Where can I stay near Curl Curl Beach?

In Manly. The closest place we found is Manly Waves Hotel in Queenscliff, at the north end of Manly Beach, a 26-minute walk through Freshwater. There’s no hotel or hostel near Curl Curl Beach itself.

Is Curl Curl Beach patrolled?

Yes, in the season: council lifeguards between September and April, and surf club volunteers on weekends and holidays. Swim between the flags.

Does Curl Curl have a rock pool?

Two. South Curl Curl has a 50 m pool with a toddlers’ area; North Curl Curl has a 25 m pool round the end of the headland, reached at high tide only by the coastal walk.

Can you swim in Curl Curl Lagoon?

The council doesn’t recommend it. Swim in the sea between the flags, or in the rock pools.

Is Curl Curl dog friendly?

Not the beach: dogs are prohibited. There are two off-leash areas close by, at Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve (with access to the lagoon) and Adams Street Reserve in John Fisher Park.

How long is Curl Curl Beach?

About 1.2 km, divided into North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl.

How do you get to Curl Curl from the city?

Take the 165X express bus from Wynyard to South Curl Curl, or the ferry to Manly and bus 166 or 167. There’s no train.

Is Curl Curl good for surfing?

Yes. It faces east-southeast and the waves average about 1.6 m. The surfing is best in front of and south of the lagoon, in north-easterly winds.

Curl Curl Beach

A 1.2 km surf beach between Freshwater and Dee Why, with a rock pool at each end and a lagoon in the middle. Plenty of houses, no hotels: the nearest beds are a 26-minute walk south at the north end of Manly.

Curl Curl · Elcano~enwiki at English Wikipedia / Public domain, Wikimedia

Curl Curl has no hotels, hostels or guesthouses near the beach. The closest beds we found are at Manly Waves Hotel in Queenscliff, the north end of Manly, a 26-minute walk (about 2.1 km) through Freshwater. The beach is about 1.2 km long, split into North and South Curl Curl, with a rock pool at each end. It’s patrolled from September to April.

Checked 9 October 2026. How we measure

At a glance

26 min walk from Manly Waves Hotel
patrolled Sep – Apr
a rock pool at each end
no dogs on the beach

Nowhere to sleep at Curl Curl. Manly is 26 minutes away.

Curl Curl is a residential suburb. Behind the beach are the lagoon, playing fields, the two surf clubs and streets of houses; when we checked there was no hotel, hostel or guesthouse within an easy walk of the sand.

The nearest place to stay is Manly Waves Hotel at Queenscliff, the north end of Manly Beach. From there it’s about 2.1 km through Freshwater to the sand at South Curl Curl, 26 minutes on foot. Buses 166 and 167 also run from Manly.

26 min on foot from Manly Waves Hotel at Queenscliff, the north end of Manly Beach, 2.1 km through Freshwater.

How we measure. Walking time along the walking route on OpenStreetMap, door to sand, at an easy 4.8 km/h. Checked 9 October 2026.

Manly Beach on a sunny day, the Norfolk pines along the promenade and the sand curving north

Where to stay at Manly Beach

17 places to stay, each with its walk to the sand and the climb home. Real businesses; nobody paid to be listed.

See the Manly stays Maksym Kozlenko / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia

Which end?

The boardwalk around the rocks at South Curl Curl at sunset, the beach and headland beyond — South Curl Curl
The busier end, with a café, the South Curl Curl surf club (founded 1918) and a 50 m rock pool with a toddlers’ area, toilets and showers nearby. The council closes the pool on a cleaning roster. The best-known rip on the beach, the Garbage Bowl, runs at this end.
Ciara Ryan / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia

Curl Curl Lagoon running across the sand towards the sea under a blue sky — The lagoon
Curl Curl Lagoon runs out to the sea across the northern part of the beach. The shallow water at its mouth is where small children paddle and build sandcastles, but the council doesn’t recommend swimming in the lagoon itself.
Walmaul / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia

