# The best Sydney beaches for snorkelling

URL: https://sydneybeachside.com.au/best/snorkelling/ · Facts checked: 2026-10-09

Shelly Beach at Manly is the best snorkelling in Sydney for most people: sheltered, fairly shallow and inside a no-take marine reserve. Gordons Bay, next to Coogee, has a 600 m underwater nature trail. Clovelly is calm and patrolled all year. None of them except Clovelly has lifeguards.

How we ranked: Ranked on how sheltered the water is and how much there is to see, then on how close a bed is.

## 1. Shelly Beach

Sheltered, fairly shallow, and inside the Cabbage Tree Bay no-take reserve since 2002: a good first snorkel. Manly’s beds are a 15-minute walk.

The catch: No lifeguards.

Where to stay: No beds here; closest is 15 min walk away in Manly. [Shelly Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/shelly-beach/)

## 2. Gordons Bay

Calm water and a 600 m underwater nature trail, 8 minutes’ walk from Coogee’s north end.

The catch: No lifeguards, and steps on the way down.

Where to stay: No beds here; closest is 8 min walk away in Coogee. [Gordons Bay](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/gordons-bay/)

## 3. Clovelly Beach

Calm water in a narrow inlet, patrolled all year.

The catch: Small, and busy on hot weekends.

Where to stay: 5 places to stay; closest 11 min walk from the sand. [Clovelly Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/clovelly/)

## 4. Long Reef Beach

An aquatic reserve since 1980, with a big rock platform.

The catch: Rough water and strong rips; no shark net. For experienced swimmers only, on calm days.

Where to stay: No beds here; closest is 27 min walk away in Dee Why. [Long Reef Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/long-reef/)

Walks are walking times, door to sand, along the OpenStreetMap walking route at 4.8 km/h. Nobody paid to be listed.