Penrith Beach is Sydney’s newest place to cool down and play this Summer! Get together with family and friends to enjoy this safe, clean and fun space. With opportunities for water sports like paddleboarding and enough space to set up beach volleyball and picnics along the shoreline, there’s something for everyone.
The gentle waves make it a safe spot for children to splash around, and the soft sand is perfect for building sandcastles. Pack a picnic, bring some beach toys, and make memories together this Summer. Penrith Beach is certainly a hit and it’s a sensational spot that you need to visit this Summer!\
Before you set off for Summer fun, please read these water safety tips
Penrith Beach
With the idyllic Blue Mountains backdrop, Penrith Beach is one of a kind. It is definitely appreciated by locals who have long needed a safe place to bring the family to swim or splash. The water at Penrith Beach is refreshing but warm enough for the kids to enjoy for hours.
What We Love About Penrith Beach
This amazing new fresh water beach exceeded our expectations! It was such an easy, safe and fun experience. Here’s why we highly recommend you take a visit to this incredible new beach:
There’s plenty of space
Penrith Beach is huge! With a 1km stretch of sand, there is plenty of space to fly a kite, play badminton, have a family picnic, birthday party and throw a frisbee!
In the water, there is a set patrolled section for swimming and space outside of that for a variety of other non motorised water activities.
It’s clean
The sand and water are clean at Penrith Beach (granted it was only day one of being open, but let’s hope it stays clean!). Also, it is a goiod idea to check the water quality before you head to the beach, especially after rain.
Gentle waves and slope into the water
The water in the dedicated swimming zone at Penrith Beach gradually reaches up to 5 metres deep but thankfully there are no sudden drops in the level of water. The gentle slope allows children to play where they feel comfortable on the shoreline or further in, depending on their height and swimming ability and there are no rough waves to scare the kids.
You can bring a variety of fun floaties
There are various opportunities for recreation at Penrith Beach. Due to the gentle water lapping the shoreline, many families bring colourful floaties and tubes to enjoy. Some people even enjoy experiencing stand up paddle boarding and kayaking outside of the main swimming area.
Lifeguards
Penrith Beach is patrolled by at least three lifeguards in the designated swimming zone, adding extra sets of eyes to make sure everyone is behaving and keeping safe.
The Sunset
Because Penrith Beach faces the west, the sunsets are spectacular!
Views
Take in the view of the picturesque Blue Mountains as you rest, swim and watch the kids play. Facing the beautiful Blue Mountains makes this spot even more special than any regular beach.
Accessibility
There will eventually be accessibility features at the beach (some not yet available), including mats to allow wheelchairs to fully submerge in the water and a pathway that runs to the beach’s edge and will have a beach wheelchair for use and access mat into the water. Penrith Beach currently has allocated accessible parking accessible bathrooms.
Food
Bring a picnic or visit Wholegreen Bakery Café which is on site for your convenience. To help keep the beach clean, please take everything you bring with you home.
The Downsides
There is not much to complain about here – this new space is fantastic! However, there are a few things to keep in mind when visiting Penrith Beach, mainly that it is not finished yet. The beach opened early in anticipation of a hot Summer ahead, which means there are a few things that need fine tuning. Here’s what we observed on the first day of opening:
No shade (yet)
No shade is provided so bring your own shade, such as umbrellas and tents. Hopefully, in time, trees will be planted to provide some natural shade along the beach.
Bins
There did not seem to be any proximate bins around so be prepared to walk a fair distance to discard your rubbish or take it home with you.
Toilets
The beach has temporary toilets, including two accessible toilets, as well as changing rooms. This is great, but they are located too far away on the furthest side, preventing many people on the north side of the beach from accessing them easily.
No sea shells of sea critters
The first question our four year old asked when we arrived was, “Mummy, do you want to go and find sea shells with me?” Sadly, I had to explain that there are no shells to be found at Penrith Beach.
You will also not be able to explore for sea critters, but you might spot a few fish in the water, and some migratory birds including a big family of black swans and a small family of pelicans in quiet times.
Goose droppings
The lakes are a popular spot for geese so occasionally you may notice some poop washing up on shore.
Showers
Currently, there are no showers to rinse off after you visit to Penrith Beach. The fresh water of the lake is lovely anyway but some children may need to go home a little sandy!
Other points to note…
- There is no scooter, bike or roller skating path (yet),
- The shuttle buses are not wheelchair friendly.
- No pets are allowed,
- No barbeques or fires allowed,
- No powered watercraft allowed,
- No fishing.
- Don’t get lost! Pop ‘Penrith Beach’ into your GPS. It is NOT located at the Regatta Centre. It is a few kilometres further up north. Here is the Google Map.
Opening Days and Times
Penrith Beach is open every day from 7am to 7pm from Tuesday 19 December 2023 to Sunday 3 March, 2024. It will be closed on Christmas Day.
Parking at Penrith Beach
Parking is FREE and easy. It is just a one minute walk across the carpark and some grass to arrive at the beach. Penrith Beach is only accessible by car and a pre-booked parking pass is required to be presented at the gate upon arrival to allow entry. You only need to book one parking pass per car.
Unfortunately, those without a parking pass will not be able to enter into the beach but once you book your place, you can park all day at Penrith Beach! All-day parking passes must be booked online. Pre-book here.
Parking passes are released every three days, so keep an eye out for the next release!
Shuttle Bus To and From Penrith Beach
FREE Shuttle buses run hourly from Penrith Station from 11am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. A pre-booked shuttle pass is required to be presented to board the bus. Remember, you will need to book a pass in your preferred time slot to be picked up from the station, and another pass for the return trip.
Return buses run every hour from the beach to Penrith Station from 11.30am until 4.30pm.
You need to book one pass per visitor and you can book two visitors at one time, so grab a friend and head to the beach!
Book your free shuttle bus tickets here
Where Can I Find Out More?
Penrith Beach is located as part of Western Sydney Lakes on Castlereagh Road at Castlereagh, just north of Penrith (view map). It runs next to the Nepean River and is part of Western Sydney Lakes.
Check out the Penrith Beach information page on the NSW Government website here.
Penrith Beach may not be as famous as other beach destinations and may have a few choice nicknames thrown around, but its idyllic setting, potential for a wide range of fun water activities, and family friendliness make it a gem worth discovering.
We hope that you and your family enjoy this amazing space this Summer. Let us know in the comments below your thoughts and feedback.
Well done I live in the central west will be checking this out