Its hot, time to think swimming pools in Sydney. This page features pools that are on the bike trails of Sydney. Probably a good idea to start riding from the pool if you can so you can finish off with a relaxing swim and then hop on the train or in the car.
Checklist for swimming pools
- Pub bike if you are worried about theft
- Bike lock
- Togs or boardies
- Towel
- Shampoo
- Thongs
- $ 10 to get in and a drink
- Bike pants or spare undies
- Swim goggles
- Sun rashies like here at the Cancer Council
- Keys
- Phone (ok you don’t need it to swim)
- Bluetac or ear plugs (this is my trick for keeping the yukky stuff from getting in my ears)
- Train pass or bus pass
- If you are swimming on Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour or the beaches, go at high tide
All the pool photos are going to appear here first >>
Note: In my Google maps, you need to tick the Pools and Stations check box in the legend to see all the pools on the maps.
Ocean Pools
Kyeemagh Beach
A bay swimming area protected by shark nets that faces Sydney airport. I like that the sand is white and it slopes gently into bay, kids and oldies seem to like it too. You will need to lock your bike to wooden fences or carry 50m down the beach. The car park nearby would only ever be full on a hot weekend so it is a great place for a park ride swim. Showers are at the Kiosk and bring your thongs. Quite a good swim and find a few white fish for snorkeling near the nets.
Near the entrance to the Cooks River >>
Brighton Le Sands
This is probably the place you think of when you want to swim on Botany Bay. Good netted area and showers and a cafe right on the beach. Bike parking should be fine, there are so many cyclists camped there having coffee most of the day. Parking your car is not easy this is a Ride-Swim-Shower-Ride place. See the Tempe to Captain Cook Bridge page
Find in on the Botany Bay maps >>
Ramsgate Beach Nets
Not a bad spot for a Park-Bike-Swim. Netted area is fine for a dip and there is reasonable parking around. Then you can ride to Arnfcliff and back or down to the Captain Cook bridge.
Find in at the end of Presidents Avenue >>
Sandringham Net Pool
A really great place to Park-Ride-Swim on Botany Bay. Pool is deep, easy to park your bikes with a light chain, easy shower and a net to protect you from the sharks that never do anything anyway. Park at the end of Ida St which will be empty all week and probably OK on the weekends. Called Vanston Baths as well. See the Brighton to Cook Bridge page
Find it in Sans Souchi on the Bay map here >>
Kurnell Net Pool
If you head to Kurnell instead of Cronulla, you will ride down a designate bike zone on the side of the busy Captain Cook Drive. I recommend Sunday early as there are lots of riders. Once in Kurnell, the Netted area in Botany Bay is really good. The sand is white, the slope is gradual and its really big. A very good place for a Park-Ride-Swim
Find it at the entrance to the Bay here >>
Cronulla Beach and Pools
North Cronulla is officially the end of the bike trail. The rock pools are popular and the beach is really nice. Your choice. If you want to park-ride-swim, there are a lot of free parks to the north. On really hot days, get there early. See the Cronulla page
Find it at the south-east end of the Bay trail here >>
Little Bay – Prince Henry’s
The little bay beach is on the Malabar bike loop. This involves a ride around the quiet roads in Malabar and prince henry. Pictured is Malabar. If you want to learn this area, BIKEast in eastern Sydney do a regular ride along the coast.
Find it at Prince Henry’s near La Perouse >>
Mahon Rock Pool
Great rockpool, great for a salt water swim and a sunbake to dry off at the end. There is a strong cold water shower and you can ride to the bottom of the hill using the path on the north side. Beware of a couple of sea urchins on the bottom of the pool and take care on big surf days. Great pool.
A good tactic for bike riders is to park near this pool, ride down to Maroubra beach, across and around Heffron park and back. Finish off with a swim in the rockpool See Heffron – Maroubra park
Find it at the north end of Maroubra >>
Balmoral Beach and Chinamans Beach
Two great beaches in the Mosman area. That means, ride down hill have a swim ride up hill. Nearest public transport with a bike is the Zoo Ferry. Bring a bike lock.
River and In the Harbour Pools
Marrinawi Cove
A new harbour pool at Barangaroo that would be terrific at high tides. Even has an outdoor shower and a toilet Find it here near Walsh Bay
Bayview Park – Concord
Bayview Park Baths in Concord is a charming spot along the narrow Canada Bay cycle path. Recently reopened in November 2023 after significant upgrades, the park now features a new swim site with a swimming safety net and an outdoor shower. The baths were originally closed in 1969 and demolished in the 1990s, but the area has been revitalized to provide a safe and enjoyable swimming environment. The park itself is nestled along the picturesque Parramatta River. Easy to get to on the narrow Canada Bay cycle path. Map link
Manly Cove Beach and Little Manly Beach
A beach with a shark net right next to the wharf to go back to town. Sounds like a swim and ferry home idea.
Little Manly Beach will require a little climbing but you can have a go on the swing as well.
Penrith Beach
Just putting this out as a teaser. Called Pondi
You will have to cycle past the regatta centre and I doubt the road will be good for teenagers. Looks like a dam beach in central nsw somewhere.
https://westernweekender.com.au/2023/11/penrith-to-get-its-very-own-beach-this-summer/
Local Pools
Prince Alfred Park Pool
Luxurious lawns and a lot of umbrellas, bike racks at front easily visible, water crispy clean, showers and lockers, a small shaded spray area for kids. Entry fee.
