The Central Coast is renowned for its beaches but if you really want to know the best of the best, you ask a local. Here, Megan Arkinstall lets us in on her top 20.

Home to more than 40 beaches that occupy an 80-kilometre coastline, the Central Coast of New South Wales is the perfect summer holiday destination or mid-winter seaside getaway. But with so many strips of sand to choose from, where do you start?

Here, a guide to the best beaches on the Central Coast to suit sun seekers of all kinds – from water babies to surfing pros to people who just enjoy long walks along the sand.

Note: patrol season is from late September to late April

1. Avoca Beach

Patrolled

The hometown of many surfing greats, including Wade Carmichael and Adrian Buchan, it’s no surprise that Avoca Beach is popular for those chasing waves (even small kids on bodyboards and foam boards will love it).

But this two-kilometre stretch of golden sand appeals to all beach lovers, with a shallow rock pool and lagoon for kids to play about in, beach wheelchairs available and a rocky platform for fishermen. There is some great beachside dining including bar and restaurant Avoca Beach House, and Point Cafe located under the surf club, which is perfect for beach snacks and coffee.

You could easily spend an entire day here, but during the summer months, you’ll need to arrive early to nab a patch of sand as it can get really busy.

2. Toowoon Bay

Patrolled

A favourite with families, this 700-metre-long curved beach boasts calm turquoise water and white sand, perfect for little ones to splash about in the pristine shallows. The bay is sheltered by reefs, which means it’s also a great spot for snorkelling, as well as stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, while novice surfers enjoy the soft rolling waves. Toowoon Bay has wheelchairs and beach matting, which makes it easier for anyone with limited mobility to walk or ride their wheelchair or rollator on the beach.

Village Kiosk is a great cafe serving brekkie and lunch at the surf club, with complimentary beachfront views. The carpark is at the bottom of a hill and is small, so don’t be surprised if you have to park up the top or even a couple of blocks away when it’s peak summer season. The playground and grassy reserve at the top is also a great spot to enjoy picnics, barbecues and celebrations.

3. Soldiers Beach

Patrolled

Just south of historic Norah Head Lighthouse , Soldiers Beach is loved for its pristine white sand, clear water and reliable waves, which draw in the board riders year-round. There’s also a calmer swimming area for families and less confident swimmers. Beach wheelchairs are also available here for anyone with a disability.

The surf club is home to Dunes , a restaurant with a tapas-style menu and incredible views, and there’s a kiosk at the top car park that offers burgers, milkshakes and the like.

4. Wamberal Beach

Patrolled

Around the bend from buzzy (and often busy) seaside town Terrigal, you’ll find a golden-sand beach that’s much less crowded. It has an off-leash area for dogs and is a local favourite for surfing. Beach wheelchairs are available at this beach. The surf club has a cafe but we reckon you should walk less than a hundred metres down the road to Lagune, which serves up some epic coffee and focaccia sandwiches. Between Terrigal and Wamberal is Terrigal Lagoon, which is a popular spot for playing, paddleboarding and paddle boats.

5. Pelican Beach

Unpatrolled

Surrounded by Wyrrabalong National Park, Pelican Beach – or ‘Pelos’ as locals call it – is accessed via an unassuming road (Pelican Beach Road) off Wilfred Barrett Drive. This is true surfing nirvana for experienced board riders and, due to its relative isolation, is usually uncrowded and feels a million miles away. It’s a beauty, with an untouched white-sand coastline and crystal-clear water.

6. Umina Beach

Patrolled

The town of Umina is home to two patrolled beaches, Umina Beach and Ocean Beach, which occupy a 2.8-kilometre stretch of golden sand in Broken Bay. Both beaches are relatively calm for swimming and usually offer small waves, perfect for kids and novices learning to surf. Both beaches have their own surf clubs (Ocean Beach was the first surf club on the Central Coast) and kiosks. Beach wheelchairs and matting are also available. There’s a great walking path that runs from Ocean Beach to Ettalong Beach, perfect for strolls or taking the kids with their bikes and scooters.

