacks, towels and sunscreen lotion so that you don’t get sunburnt or dehydrated while having fun in the sun.
Don’t forget your camera too because there will be plenty of photo opportunities.
There are a number of cafes and restaurants nearby, as well as a kiosk where you can hire surfboards or buy beach accessories such as towels or sunscreen.
Families with young children will find the beach safe for water activities including boogie boarding, body surfing and swimming .
If you are looking for things to do at Freshwater Beach, read on!
Freshwater Beach at a Glance
| Park / Reserve: | Yes |
| BBQs: | Yes |
| Picnic Tables: | Yes |
| Shade: | Yes – Under trees |
| Swimming: | Yes – Between flags |
| Beach patrolled: | Yes |
| Playground: | Yes |
| Cafes / Restaurants: | Yes several cafes, restaurants and takeaway shops |
| Toilets / Showers: | Yes |
| Parking: | Paid parking in carpark next to the beach and limited parking in side streets |
| Water Sports: | Swimming Surfing Bodyboarding Snorkelling |
Things to Do at Freshwater Beach
If you have young children, they will enjoy:
- Looking for seashells and sea glass
- Drawing pictures in the sand
- Building a sandcastle or dripcastle
- Making footprints in the sand
- Blow bubbles
More things to do with kids at the beach.
Older kids can:
- Cover a friend with sand and make them into a shark or a mermaid
- Create beach aquarium
- Have swimming races at the rockpool
- Play water volleyball
- Explore the underwater world
Teenagers will have a lot of fun:
- Play beach cricket
- Taking photos and posting them on Instagram
- Water gun fights
- Jump or dive into the waves
- Explore tide pools
More things to do for teenagers at the beach.
Adults / parents / couples will enjoy:
- Reading a book
- Playing beach volleyball
- Photo Gallery
- Taking selfies
- Having a nap
Photo Gallery
Is Freshwater Beach Safe?
Freshwater Beach is a beautiful, safe place to visit. It’s great for families or groups of friends wanting to relax by the beach and take in the views. If you’re visiting during summer months, please remember that there will be many other visitors on the beach so it’s best to stay close to shore and swim between the flags.
Is Freshwater Beach Patrolled?
Yes Freshwater beach is patrolled from September till the end of May every day from 9am to 5pm.
Is Freshwater Beach a Surf Beach?
Freshwater Beach is a great surf beach for beginners and intermediate surfers. The beach is sheltered from the majority of swells so it offers gradual waves that roll into the shore line. For less experienced surfers, the break at the middle-northern end of the beach is an ideal spot.
Check out Freshwater Beach Surfcam website for more information.
If you want to learn how to surf, there’s an excellent surf school located in Manly, which is only 5-10 minutes by car. Manly Surf School offers lessons for both adults and children as well as board hire if needed.
Can you swim at Freshwater Beach?
The beach offers safe swimming conditions and is patrolled by lifesavers throughout the summer.
It has been known to have strong currents but this varies from day to day depending on weather conditions, so it’s best you only swim there while the beach is patrolled.
What Is the Water Temperature at Freshwater Beach?
Average water temperature during summer is 24 degrees Celsius and during winter it is around 18 degrees Celsius
Find out more about water temperature on any given day at Sea Temperature website.
Freshwater Beach Cafes
There are several cafes including The Pocket, Café Calm and Harbord Hotel within a short walking distance where you can grab something quick before heading back into the water again. The beach has its own kiosk for those much needed ice creams, drinks and snacks.
Amenities at Freshwater Beach
If you prefer, you can bring your own food – Freshwater Beach has electric BBQs in the reserve next to the beach and also picnic tables and benches.
Playground
There is a small playground in the middle of the reserve. You will also find sheltered tables and BBQs near the playground.
Toilets and Showers
Yes there are public toilets at the northern end of the beach, just above the swimming pool and also in the Freshwater Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Parking at Freshwater Beach
It’s easy to find parking near the beach as long as you arrive early enough before it gets too busy during peak times such as weekends, public holidays or school holidays when locals come down. Street parking is available at Kooloora Avenue, Moore Road, Gore Street and also Ocean View Road. Otherwise you can park at Freshwater Beach carpark, which is located at the end of Kooloora Avenue.
Getting to Freshwater Beach
The best way to get to Freshwater Beach is by car, however you can catch public transport. To plan your trip, check out Transport NSW website
Accommodation near Freshwater Beach
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Ivana Katz is a Sydney based website designer and travel blogger. Having her own business has given her the freedom to explore the world. She believes travel is the best teacher and her passion for adventure, writing and photography has taken her and her son to some amazing places, including Hawaii, Canada, Fiji, Greece and Czech Republic. Ivana’s favourite thing about travelling is learning, discovering hidden gems and creating memories. She loves nothing more than inspiring other women to chase their dreams and explore the world with their families and friends.
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