Coogee or Maroubra?
Stay in Coogee if you want a choice of hostels and hotels by the sand. Stay in Maroubra if you want a bigger, quieter surf beach and have the Southend Hotel or a holiday rental booked: it’s the only accommodation business we found within walking distance.
Side by side
| Coogee | Maroubra | |
|---|---|---|
| From the city | 8 km · bus | 10 km · bus |
| Lifeguards | All year | All year |
| Places to stay on our page | 19 (hotels, apartments, hostels, guesthouse) | 1 (hotel) |
| Within 5 min walk of the sand | 9 | 0 |
| Closest bed | 1 min walk | 8 min walk |
| Hostels | 3 | None |
| Cheapest rate seen | Under $100 | $100–200 |
| Known for | Ocean baths, the pub, the coastal walk | Big surf, a locals’ beach |
Walks are walking times, door to sand, along the OpenStreetMap walking route at 4.8 km/h; not driving. Prices are bands from one nightly rate on Google Maps, checked by 9 October 2026. Real businesses only; nobody paid to be listed.
Choose Coogee if
- You want choice: hostels, hotels and apartments, many one to five minutes from the sand.
- You want a sheltered bay and rock pools rather than big surf.
- You want to be a little closer to the city: about 8 km, against Maroubra’s 10.
Choose Maroubra if
- You surf: Maroubra became a National Surfing Reserve in 2006, the second in Australia.
- You want a locals’ beach: a kilometre of sand in a residential suburb, quieter than Coogee.
- You’re happy with one option: the Southend Hotel, a pub with rooms an 8-minute walk from the sand, about $100 a night when we checked.
Getting between them
Maroubra is the next big beach south of Coogee. The coastal walkway runs between them, past Lurline Bay.
Quick answers
Is it better to stay in Coogee or Maroubra?
- Coogee if you want a choice of hostels and hotels by the sand; Maroubra if you want a bigger, quieter surf beach and have the Southend Hotel or a holiday rental booked.
Are there hotels at Maroubra Beach?
- Very few. When we checked, the Southend Hotel, an 8-minute walk from the sand, was the only accommodation business within walking distance.
Are Coogee and Maroubra patrolled all year?
- Yes. Randwick Council lifeguards patrol both all year round.
More match-ups
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