Is Coogee a good place to stay in Sydney?

Coogee is a good base if you want a beach holiday with a calmer, more family-friendly feel than Bondi. The beach, the ocean pools and the coastal walk to Bondi are all on your doorstep, and buses run along Coogee Bay Road into the city. It suits families, couples and anyone who wants to swim every morning.

The area is built around a sheltered bay, with a wide beach, a grassy foreshore and ocean pools at both ends. Wylie's Baths and McIver's Ladies Baths are cut into the rocks to the south, Gordons Bay to the north is popular for snorkelling, and Dolphin Point looks out over the water. Coogee Bay Road has cafés and bakeries, while the Coogee Bay Hotel and Coogee Pavilion are busy beachfront pubs.

The downside is getting around. There's no train, buses to the city are slow in traffic, and the CBD and the harbour feel a long way off. Hotels are limited and book up in summer, and the pubs make the beachfront loud on weekend nights.

What makes Coogee special is its easy, local beach life. You can swim in an ocean pool, walk the cliffs to Bondi, eat fish and chips on the grass and watch the evening light from a pub terrace, in a beach suburb that still feels relaxed.