Whale Beach, Sydney: Surfing, swimming and Jonah’s restaurant
Things to do at Whale Beach, Sydney, include surfing, swimming in the rock pool and dining at Jonah’s restaurant.
Of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Whale Beach is perhaps the one that has the biggest reputation for exclusivity. It’s the second most northerly of the Northern Beaches, lying to the north of Avalon Beach and the south of Palm Beach. The latter is where Home and Away is filmed.
It is also, notoriously, where the wealthy and famous hang out, largely undisturbed by the great unwashed. This is partly an accessibility thing. There’s a pretty steep descent from the Barrenjoey Road to Whale Beach and you have to be pretty determined to come here from central Sydney.
13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book
- (💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
- Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
- Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
- Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
- See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
- (Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
- Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
- Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
- Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
- Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
- Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
- (🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.
But it’s partly because if you’re going to come this far, Avalon Beach and Palm Beach are obviously more impressive.
That’s not to say Whale Beach is ugly – far from it. Whale Beach is a stunner in its own right, set in an almost amphitheatre-like gap between the plateau and the headlands. But Whale Beach is relatively small – it’s about 600 metres long.
Surfing at Whale Beach, Sydney
Whale Beach is a pretty good surfing beach, however – especially when the winds are blowing in from the south-east. This causes waves to bounce off a rock ledge, creating a wedge effect that can be tricky to navigate, but experienced surfers love it.
With winds coming from the east or north-east, there are often good beach breaks. Which, again, are good for surfers, but can make swimming perilous.
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The Whale Beach Surf Lifesaving Club offers lifeguard patrols, so stay between the flags if swimming. Otherwise, head to the Whale Beach Rockpool at the southern end of the beach. This spectacular 25 metre ocean pool is built into the cliffs, and has a sandy floor. It has the feel of ocean swimming without the waves.
Jonah’s Whale Beach
The other reason Whale Beach has an air of exclusivity is Jonah’s. This restaurant and 11-room hotel has a clifftop infinity pool, a cocktail bar with a 1,600-strong wine list and tremendous ocean views. The highly-rated restaurant at Jonah’s Whale Beach is a notorious special occasions spot. The views make lunch a bigger deal than dinner, and the focus is on lavish seafood.
More Sydney beaches
Eastern Beaches: Bondi Beach | Bronte Beach | Clovelly Beach | Maroubra Beach.
Harbour Beaches: Camp Cove | Castle Rock Beach | Chinamans Beach | Collins Beach | Little Manly Beach | Milk Beach | Parsley Bay | Shark Beach | Store Beach | Watsons Bay.
Northern Beaches: Avalon Beach | Bilgola Beach | Long Reef Beach | Queenscliff Beach.
Botany Bay Beaches: Yarra Bay Beach.