Umina Beach is also home to the fantastic and family-friendly NRMA Ocean Beach Resort. It features an incredible kids’ playground and cafe, both within walking distance from the sand. Umina Skate Park is within a thong-throw of the beach and recently underwent an $8 million-dollar upgrade.

7. Frazer Beach

Unpatrolled

Located in Munmorah State Conservation Area, on some days, you may have secluded Frazer Beach to yourself. At 400 metres, this little patch of paradise packs a punch with striking turquoise water and white sand. Pack food and water – you’ll want to linger here. It serves up reliable surf, a calm lagoon and nearby bushwalking tracks for all-day adventures. There are picnic tables that overlook the beach, a campground and toilets, but no other facilities.

8. Shelly Beach

Patrolled

Stretching an impressive 1.5 kilometres, Shelly Beach is a great all-rounder beach. It attracts surfers of all abilities for its consistent beach break, a dog exercise section, small sand dunes for tumbling down and a great grass area up the top for picnics.

The surf club also has a restaurant upstairs and a cafe downstairs , which is a popular spot for coffee or a sun-drenched brekkie post-swim. Shelly Beach Golf Club  is one of the most spectacular golf courses on the coast for its ocean views, too.

9. Killcare Beach

Patrolled

This secluded seaside enclave is known by holidaymakers for two luxe guesthouses: Bells at Killcare and Pretty Beach House. Both charming and indulgent options for a weekender from Sydney. Down by the water, things are just as appealing: sweeping views towards Sydney’s Northern Beaches, uncrowded golden sand, a rockpool at the western corner for the kids to splash about in, and decent waves for surfers of all abilities – what’s not to love? There’s also a wheelchair available for hire so people with disabilities can fully enjoy the beach.

10. Macmasters Beach

Patrolled

Immediately south of Copacabana Beach, which is a magnet for surfers, Macmasters Beach is more of an all-rounder for beachgoers of all kinds. It has calmer conditions for young swimmers and those learning to surf, an ocean pool built in the 1960s, a great picnic spot with barbecues, an off-leash dog section and a fabulous kids’ playground nearby. Beach wheelchairs are available here.

11. North Avoca Beach

Patrolled

The northern stretch of Avoca Beach is a favourite of many locals, particularly for the rock pools that kids love to hop about on. Surfers of all abilities come here for the waves and it’s a dog-friendly beach too. It’s usually less crowded than its southern counterpart but come summertime locals and visitors alike will pitch their cabanas on the sand and settle in for the day. Parking can be a bit tricky.

12. Ettalong Beach

Unpatrolled

The quaint seaside town of Ettalong has a shallow and calm beach that is ideal for families, with views across Broken Bay and towards Box Head. Stand-up paddleboarding, fishing, boating and jet skiing are popular in the waterways around here.

There’s also a beautiful three-kilometre pathway that traces the foreshore from Ettalong to Umina, past The BOX on the Water, which is a great spot for a coffee or sundowners. There’s also an excellent beachside playground that the kids love.

13. Terrigal Beach

Patrolled

Perhaps the Central Coast’s most popular holiday spot, Terrigal is a buzzy seaside town with a host of restaurants, bars and accommodation. The beach itself usually has calm and gentle waves, so it’s popular with families. During summer it is filled with umbrellas and cabanas and parking can be a headache.

Terrigal is a scenic spot to take a beachside walk, its pathway running along the beach and around a cliff-hugging wooden boardwalk to Terrigal Haven. Here, kids will love fossicking in the rock pools and climbing up – and often rolling down – Terrigal Skillion, a steep headland that offers incredible views from the top. The Haven is also home to Terrigal Pavilion, a cool bar and restaurant that is perched on the water and perfect for an afternoon cocktail.

