This is one of the most private places to bathe in all of Sydney. The cliff-side swimming spot, built in 1886, is also known as McIver's Baths. The view is stunning, the water is salty fresh and shark-free, and there’s a couple of strips of grass at the top of the cliff where you can set up solar panel-style with a book, or you can unfurl your towel down on the rocks.
It’s "girls only", and the mix of people there is wonderful and rare: kids with mums, gal pals, lesbians, women whose religion forbids them bathing in front of men… Some girls go topless, but there’s none of the leary culture you might get on a main beach: it feels like a safe space, a little haven. It costs $2.50 to get in – you just chuck it in the bucket as you enter, or tap your card as you exchange a smile with one of the nice volunteers sitting under a brolly at the entrance.