Top things to do at bondi beach

What to do at Bondi Beach (aside from going to the beach)

            Before going to Australia, the only familiarity I had with Bondi was the show Bondi Beach Rescue, which surprisingly set the tone for this beautiful Australian Beach very well. There is in fact beautiful lifeguards running around with their beach patrol floaties. This beach is more than just the Bondi Icebergs and the blue water though, it seemed to be the place I spent most of my time at while in Australia. Fortunately, I was able to live like a local here for 4 months so hoping on a bus to Bondi became a usual part of my weekly routine. Just a short ride right outside the city of Sydney, this beach is easy to get to by taxi or bus, and maybe even walking if you are close enough! Just a fun fact to throw out there, the ozone layer around Australia is actually thinned when compared to the United States, or wherever else you are traveling from, leading to more UV radiation against your skin. So throwing on extra sunscreen while heading out for a beach day at Bondi (or anywhere else) is extremely important. Yes, I did learn this the hard way.

                                                                                                 Bondi Icebergs

Obviously, the Bondi Icebergs top the list for places to see while at Bondi. Located at the southern end of the beach and a little incline walk up lies the club, pool, and some of the best views of Bondi. The price to get in is $9 AUD or $6.20 USD. This place gets crowded very early, so make sure to take your beach bag and towel to get a good spot. There are two pools, one for taking laps (people who are taking swimming seriously) and one to just chill in (where I spent my time). We set our towels down on the massive rocks that surrounded the pool, not the comfiest, but we still had fun. My favorite part of this 50 meter infinity pool is that it is located right on the ocean water, so when a wave hit the seawall it splashed right up into the pool to make the scenery even more incredible. My biggest regret was not dining in the café or restaurant there, but when surrounded by 50 other great food places on the beach, it was hard to choose.

Food

Let’s talk about Australian cafes because there is just something about them, and an Australian café in the iconic Bondi just can’t be beat (I don’t care how hard New York City tries). First, I had one of the best bowls of my life at Banana Blossom. Although it looked like a simple noodle shop, I came back to this place countless times after a long, hot beach day. Another one of my favorites is Speedos café, which is across the street from the beach with some of the most beautiful food and scenery I have ever seen. When people think “Australian café” they should be thinking of Speedos. From their acai bowls to their donuts, every detail of this food is incredible. There’s an abundance of acai places in Bondi, but Oakberry was some of the best. Recent locations have now opened up in New York City and Miami, so make sure to check it out if you are in these East Coast cities. A MUST visit is Fruitologist Bondi, this place is located about a 15-minute walk away from the actual beach, but definitely worth it. Fruitologist looks like an over-the-top produce stand and has some of the best acai bowls in all of Sydney. It is easy to feel like a local here. They also obviously have produce and ready to go meals for the beach if you are looking for a good market! Also, don’t forget to stop by Gelato Messina if the acai bowls are satisfying your sweet tooth cravings.

Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk

This is about a 6km walk (3.75 miles) that give the best views of Bondi at every angle. This walk is a free attraction and a must do in my opinion. While 6km might not seem like a lot, I recommend making this a day trip and taking your time to stop at every beach.  Along the walk you get to see views off massive cliffs, it was nearly impossible to not take my phone out to take a picture every couple minutes. While on the walk you will also come across many other smaller beaches that may feel more “local” than Bondi. If starting from Bondi, you’ll come across Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and then end at Coogee. Just like Bondi, Bronte beach also has a small pool that lays right by the ocean that is worth going to. After finishing the walk, stop to get some food or a drink at Coogee Pavilion, while walk-ins are welcome, reserving a table might be worth doing depending on the day you go. This pavilion is three stories, with something to do on every floor! Going to the rooftop for a drink with beach views is a must do (and probably one of my favorite things to do in Sydney). If you are like us and literally made this walk a whole day trip, we decided to walk back to Bondi from Coogee. At this point of the day the sun was starting to set (I highly recommend the walk at this hour to catch the pastel skies) and hundreds of surfers were out catching waves as the sun went down, this was one of my favorite sites to see.

Bondi Markets

If you enjoy a farmers market feel, checking out the Bondi Markets on a Sunday is defiantly worth it! This market is open from 10am-4pm and is located in front of the Bondi Public school, just a short walk away from the beach. There are so many fantastic homemade pastry’s, foods, fresh flowers, produce, art, clothing, and so much more. We actually came to the markets right before we started the Bondi to Coogee walk which made for a perfect day trip if you want something to do at Bondi other than go to the beach or eat at a café. I ordered a big plate filled with grilled sweet potato, palak dal, chana masala, kasudi relish, mango lime aioli at one of the stalls, which tasted so fresh and was the perfect fuel before our walk along the cliff side.

Take a Surf Lesson

If you are feeling adventurous or just love trying new things, I highly recommend taking a surf class at Bondi. Surfing is an iconic sport in Australia, so where better to learn how to surf than here? Even going for a normal beach day, you will see mini surf lessons being taught at all times of the day. It is easy to go on a travel website such as Air B&B experiences or Viator.com to find a good surf lesson for about $80. There’s also multiple surf shops like Surf Culture or Rip Curl you can check out in Bondi for some surf gear or swimsuits.

Bondi to Watsons Bay Walk

In my opinion this coastal walk is not as good as the Bondi to Coogee walk, but it may also depend on what type of walk you are looking for. While you can find many different directions for this walk, it is about 9km one way, if staying along the coastline (for the majority). A downside of this walk is that you will hit many busy streets and the whole thing may not exactly be considered “scenic,” but is a good change up if you are looking for a beautiful start and end point, all while getting your steps in! At some points during this walk you may even find yourself walking through grassy areas that do not even feel like they are a part of the trail, but don’t worry, it is. Arriving at Watson’s Bay makes this walk extremely worth it. I highly recommend checking out Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel for a fun cocktail with a view of the bay. Or if you are even wanting to spend more time at Watsons Bay, I recommend taking a small hike to the Hornby Light House for spectacular views (but if coming from Bondi this may be a trail to save for another day). Another wonderful food place to try before heading home is Doyles on the Wharf, where you can find tasty Fish n’ Chips. Doyles is more casual the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel and may be a better option after a long walk if your outfit isn’t looking great.

So while you can’t go wrong with a day of sunbathing in the white sand, be sure to check out all the wonderful things Bondi has to offer.