Quiet places to relax in Sydney

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I’m a born and bred Brisbane girl but I’ve had a sister living in Sydney and have been fortunate enough to have had many visits there over recent years and boy have I fallen for the place.  It’s a beautiful city offering something for everyone.

Sydney is such an interesting city to visit, with iconic landmarks and tourist attractions, amazing dining and nightlife, along with a beautiful setting on the harbour. Sydney is, however, a big city, and like all big cities, the busy traffic, noise and crowds of people can be a bit much at times. It is good to be able to find a nice quiet spot to just relax for a few moments, to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and be with your own thoughts. If you’re visiting, a luxurious Sydney hotel can be a good place to go and relax, but there are also lots of wonderful quiet places to relax around the city, from parks to beaches and quiet buildings. Here are some quiet places to relax in Sydney.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Visiting one of Sydney’s picturesque greenspaces is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The Royal Botanic Gardens is one of Sydney’s oldest parklands and the oldest botanic garden in Australia. It stretches from the harbour, southeast of the Sydney Opera House, to connect with The Domain, next to St Mary’s Cathedral. The Royal Botanic Gardens is a haven for a diverse range of flora from all over the world, with a focus on plants from Australia and the South Pacific, all displayed in perfectly manicured gardens. There are many interesting parts to the garden and you are sure to find the perfect spot to relax, whether it is sitting on a quiet bench, taking a nap on one of the green lawns or watching the boats go by along the harbour. You can also relax with stunning views of the city, the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sydneysnapshots/8079400669/     

Hyde Park

The inner-city greenspace of Hyde Park is the perfect place to go to get a quick break from the busy city. You will always find people here on a warm sunny day taking an afternoon nap or relaxing on the grass with a book. The park is filled with beautiful gardens and monuments, including the ANZAC Memorial, where you can sit and remember the fallen war heroes. Hyde Park is also surrounded by some of Sydney’s most stunning historic buildings, including St Mary’s Cathedral and the Australian Museum.

Tamarama Beach

Bondi Beach is a great spot to visit, but being the most popular and well-known beach in Australia, it can get so crowded and busy at times that you will hardly feel like you have left the city. South of Bondi you can enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk. Between Bondi and Bronte, you will come across the tiny, picturesque Tamarama Beach, located in a little sheltered cove and surrounded by spectacular rocky headlands at each end. This little beach is a great place to relax on the sand, far away from the crowds of its busy northerly neighbour.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiborbkovacs/27591767726/

Shelly Beach

Another of Sydney’s most popular beaches is Manly Beach. If you follow the coastal path south from Manly, you will find another quiet little hidden gem – Shelly Beach. This little cove of sand and clear water feels a world away from the city and the busy beach to the north. The tiny cove here keeps the water nice and calm and sheltered, making it perfect for swimming, and the clear water and abundance of marine life makes it a great spot for snorkelling.

Chinese Garden of Friendship

Located in Darling Harbour, near Chinatown, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is the perfect place to go to get away from the city for an hour or two. This Chinese inspired garden is developed specifically to provide a peaceful place for the visitor, with beautiful architecture, plants, lakes and waterfalls. You will be hard pressed not to feel relaxed just by walking through this beautiful garden on your way to the darling harbour hotels. There is also an excellent teahouse here where you can relax with a cup of tea, some dim sum or something sweet.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wyncliffe/14076729710/

Observatory Hill

Another popular inner-city spot to get a quick escape from the hustle and bustle is Observatory Hill at Millers Point. Home to the Sydney Observatory, this natural high point is a nice quiet spot with parklands to sit and enjoy the amazing views of Sydney Harbour. From this vantage point you can get a unique view of the Harbour Bridge and west across Darling Harbour. This is the perfect spot to grab a takeaway lunch and escape the city for a moment.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

If you’re an art lover, escaping to a good art gallery can be a nice relaxing experience and a good way to escape the city. The Art Gallery of New South Wales is located within the picturesque parkland known as The Domain, just south of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and is one of the biggest art galleries in Australia. The gallery has an excellent collection of artworks by Australian and international artists, and often hosts special exhibits.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/superciliousness/239147174/

Nielson Park

Located in the harbour side suburb of Vaucluse, Nielson Park is a beautiful spot to relax right on the harbour. The park provides stunning harbour views westwards to the CBD, and there are large areas of grass to relax on with a book or a picnic lunch. There is a sandy beach here known as Shark Beach to paddle around in. For an even quieter beach, walk a couple of minutes south along the water from Nielson Park to the tiny Milk Beach – a lovely little secluded spot which is perfect for watching the sunset over the city.

Camp Cove & South Head

Watsons Bay is another nice harbour side suburb to visit in Sydney. Camp Cove is a lovely sandy beach perfect for swimming and paddling around in the harbour water. You can reach the beach by walking north from the ferry terminal in Watsons Bay. For a relaxing walk, take the path north to South Head, where the Hornby Lighthouse watches out over the point where Sydney Harbour meets the Pacific Ocean. This is a wonderful spot to sit and watch the waves roll in against the cliffs.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brontelockwood/26683403886/

State Library of New South Wales

Sometimes the best way to relax is by escaping to a quiet place with a good book to read. The State Library of New South Wales, located just south of the Botanic Gardens, is a beautiful old historic building with an incredibly diverse library of books. Find a quiet nook and get lost in a good book for a few hours. 

Visiting one of these quiet and relaxing spots can be a great way to break up your busy tour of Sydney. Even if you just need a quick lunchtime escape, you won’t have any trouble finding a quiet spot to relax in Sydney.

Ciao for now,

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