Little Bay Beach, Sydney
A small, semi-circular cove at the bottom of a timber staircase, 14 km from the city. Calm water most days, dangerous rocks either side, and no beds: the nearest is a pub hotel at Maroubra.
Little Bay has no hotels, hostels or guesthouses. The nearest place to stay is the Southend Hotel, a pub with rooms at the south end of Maroubra, 50 minutes (about 4 km) away on foot; most people come by bus or car. The beach is sheltered and usually calm, patrolled by council lifeguards only in summer.
At a glance
- 14 km south-east of the CBD
- lifeguards in summer only
- steep stairs down to the sand
- no dogs
Nowhere to sleep at Little Bay. The nearest bed is in Maroubra.
Little Bay grew up around the old Coast Hospital, later Prince Henry Hospital. Since the hospital closed in 2001 the site has become housing, with golf courses either side of the beach. We found no hotel, hostel or guesthouse in the suburb.
The nearest accommodation business we found is the Southend Hotel, a pub with rooms at the south end of Maroubra, about 4 km and 50 minutes away on foot. In practice, people staying in Maroubra or Coogee get here by bus or car.
50 min on foot from the Southend Hotel at the south end of Maroubra, 4.0 km south along the streets near Anzac Parade.
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.
Where to stay at Maroubra Beach
1 places to stay, each with its walk to the sand and the climb home. Real businesses; nobody paid to be listed.
See the Maroubra stays Nick-D / CC BY-SA 4.0, WikimediaWhat’s there
The beach
A semi-circle of sand, the last real sand beach on this stretch of coast before Botany Bay. It’s protected from the big swells, which makes it popular for swimming and snorkelling, and with families.
阿道 / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
The rock ledges
The rocks to the north and south are well-known fishing spots, and dangerous ones. Rock fishers have drowned here: two in July 2024 and a man swept off the rocks in April 2025. A ring of rocks forms an old bathing pool, built in the early 1900s.
Kloowee / CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia
Prince Henry, at the top
The Coast Hospital started here as a camp during the 1881–82 smallpox outbreak and became Prince Henry Hospital in 1934. The War Memorial Chapel still overlooks the bay, and there’s a café in the Prince Henry Centre near it, at the top of the stairs.
Sardaka / CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia
Little Bay from above. The beds are back at Maroubra, or further north in Coogee.
Maurice van Creij / CC BY 3.0, WikimediaKnow before you go
How do you get to Little Bay?
From the city. There’s no train. Several bus routes serve Little Bay, from the city, Redfern, Bondi Junction and UNSW. Plan the trip on the Transport NSW trip planner.1,2
By car. Turn off Anzac Parade into Pine Avenue and park on the street. The beach is down a steep timber staircase from there.3
From Maroubra. About 50 minutes on foot from the Southend Hotel, mostly through the streets. A bus along Anzac Parade is quicker.
From the airport. There’s no direct train or bus. Most people with luggage take a taxi or rideshare.
Is Little Bay Beach safe?
Is Little Bay patrolled? Only in summer. Council lifeguards first patrolled it in the 2023–24 season; last season they were there from 9 am to 5 pm, 6 December 2025 to 3 April 2026. Outside that, it’s unpatrolled.3,4,5
Is it dangerous? The beach is sheltered, but the rocks either side aren’t. The council counts five water-related deaths here between January 2022 and late 2025, including rock fishers swept off the ledges. There are emergency beacons and defibrillators at the beach. Stay off the rocks in any swell.4
Asbestos on the beach Pieces of material containing asbestos, mostly fibre cement sheeting, have turned up regularly at Little Bay since August 2020. The council inspects and removes what it finds. Don’t pick anything up.3
Water quality after rain Check Beachwatch for the daily pollution forecast before you swim after heavy rain.6
With kids
Sheltered and usually calm, with lifeguards in summer. The staircase down is steep: hard work with a pram. Toilets and change rooms are about halfway down. Keep children off the rock ledges either side.
The catch
- Nowhere to stay in Little Bay. The nearest bed is the Southend Hotel in Maroubra, 50 minutes away on foot.
- Steep timber stairs are the only way down to the sand.
- No lifeguards outside the summer season, and the rock ledges have claimed several lives.
- Asbestos fragments still turn up on the beach.
- No dogs, no alcohol and no glass.
Quick answers
Where can I stay near Little Bay?
- There’s no accommodation in Little Bay. The nearest place we found is the Southend Hotel in Maroubra, about 50 minutes away on foot. Coogee has the most hotels and hostels near a beach in this part of Sydney.
Is Little Bay Beach good for swimming?
- Yes, inside the bay: it’s protected from large swells and usually calm. It’s patrolled only in summer, and the rocks either side are dangerous.3
Is Little Bay patrolled?
- In summer only. Last season, council lifeguards patrolled from 9 am to 5 pm between 6 December 2025 and 3 April 2026.3
How do you get down to Little Bay Beach?
- By a steep timber staircase. Turn off Anzac Parade into Pine Avenue; there’s street parking at the top.3
Is there asbestos at Little Bay?
- Pieces of material containing asbestos have been found regularly since August 2020. The council keeps inspecting and removing visible material and is working on longer-term remediation.3
Is there a café at Little Bay?
- Yes, in the Prince Henry Centre near the chapel, at the top of the beach.3
What was Prince Henry Hospital?
- It began as the Coast Hospital, a camp for the 1881–82 smallpox outbreak, became Prince Henry Hospital in 1934, and moved its services to Prince of Wales Hospital in 2001. The site is now mostly housing.1
Nearby beaches
Also close: Malabar (the next beach north).