Gunnamatta Bay Baths is Cronulla's calm-water alternative to the surf: a long, netted tidal enclosure on the Port Hacking side of the peninsula, with lanes long enough for serious laps. It's free, a few minutes' walk from Cronulla station, and loved by local swimming and water polo clubs.
Key facts
- Type
- Harbour or river baths
- Length
- 50 m
- Facilities and access
- Clubs use them year round
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- No
- Public transport
- Cronulla station, a few minutes' walk
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings
- Water quality
- GoodGunnamatta Bay Baths, 0.3 km away. Sampled 29 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Cronulla, NSW
What it's like
Cross the peninsula from the surf beaches and the mood changes completely. The baths stretch along the sheltered shore of Gunnamatta Bay, below the lawns of Gunnamatta Park, with clear, flat water stretching out into the bay. Swimmers have trained here since the early twentieth century; the original wooden baths were replaced in 1939 with a long mesh-enclosed structure, and the Gunnamatta Pavilion beside the park dates from the same year.
When to go
Calm mornings are the pick, when the water is glassy and the clubs have finished their sessions. Rain affects water quality in the bay, so check the latest Beachwatch result after storms.
Getting there and facilities
Walk a few minutes from Cronulla station down to Gunnamatta Park on Nicholson Parade. There are picnic areas in the park, and the cafes and shops of Cronulla's centre are just up the hill.
Good to know
The baths are unpatrolled. Clubs train in them at set times, so share the lanes.