Como Pleasure Grounds is a leafy riverside park on the Georges River where Sydneysiders have come by train to swim and picnic since the 1880s. It has a free summer swimming pool and netted tidal baths with a small beach, which makes it a cheap and easy family day out.
Key facts
- Type
- Harbour or river baths
- Facilities and access
- Free summer swimming complex nearby
- Cost
- Free
- Public transport
- Como station, next to the grounds
- Best time to go
- Summer
- Water quality
- GoodComo Baths, 0.1 km away. Sampled 29 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Como, NSW
What it's like
The grounds spread over a point of the Georges River beside Como station, with big lawns, shade trees and wide views over the water. Below the pool complex, netted tidal baths and a small beach give you the river itself to swim in. In the late 1800s the railway brought day-trippers here from the city to swim, picnic and hire boats, and the place still has that old-fashioned weekend feel.
When to go
Summer, when the swimming complex is open, is the time to come. Weekdays are quieter than the school holidays. Give river swimming a few days after heavy rain.
Getting there and facilities
Como station is right next to the grounds, so this is one of the easiest swims in Sydney to reach without a car. There are picnic areas, the free summer pool and the tidal baths.
Good to know
The swimming complex is seasonal, so check its opening dates before a special trip. River water quality drops after rain.