Find it next to Central Station here >>
Boy Charlton Pool
Sensational photogenic setting. Best if you ride to the pool as the parking costs are 6$ an hour nearby. Take a good bike lock. Take your googles, we found the salt and chlorine a bit much without them. Its a lap swimming pool with a small heated pool for the kids. Its a must do swim and you can watch the Australian Navy whilst you are there. Right near Lady Macquaries Chair which is the end of the 220km Greater Sydney Bike Trail
Find it near the Opera house here >>
Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre
Just behind the inner Sydney Powerhouse museum at the northern end of The Goods Line lies a very good indoor swimming centre. When you lock up your bike outside on one of the many bike racks, you will find a great 50m lap pool that is always 27degrees celcius, a shallow kids pool and a hot hydrotherapy. The place is well maintained and I like the mix of chlorine. This is the sort of pool you go to when you don’t want to get burnt or in winter. Parking nearby seems to be open slather in a few streets before 9am but then the dreaded meters kick in.
Find it on the Goods Line near Central Station >>
Victoria Park Pool
Next to Sydney University in Victoria Park is a decent enough 50m pool with some nice garden areas and deck chairs and outside showers. Outside the centre are some bike racks near the entrance. Summer only pool and it seemed to allow free swimming and play for kids in two lanes which is not always the case in some of the other pools.
Find it near Sydney University >>
Gunyama Pool – Zetland
A new pool as of Feb, 2021 very near to the Zetland Library. Soon it will be a straight forward connection but for now you need to see the map here Read more about it on the Gunyama website here
Des Renford Leisure Centre
The Des Renford Leisure Centre has eight outside lanes in the big pool, two other shallow covered outside pools and then two 25m heated pools inside and a big gym.
Find it at in Heffron Park in Maroubra >>
The Malabar Ocean Pool
This one is terrific, easy to park near, safe to just lay your bike next too, deep, pretty and comes with an outside shower. You could also use this as your start and end point for a walk around the new Malabar Headlands walking loop. See the Heffron park page
Find it at just next to the Randwick Golf Course >>
Botany Aquatic Centre and the hidden beach
The Botany aquatic centre is a big pool complex with a lot of grass and trees. You can get to it using the new path on Botany road from Mascot and using the bridge over the railway from Pagewood on Banksia St. This is a great shortcut as it can be a lot faster than using the car.
The hidden beach is Foreshore beach. You rarely see any one swimming there but it looks decent. I would use ear plugs in case the water is polluted. You get to it on a bicycle using the pedestrian bridge over foreshore drive from Sir Joseph Banks Park.
Pools I Rode Past But Didn’t Swim
Boy Charlton Manly
This looks like a pretty good indoor pool. See the Manly – Seaforth Page for ride
Find it on the North Sydney Google Map >>
Ryde Aquatic Centre
A short climb up shared paths and footpaths from Putney is the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre. This would make a good park-ride-swim place as you can pedal up the fantastic trails on the north side of Parramatta River and down around Olympic Park and then cool down in the swimming pool.
Looks like a pretty good place for kids. See the Mortlake Ferry page
Find the pool just north of Putney on the River >>
Sydney Olympic Park
Just a great pool complex and lots of fun on hot days for the kids. Olympic Park page here
There is also a wave pool in the park.
Drummoyne Pool
Pretty good fifty metre pool on the edge of the super Iron Cove bike trail. Bring a bike chain and best to come mid week as the trail is really busy on the weekend. See the Iron Cove page
The Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre
Situated in Enmore Park, this swimming complex looks like a pretty good pool and the path I have chosen from Redfern to the Cooks River Cycleway goes right past it. See also the path from Glebe to Enmore Park here >>
Mt Annan Leisure Centre
Situated on the main cycle paths of Narellen and Mt Annan is the Mt Annan Leisure Centre. Looks like a high quality swimming pool that locals will know about but do they cycle there ?
Find it at the purple crosspaths on this map >>
Como Pool
Mark McDougall pointed out that there is a 20m swimming pool at Como next to the Rail Trail bridge. There are time limits so don’t go too late. See on map here >>
Need a drink ?
Need a bike ride in the Eastern Suburbs, try BIKEast here >>
Cabarita Olympic Pool
Right on the Parramatta River, could be a great plan to park nearby, go for your ride and then return for your swim. See on this map >>
Birrong Pool
Just north of Muluga Park you will find the Aquatic Centre. There are paths through the two parks and the best trail to the Dunc Gray Aquatic Centre passes Muluga Park. class=”map-link” Find it on the Sydney Map here
Enfield Pool
In the parks in Enfield, not so easy to get to but the bicycle may be the way to avoid car parking issues on a hot day. Its actually on the fastest mostly road trail from the city to Liverpool See the aquatic centre on the map here
North Sydney Swimming Pool (CLOSED for a 100 million buck renovation)
100 million bucks and the renovation is still going. Just down the hill from the stairs where the Sydney Harbour bridge cycle path ends at Milson’s Point Station is a heritage swimming pool in the worlds best location. Its called the North Sydney Swimming Pool and there is a kids paddling area, a pool that is mostly used by lap swimmers and a shorter heated pool under cover.
The showers are in a change shed that is antique and there is really cold fresh water by the side of the pool. Its filled with a combo of salt and chlorine and the pool is covered at night to keep the heat in. I actually liked doing laps here and everyone was quite friendly. There are places to lock your bike outside but you will not be able to watch your bike from the pool.
If you want to drive your car, there is system where you can pay for your parking in the street and if you purchase a ticket to the pool, you can get your money back on the parking once you are inside. Find their website for more. You have to swim this place once.