Travel Guide: A Stunning Day Out from Sydney in Watsons Bay

The cosmopolitan harbour city of Sydney, Australia is one of the biggest and most happening places in all of Australia. I’d spent a full week there and felt like I’d only scratched the surface. 

One of my favourite days was when we hopped on a ferry and headed to Watsons Bay, an eastern seaside suburb of Sydney.

Located on the South Head peninsula, Watsons Bay offers stunning ocean views with the Sydney CBD skyline further out in the background, fisherman boats anchored at the harbour, busy bays and beaches, and a string of restaurants and bars that have become an institution of the city.

Picture perfect views of small fisherman boats of Watsons Bay

How to get to Watsons Bay: 

1. Ferry from Circular Quay

This is the option we took, as a short 20 minute ferry brings you to Watsons Bay, passing by unparalleled views of the Tower Bridge, Sydney Opera House, the CBD and big cruise ships from the waters. 

We got a fast, new ferry, so we headed for the open air deck on the top for unrestricted views of the journey. 

2. Bus from Bondi / Bondi Junction 

Another option is to take the 380 bus from Bondi, though I can’t imagine the journey will be terribly exciting. 

3. Car

If you’re driving in Sydney, the trip will take you about half an hour as you make your way through the suburbs further east.  

What to see and do in Watsons Bay: 

As you arrive in Watsons Bay (by ferry), you’ll immediately be greeted by a row of restaurants, cafes and bars.  

Dishing out fresh seafood and modern Australian fare is Doyles on the Beach, as well as Watsons Bay Beach Club which is where we headed to. 

The latter was chock full of well-dressed groups of Sydneysiders and their families and friends. Watsons Bay and the neighbouring Vaucluse suburb has a reputation for being more upscale and it was definitely a lively and brilliant atmosphere.

Of course, apart from grabbing some grub and enjoying cocktails and tunes, Watsons Bay has many coastal walks. The brilliant thing is that Watsons Bay is pretty compact, making it easy to get around on foot. 

Paradise in Watsons Bay

The best walk starts at the Gap lookout, with sweeping views of the waves crashing into the rocky cliff edges of the shore. The cliff walk in the direction of the head of the peninsula ends at Hornby Lighthouse. 

If laying on a beach is more your speed, head to Camp Cove Beach, a sheltered bay with a view of the Sydney CBD in the back drop. Mind, this isn’t an empty or secluded beach by any measure, as it’s a pretty popular spot for families and sunbathers as waters are calm and the sand is fine. 

Just another day at Camp Cove

Given that Watsons Bay is as beautiful as it was that day on a clear, sunny day, as you can imagine I took about a billion photos, including those you see in this post as well as those still sitting on my hard disk drive.  

I turned a picture I snapped at Camp Cove into one of my postcards from Series 001 and you can get it here! 

Get my other cards, notebooks and tumblers of my entire Sydney trip at the shop too!