Long, lovely Palm Beach is a crescent of bliss that's famous as the setting for cheesy TV soap Home and Away. The 1881 Barrenjoey Lighthouse punctuates the northern tip of the headland in an annexe of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The suburb of Palm Beach has two sides, the magnificent ocean beach and a pleasant strip on Pittwater, where the calmer strands are good for young kids. From here you can get ferries to other picturesque Pittwater destinations, including other park sections.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Barrenjoey Lighthouse

0.91 MILES

This historic sandstone lighthouse (1881) sits at the northern tip of the Northern Beaches in an annexe of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. You've got two…

2. West Head

1.31 MILES

This central section of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is a spectacular wilderness, with awe-inspiring vistas over Pittwater and Broken Bay, hidden beach…

3. Whale Beach

1.35 MILES

Sleepy Whale Beach, 3km south of Palm Beach, is well worth seeking out – a paradisiacal slice of deep, orange-tinted sand backed by pines and flanked by…

4. Currawong Beach

1.46 MILES

You will have to take the ferry at Palm Beach to reach this sheltered, carless beach suburb on the shores of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. There…

5. Avalon

2.95 MILES

Caught in a sandy ’70s time warp, Avalon is the mythical Australian beach you always dreamed of but could never find. Challenging surf and sloping,…

6. Pearl Beach

3.62 MILES

This secluded beach is perhaps the Central Coast's most beautiful; a seductive curve of sand lapped by gentle waves with a lovely outlook across the bay…

7. Bilgola

3.62 MILES

With its huge saltwater pool and tucked-away location between the better-known Newport and Avalon beaches, little Bilgola feels like a bit of a secret gem…

8. Newport

4.25 MILES

This well-known Sydney surf beach is a kilometre-long strip of east-facing sand with reliable waves and a backing of Norfolk pine trees.