Bronte Baths is a free saltwater pool cut into the rocks at the southern end of Bronte Beach, open since 1887. It has a marked lap section of about 30 m inside a larger, irregular pool, with toilets, change rooms and hot showers nearby.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Length
- 30 m
- Good to know
- Kids area, Showers, Change rooms
- Facilities and access
- Shallow section for children; changing rooms and showers nearby; on the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
- Managed by
- Waverley Council
- Cost
- Free
- Public transport
- Buses from Bondi Junction; on the Bondi to Coogee walk
- Best time to go
- Early mornings, not Wednesdays
- Water quality
- GoodBronte Beach, 0.2 km away. Sampled 21 Oct. Source: NSW Beachwatch.
- Cleaning
- Closed Wednesdays for cleaning, starting 4 hours before low tideCouncil roster entry: Wednesday 28 Oct (weekly pattern). Times change with weather and tides.
- Town
- Bronte, NSW
What it's like
The baths sit on the rock platform below the southern headland, with the open sea breaking just beyond the wall. Inside, a rectangular section of about 30 m has marked lanes for lap swimming, set within a larger, curving pool, so lengths vary depending on where you swim. Waves wash over the outer wall in a swell, and the water is unheated, dropping to around 15°C in winter.
The baths opened in 1887, built for about £150, with entry then costing fourpence for adults. They were privately run until the 1960s and are now looked after by Waverley Council. They are also known as the Bond Ocean Pool, after lifesaving pioneer Major Bond.
When to go
Open every day except Wednesdays, when cleaning starts about four hours before low tide: from 5am if low tide is in the morning, or 10am if it is in the afternoon. Early mornings are for lap swimmers and winter swimmers; summer afternoons are busy.
Getting there and facilities
The baths are at the southern end of Bronte Beach, below Bronte Park. Toilets, change rooms and hot showers are close by, and the park has barbecues, a playground and cafes across the road. Buses run from Bondi Junction, and the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk passes the baths.
Good to know
Entry is free. The rocks around the edge are slippery, and waves can come over the wall without warning in a big swell.