Palm Beach

Palm Beach’s gentle waves are ideal for body boarding, paddleboarding, and kayaking, while swimmers can take advantage of an enclosed ocean swimming pool for early morning laps. A hike up to the historic Barrenjoey Lighthouse offers spectacular views of the beach, the bay, and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Nearly all driving tours of the Northern Beaches stop here, and the area can be seen from the air on a seaplane or helicopter flight. Guided “Home and Away” tours take fans to the real-life filming locations of the fictional Summer Bay.

• Parking is available at Palm Beach, but it is relatively expensive.

• The area near the beach offers upscale waterfront dining.

• Public restroom facilities, showers, and changing rooms are available near the parking lot.

Palm Beach is located 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of Sydney’s Central Business District, at the end of Barrenjoey Road, between Pittwater and Broken Bay. There are buses that run to the area from Wynyard station and Circular Quay; the ride takes about 1.5 hours. Ferry service connects Palm Beach with the suburb of Ettalong, located on the Central Coast.

Palm Beach is open all year round, but the Australian summer (December–February) is the prime season swimming and surfing. Whale-watching cruises run from May to November.

Palm Beach is the northernmost of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, a 25-mile (40-kilometer) chain of beaches beloved by locals. The others include Manly, a world-class surfing destination with some of the best breaks in New South Wales, and Shelly Beach, a protected marine reserve better suited for snorkeling. Narrabeen boasts both epic surfing waves and a walking and jogging trail, and family-friendly Avalon features abundant eateries and a rock pool for swimming.