The best beaches in NSW

Beach lovers, rejoice – this one’s for you! Here are our top picks for the very best beaches in New South Wales.

Photo: Murrays Beach, New South Wales

New South Wales is home to some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. From cerulean seas fronted by dazzling white shores to long stretches of sand backed by national park, we list 12 of the best (in no particular order):

1. Murrays Beach, Jervis Bay

Next door to its more famous sister, Hyams Beach, Murrays Beach is like the underrated sibling. With its dazzling turquoise water hemmed by soft white sand, Murrays Beach (pictured top of page) should be on every beachcomber’s radar.

Backed by Booderee National Park and framed by clear waters teeming with fish, an entire day in paradise can easily slip away before you realise it. The best part? Finding a secluded spot to spread your beach towel is a cinch.

2. Horseshoe Bay Beach, South West Rocks

Rimmed by towering Norfolk pines, Horseshoe Bay Beach is a small beach with a big personality. Its horseshoe shape provides shelter from big swells and strong winds making it the perfect patch of sand to take the family.

An aerial view of a sandy beach on a sunny day, framed by two rock walls, as a green blue ocean wave washes on the shore, dividing the frame with white froth.

Rocks at either end allow mini explorers to don their science hats while fishing-inclined adults can cast a line from the rock shelf extending into the sea.

Related: South West Rocks

3. Depot Beach, Shoalhaven

Nestled within Murramarang National Park, Depot Beach transports you back in time with its unspoiled rainforest setting and empty expanses of coastline.

Boulders skirt the coastline with sapphire swimming holes adorning the bay. If you can drag yourself away from the shore there’s a short walk through the bordering rainforest where native wildlife abounds.

4. Caves Beach, Swansea

True to its name, Caves Beach is home to an impressive array of sea caves, huddled together at the beach’s southern end. Explore their depths at low tide and marvel at their impressive formation, sculpted by ancient rivers thousands of years ago.

The curved, but rocky open mouth of a cave as seen from inside, a family parents and children are silhouetted along the entrance, with cloudy blue sky in the background.

Once you’ve enjoyed your fill of saltwater, take to the picnic and BBQ area for a seaside lunch with an unbeatable panorama.

5. Cellito Beach, Sandbar

Cellito Beach is a haven for surfers looking for a clean break with few boards to share the lineup with. Enjoy the sweeping views across to Seal Rocks while you wait for the next set to roll in.

Back on land, take the four-wheel drive down to Smiths Lake, where the right conditions will have you doing a double take of the paradise-like setting to check you’re still in Australia.

6. Avoca Beach, Gosford

Avoca Beach is one of the most popular beach towns in New South Wales for good reason. Appealing to just about every ocean-based interest, here you can do a lot more than just soak up the sun.

Two couples walk along a concrete boardwalk on a sunny day in front of a sandy, curved beach dotted with umbrellas and people, with homes and trees in the background.

The main drawcard is the long golden arch where there’s ample room to hoist a beach umbrella, while more adventurous types can take to the ocean on a stand-up paddle board, learn to surf, or dive the former Australian warship ExHMAS Adelaide shipwreck offshore.

7. Red Rock Beach, Coffs Harbour Coast

Red Rock is a playground for those with an appreciation of nature. A monumental headland juts out from the coast – a striking feature formed with 300-million-year-old jasper stone.

Four men in shorts on paddleboards, holding oars, as seen from behind in shallow water. In front of them is a small sandy island with trees, under a near-cloudless sky.

Trek the headland or traipse its surrounds where a secluded bay awaits with a sheltered nook perfect for swimming, and a collection of pools to investigate. Further along, navigate the serene estuary by kayak or stand-up paddle board.

8. Cabarita Beach, Tweed Coast

Straddled by the glitzy suburbs of the Gold Coast and hip town of Byron Bay, Cabarita’s personality happily sits somewhere in the middle of her well trampled neighbours.

Spiky beach bush plants in the foreground open into a picturesque tropical beach of sand and green-topped rocks at golden hour, as waves lap at the shore.

Still riding the tails of winning top spot as Australia’s best beach in 2020, Cabarita is firmly planted on many a sun worshiper’s hit list. While you won’t have the beach to yourself, nature still rules the roost, and the town itself has held on to its heady vibe and relaxed style.

9. Barmouth Beach, Merimbula

For those who like their beach days with a side of adventure, Barmouth Beach in Merimbula is just the ticket.

Beach tree branches and green scrub in the foreground lead to a white sandbar beach, with shallow, turquoise water that spreads far into the distance, a town can be faintly seen at the opposite shore.

Hidden in Ben Boyd National Park, Barmouth is a sanctuary with impossibly blue water and powdery shores. While its position affords the illusion of isolation, the beach is a mere 200m walk from the carpark on Barmouth Beach Road.

10. Spooky Beach, Angourie

There’s nothing spooky about Spooky Beach. In fact, with a beautiful seascape from the viewing platform, a gentle break and pandanus trees lining the shore, it could be described as downright dreamy.

A couple in faded yellow shirts, walks down a sandy beach, with a frothy ocean of waves lapping at the shore, a green scrubby hill and cloudy sky in the background.

It’s a more family-friendly choice when visiting Angourie, with nearby Angourie Beach the drawcard for surfers alike.

11. Fingal Bay Beach, Port Stephens

Tucked away in Fingal Head, Fingal Bay Beach offers a stunning pocket of ocean fringed by a golden arc. The picturesque bay is a wonderful spot to while away the day.

A flyover view of a deep blue tropical ocean bay created by green hills divided by a white sandbar, where the water turns turquoise as it hits the sandbar shores, under a blue sky.

Swimmers will love the calm waters, surfers will appreciate the break at the northern end, and those who like to stretch their legs can saunter its 1.9km at leisure while taking in the vista towards Fingal Island; at low tide, continue across Fingal Spit towards Shark Island where the heritage listed Port Stephens Lighthouse sits.

12. Grassy Head Beach, Macleay Valley Coast

Sandwiched between lush bushland and the Pacific Ocean, Grassy Head Beach is a treasure trove for nature lovers. Calm days deliver ideal snorkelling conditions around the headland while bigger swells promise the perfect right hand break.

A long beach that curves off into the distance on a grey, cloudy day. Where the beach ends there’s a thick forested area, broken by a single SUV driving down a sandy road parallel to the beach.