14. Pearl Beach

Unpatrolled

Sharing a peninsula with the sleepy beachside enclave of Patonga, Pearl Beach is the Central Coast’s southernmost beach and given its remote-ish location, it is much quieter than other beaches. Facing Broken Bay, the calm southern end is great for families. It’s also known for its 25-metre rockpool that was built into the cliffside during the 1920s.

There is a beautiful three-kilometre walking track that leads from Pearl Beach to Patonga Beach, through red gums and eucalyptus and includes a lookout. Before returning, you could stop at Boathouse Patonga for lunch and a drink, which is located across from the town’s tranquil bay.

15. Birdie Beach

Unpatrolled

This four-kilometre stretch of white sand lapped by cerulean waters is much loved by naturalists for its clothing-optional liberties. The Central Coast’s only nudist beach, Birdie is hidden within Munmorah State Conservation Area just north of the town of Budgewoi.

Hugged by craggy cliffs, it’s not only for perfecting an all-over tan, but also a haven for surfing and snorkelling. If you prefer to stay in your cozzies, make sure you keep an eye out for the sign that indicates the ‘unclad bathing’ section and head to the southern end instead.

16. Putty Beach

Unpatrolled

Tucked away within Bouddi National Park, near the town of Killcare, Putty Beach is a quiet beach surrounded by bushland. It is excellent for beachcombing and exploring its rocky platforms. There’s a camping ground here too, with barbecues and toilets. Putty Beach is the start of the breathtaking Bouddi Coastal Walk that traces the coastline for eight kilometres to MacMasters Beach.

17. Lakes Beach

Patrolled

In the northern town of Budgewoi, Lakes Beach is a wide sandy stretch that has a mix of breaks for surfing and a calmer section for relaxed swimming. There’s a surf club with a kiosk and The Anchor, a restaurant and cafe that has incredible 180-degree views of the beach.

Lakes Beach is a quieter spot with beach wheelchairs available. Just 500 metres north of the surf club, you can run your dog off-leash.

18. The Entrance Beach

Patrolled

People have been coming to this beautiful beach to swim, enjoy beachcombing and fishing for more than a century. The Entrance Surf Club was founded in 1922 and the heritage-listed Grant McBride Ocean Baths, which comprises a 50-metre pool and a childrens’ pool, were constructed in 1938. There are beach wheelchairs here so everyone can enjoy the beach no matter their mobility.

The Coast to Lake walk is a 7.6-kilometre mostly flat pathway that traces the coastline around The Entrance, stretching from the beach to Tuggerah Lake. The Entrance is surrounded by water and from the town you can hire a peddle-boat, kayak or paddleboard from The Entrance Boat Shed, throw a line in at the channel or join one of the free pelican talks that take place at 3:30pm every weekend.

19. Cabbage Tree Harbour

Unpatrolled

Park near Norah Head Beach Haus – a great spot for a pre- or post-beach coffee – and take the track across the road that leads through bushland, past the historic 1903-built Norah Head Lighthouse, and down a wooden staircase to Cabbage Tree Harbour.

This quiet spot comprises a sheltered bay that’s usually ideal for swimming, stand-up paddleboarding and snorkelling. There is also a rock pool that is great for kids to splash about in, too.

20. Bateau Bay Beach

Unpatrolled

This is a great place to start the Coast Walking Track in Wyrrabalong National Park, which is a six-kilometre walk that weaves through a forest between Bateau Bay and Forresters Beach. It traces clifftops with incredible ocean views and bush that is dotted with wildflowers in springtime. About mid-way, Crackneck Lookout is a lovely spot for a picnic and to watch the hang gliders and paragliders who take off from here.

Bateau Bay Beach is a curved beach with rockpools and usually gentle waves for swimming. It’s also a popular spot for fishing. Across the road, Bateau Bay Cafe is an excellent spot for a coffee or brunch post-dip.

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