The North Curl Curl rock pool at sunrise, the headland dark against an orange sky — North Curl Curl
Good swimming and bodyboarding at the north end, near the North Curl Curl surf club (founded 1922). Round the end of the headland is a 25 m rock pool; at high tide you can only reach it on the coastal walk over the headland, and the council doesn’t clean it because access is difficult.
matthewwu88 / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia

A Curl Curl rock pool from above, cut into the rock platform with waves breaking around it — A rock pool at Curl Curl from above. The nearest beds are 26 minutes south, in Manly.
Diego Tonello Neves / Pexels

Know before you go

How do you get to Curl Curl?

From Manly. Buses 166 and 167 run from Manly. On foot it’s about 26 minutes from Queenscliff, the north end of Manly Beach, through Freshwater.¹

From the city. There’s no train. The 165X express runs between South Curl Curl and Wynyard in the city, or take the ferry to Manly and a bus from there. Plan the trip on the Transport NSW trip planner.^1,2

By car. There are car parks at both North and South Curl Curl: free with a Northern Beaches Council parking permit, pay-and-display without one. Both have disabled spaces.^3,4

From the airport. By public transport it’s the train to the city and then the 165X, or the ferry to Manly and a bus. Most people with luggage take a taxi or rideshare.

Is Curl Curl Beach safe?

Is Curl Curl patrolled? In the season. Most Northern Beaches beaches, Curl Curl included, are patrolled by council lifeguards for 32 weeks between September and April, with volunteers from the North and South Curl Curl surf clubs on weekends and holidays. Swim between the red and yellow flags.^5,1,4

Rips There are several rips at any one time. The most notable, the Garbage Bowl, is at the southern end of the beach.^6,4

The lagoon The council doesn’t recommend swimming in Curl Curl Lagoon.³

Water quality after rain Check Beachwatch for the daily pollution forecast before you swim after heavy rain.⁷

With kids

The shallow water by the lagoon mouth at North Curl Curl is good for paddling and sandcastles. South Curl Curl’s rock pool has a toddlers’ area, with toilets and showers nearby. Out of season (May to August) there are no flags: stay in the pools.

The catch

Nowhere to stay near the beach. The nearest beds are a 26-minute walk away in Manly.
Rips: several at any time, and the Garbage Bowl at the south end.
Not patrolled from May to August.
No dogs on the beach (there are off-leash areas nearby).
The North Curl Curl pool isn’t cleaned by the council and is hard to reach at high tide.

Quick answers

Where can I stay near Curl Curl Beach?: In Manly. The closest place we found is Manly Waves Hotel in Queenscliff, at the north end of Manly Beach, a 26-minute walk through Freshwater. There’s no hotel or hostel near Curl Curl Beach itself.
Is Curl Curl Beach patrolled?: Yes, in the season: council lifeguards between September and April, and surf club volunteers on weekends and holidays. Swim between the flags.⁵
Does Curl Curl have a rock pool?: Two. South Curl Curl has a 50 m pool with a toddlers’ area; North Curl Curl has a 25 m pool round the end of the headland, reached at high tide only by the coastal walk.^8,9
Can you swim in Curl Curl Lagoon?: The council doesn’t recommend it. Swim in the sea between the flags, or in the rock pools.³
Is Curl Curl dog friendly?: Not the beach: dogs are prohibited. There are two off-leash areas close by, at Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve (with access to the lagoon) and Adams Street Reserve in John Fisher Park.³
How long is Curl Curl Beach?: About 1.2 km, divided into North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl.⁶
How do you get to Curl Curl from the city?: Take the 165X express bus from Wynyard to South Curl Curl, or the ferry to Manly and bus 166 or 167. There’s no train.¹
Is Curl Curl good for surfing?: Yes. It faces east-southeast and the waves average about 1.6 m. The surfing is best in front of and south of the lagoon, in north-easterly winds.^6,3