# Gunnamatta Bay, Cronulla, Sydney

URL: https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/gunnamatta-bay/ · Region: Sutherland Shire · Facts checked: 2026-10-09

The quiet side of Cronulla: a sheltered bay with netted tidal baths, a park under the gums and the wharf for the Bundeena ferry. No surf, no lifeguards, and no beds: those are 13 minutes away on the ocean side.

Gunnamatta Bay has no hotels, hostels or guesthouses at the water. The closest beds are the beachfront hotels at Cronulla Beach, a 13-minute walk (about 1 km) across the town. The bay has large netted tidal baths with a small sandy beach beside Gunnamatta Park: no waves, so good for children and laps, but not patrolled by lifeguards.

At a glance: 13 min walk from Cronulla Beach · no lifeguards · netted tidal baths, no waves · ferry to Bundeena.

## Nowhere to sleep at Gunnamatta Bay. Cronulla Beach is 13 minutes away.

Gunnamatta Bay is the harbour side of Cronulla, on Port Hacking. Along the eastern shore are Gunnamatta Park and Darook Park, the tidal baths and the wharf where the Bundeena ferry leaves. There’s nowhere to stay on the water.

The nearest places to stay are the hotels facing Cronulla Beach on the ocean side. From Rydges Cronulla Beachside, the walk through Cronulla Mall, through the tunnel by the station and down to the baths is about 1 km, 13 minutes.

Gunnamatta Bay is a 13 min walk (1,010 m) from Rydges Cronulla Beachside, facing Cronulla Beach, across town through Cronulla Mall and past the station. Walk = walking time along the walking route on OpenStreetMap (not driving), door to sand, at 4.8 km/h. Every place to stay at Cronulla Beach, with its walk to the sand and climb home: [Where to stay at Cronulla Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/cronulla/) ([Markdown](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/cronulla/index.md)).

## What’s there

- **The tidal baths.** Large netted swimming baths with a small sandy beach, beside Gunnamatta Park. The bay is sheltered, so there are no waves: the council pitches it for children and for laps. The water to the left of the baths can hold stingrays; shuffle your feet as you wade in.
- **The park and the pavilion.** Gunnamatta Park runs along the shore under tall gums, with an amphitheatre and the Gunnamatta Pavilion. The pavilion was built in 1939, and its original parts are heritage listed. Its public toilets, change rooms and showers serve the baths.
- **The wharf.** A ferry runs from the wharf on Gunnamatta Bay across Port Hacking to Bundeena, a village on the edge of Royal National Park. It’s the easiest way to get from Cronulla into the park.

## How to get to Gunnamatta Bay

- **From Cronulla Beach.** Walk across the town: through Cronulla Mall, past the station and down to Gunnamatta Park. About 1 km, 13 minutes, from the hotels facing the beach.
- **From the city.** Take the T4 line to Cronulla, the end of the line. Gunnamatta Park is on the bay side of the station. Plan the trip on the Transport NSW trip planner. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Cronulla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronulla,_New_South_Wales); [Transport NSW trip planner](https://transportnsw.info/trip))
- **By car.** There’s on-street parking along Nicholson Parade. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))
- **To Bundeena.** The ferry to Bundeena leaves from the wharf on Gunnamatta Bay and crosses Port Hacking. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Gunnamatta Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnamatta_Bay))

## Is Gunnamatta Bay safe?

- **Is Gunnamatta Bay patrolled?** No. Sutherland Shire Council says the baths and the beach are not patrolled by lifeguards. The nearest flags are on the ocean side, at Cronulla Beach. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths); [Wikipedia: Cronulla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cronulla,_New_South_Wales))
- **Is it safe for kids?** It’s about as calm as Sydney water gets: the baths are netted and there are no waves. It still isn’t patrolled, so stay with them. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))
- **Stingrays** The council warns that the water to the left of the tidal baths may have stingrays. Shuffle your feet as you go in to scare them off. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))
- **Water quality after rain** Check Beachwatch for the daily pollution forecast before you swim after heavy rain. (Sources: [NSW Beachwatch](https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/))

## Is Gunnamatta Bay good for kids?

- Netted baths with no waves: one of the gentlest swims in Sydney.
- No lifeguards, so stay in the water with them.
- Shade under the gums in the park, and toilets and showers in the pavilion.

## The downsides

- No lifeguards. The closest flags are on the ocean side at Cronulla Beach.
- Nowhere to stay on the bay. The beds are across town at Cronulla Beach.
- Stingrays in the shallows beside the baths.
- No surf, if that’s what you came to Cronulla for.
- No dogs on the beach or in the baths.

## FAQ

### Where can I stay near Gunnamatta Bay?

In Cronulla. The nearest hotels face Cronulla Beach, about a 13-minute walk across the town. There’s no accommodation on the bay itself.

### Can you swim at Gunnamatta Bay?

Yes. The tidal baths are large and netted, with no waves. They aren’t patrolled by lifeguards. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))

### Are there sharks at Gunnamatta Bay baths?

The baths are netted. The council’s warning for the bay is about stingrays in the water to the left of the baths: shuffle your feet as you wade in. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))

### Are dogs allowed at Gunnamatta Bay?

Not on the beach or in the baths. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))

### Where do you park for Gunnamatta Bay baths?

On the street along Nicholson Parade. Cronulla station is close by if you come by train. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))

### Are there toilets at Gunnamatta Park?

Yes. Public toilets, change rooms and showers are in the Gunnamatta Pavilion. (Sources: [Sutherland Shire Council: Gunnamatta Bay tidal baths](https://www.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/play-and-explore/beaches-and-waterways/ocean-pools-and-tidal-baths/gunnamatta-bay-tidal-baths))

### Where does the Bundeena ferry leave from?

From the wharf on Gunnamatta Bay in Cronulla. It crosses Port Hacking to Bundeena. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Gunnamatta Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnamatta_Bay))

### What does Gunnamatta mean?

The name was given in 1899 and means “sandy hills”. It was first the name of the suburb; in 1908 the suburb became Cronulla and Gunnamatta stayed with the bay. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Gunnamatta Bay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnamatta_Bay))

## Nearby beaches

- [Cronulla](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/cronulla/): 13 minutes across the town to the ocean side
- [Bundeena](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/bundeena/): by ferry from the wharf, across Port Hacking
- [Wanda](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/wanda/): north along Bate Bay, on the ocean side

Ask a local: enquiries@sydneybeachside.com.au