Mona Vale and Warriewood beach are less crowded than other beaches in Northern Beaches. It gives you a sense of being in the middle of nature with spectacular cliffs surrounding the beach. It offers many things, from rockpools, paragliding, fishing and spearfishing, and good long coastal walks.
Mona Vale and Warriewood beaches are in the same stretch of sand, divided by a big cliff in the middle. During the low tide, you may walk across to the other beach.
There is small separate section of Mona Vale called Basin Beach which offers small waves along the rocks near the pool for longboarders.
It’s easy to access if you come from the western Sydney suburb. Mona Vale Road is generally not busy and has a long 80-90km zone without traffic lights. If you are catching public transport B-line bus from Sydney city runs directly to Mona Vale.
Access and Parking at Mona Vale Beach.
There are 4 access points for Monal Vale Beach. A large car park in the far north of the beach, allowing direct access with 10 stairs. This is paid parking zone, 10 dollars an hour except for people with a Northern Beaches Parking Permit.
As you walk up the beach, there is small street parking with beach access. Another main entry is in the middle of the beach, in the middle of the cliff right next to the Mona Vale Hospital. This is 4 hour – unlimited parking zone but gets filled up early in the morning with hospital staff.
Access and Parking at Warriewood Beach.
There are 2 car parks for Warriewood beach.
This is Beach front parking, 10 dollars an hour. If you have the Northern Beaches parking permit, it’s free. There are roughly 50+ parking spots, and this quickly fills up. Except on good summer days, parking isn’t too much of a challenge.
You may park up the hill next to the shops, opposite Sunrise Cafe. There are limited spots with 2 hours limit, but finding a spot is usually okay. It’s only a 5-10 minute walk to the beach.
Snapshot of Mona Vale and Warriewood Beach.
| Mona Vale Beach | Warriewood Beach | |
| Types of Waves | Beach Break with rocks | Beach Break with rocks |
| Best Swell Direction | NE, SE | NE and N |
| Best Wind Direction | W, N, NW | W, S, SW |
| Current/Rip | Can be strong with large waves. | Can be strong with large waves |
| Best Swell size | 2-5 ft | 2-5 ft |
| Surfers’ Level | Intermediate-Advanced | Intermediate-Advanced |
| Crowd density | Low | Low |
| Localism | Low | Low |
Pros and Cons of Surfing At Mona Vale and Warriewood Beach
| Pros | Cons | |
| Mona Vale | Less Crowd, Easy Parking | Dumping waves, Strong shore breaks, may not be ideal for little children. |
| Warriewood | Less Crowd is, Great option when other Beaches are overpowered by Southerly swell. | When it gets sound waves, it gets a little crowded. However, it still is nowhere close to Manly or Freshwater Beach. |
Likely due to poor bank shapes, Mona Vale Beach waves are mostly a very short ride. It has a lot of punch in the waves, but the ride is typically less than half of what you would get at North Narrabeen.
The best parts of the beach for surfing are the North side near the rock pool and the South side of Warriewood near the rocks.
Shark Attacks At Mona Vale / Warriewood Beach.
There was one recorded shark attack At Mona Vale Beach in 2010. The attack occurred while a father was pushing his son on a wave. The victim suffered a laceration and believed it was a small shark.
Please see here the full details of Shark Attacks in Sydney
Other Activities to do at Mona Vale Beach.
Mona Vale Rockpool.
This beautiful rockpool has both adult and toddler areas. The adult side is 30 metres long. It’s pretty shallow and not very crowded, so great place to cool yourself down on hot summer days. The toddler’s pool is a little pool right next to the adult pool with some sand at the bottom, and you may see some little sea creatures inside.
Mona Vale Headland Park.
Park near the Mona Vale Hospital, and you will be at one of the highest points on the Northern Beaches overlooking the ocean. Plenty of happy dogs are on his hill, and you often see paragliders flying across the ocean and cliff.
There is also a paved walking path extending down to the north side of the beach and towards Warriewood Beach.
Playground.
This is a decent size playground with a small scooter-riding track suitable for toddlers. It’s right next to the northern side central car park.
Mona Vale Golf Course.
You can’t beat this golf course’s ocean view and well-looked-after grass.
It’s a public club, and fees are around 50 dollars for 9 holes and 70+ dollars for 18 holes depending on the days.
Is Mona Vale Beach suitable for Swimming?
Mona Vale and Warriewood Beach are patrolled throughout the year between 9 am-5 pm. It’s a long stretch of beach, and you much swim between the flags. With a strong shore break, the bank shape can be irregular and change without realising it. Always watch your children and do not go in if you are unsure.
Cafes Around Mona Vale and Warriewood Beach
There are several popular Cafes on the Northern side of Mona Vale Beach. All of them are loved by locals and well worth your time and a buck.
