Wylie's Baths is a 1907 tidal pool on the cliffs south of Coogee Beach, where you swim in real ocean water alongside fish and seaweed, with timber decks stepping up the cliff above. Run by a community trust for a small entry fee, it suits ocean swimmers, snorkellers and anyone who loves a pool with a past.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Size
- 50 yard pool
- Facilities and access
- Run by an independent trust and open 365 days a year
- Managed by
- Randwick City Council
- Cost
- Small entry fee
- Public transport
- Buses to Coogee, then a short walk
- Best time to go
- Mornings
- Water quality
- GoodCoogee Beach, 0.5 km away. Sampled 28 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleaning
- Not stated
- Town
- Coogee, NSW
What it's like
The sea flows in and out through the outer wall, so the main pool, about 50 yards long, is a slice of the ocean with a rock floor and plenty of marine life. Above it, the old timber decks and boardwalks climb the cliff, with room to stretch out in the sun and look out to sea. Champion swimmer Henry Alexander Wylie opened the baths in 1907. His daughter Mina Wylie and her friend Fanny Durack became Australia's first women Olympic swimmers in 1912. Storm damage closed the baths in the 1970s; they reopened in 1978 and a community trust has run them since 1996.
When to go
The baths open from 7am to 7pm from October to April, and 7am to 5pm in the cooler months. Mornings are calmest. Private events and maintenance can close all or part of the baths, so check before you go.
Getting there and facilities
The entrance is at the end of Neptune Street, Coogee, a short walk south of Coogee Beach and on the coastal walk. There are change rooms and a kiosk selling coffee. Buses run to Coogee from the city and Bondi Junction.
Good to know
Pool wall repairs close the downstairs pool area to everyone, keyholders included, from Tuesday 3 November to 4 December 2026; the baths are shut all day on 3 November, then the kiosk and upstairs decks open 7.30am to 2pm. There's a small entry fee, with cheaper rates for seniors, students and children and season passes for regulars. The money goes back into running and restoring the baths.