Your Guide To Visiting The Famous Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay

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I only started paying attention to Hyams Beach after seeing it splashed across a billboard at a train station in Sydney.

In front of me was this pristine looking beach with incredibly clear water, powdery white sand and a beautiful natural backdrop jumping out at me.

The advert was pretty convincing, I said to Caz, “We have to visit that beach!”

So we packed up our car and our beach gear and set off for what has been described as one of the best beaches in Australia and famous for having the whitest sand in the world.

Here’s what we found…

Where Is Hyams Beach?

Hyams Beach is located in the Jervis Bay National Park of New South Wales, just 180 km south of Sydney (about 2.5 hours drive).

It’s located just outside Booderee National Park, which is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the entire region, such as Murrays Beach and Greenpatch Beach.

The nearest big town is the city of Shoalhaven.

We visited Hyams Beach when we drove along the south coast of NSW on our 18-month Australia road trip. On this trip, we drove from Sydney north towards Brisbane.

We stayed in Huskisson, which is 15 minutes to Hyams Beach, but many people also choose to stay in Vincentia which is next door to Hyams Beach.

How to Get to Hyams Beach

The best way to get to Hyams Beach is to walk. The beautiful White Sands Walk takes you past the beautiful white sandy beaches of Booderee National Park, from Vincentia along the coast and ending at Hyams Beach Village.

The trail passes several beautiful white sand beaches along the way, such as Nelsons Beach, Blenheim Beach, Greenfield Beach and Chinaman’s Beach. It’s a great bird spotter’s walk and is a great place to do some birdwatching.

Not to mention you can stop for a picnic at the Greenfield Beach Picnic Area which is quieter than Hyams Beach.

The short walk takes about 1.5 hours depending on how long you stop at each beach.

If you don’t walk, there is parking right next to the beach.

Our Experience at Hyams Beach

So it turns out that Hyams Beach is famous. The Guinness Book of Records reports that Hyams Beach has the whitest sand in the world.

I didn’t know you could get whiter than at Whitehaven Beach in Queensland, but the sand at Hyams is definitely fine, soft and pretty damn white.

Not to mention it drops into stunning crystal-clear waters, and when you have clear sky, it’s like walking into a hall of mirrors, everything is so white.

We were one of the first to arrive on the beach. Being the Sunday of a long weekend in the summer (the busy periods for beaches), and knowing how popular Aussie beaches get, we wanted to get their early to secure a parking spot and to beat the midday heat.

After all, the beautiful sands of Hyams Beach is one of the region’s most popular natural attractions.

But what we’ve discovered, and now love about the south coast beaches, is that they aren’t heavily populated like Sydney and north coast beaches, and they aren’t surrounded by over development.

Hyams Beach is a quiet beachside town (population of just 290) with no monstrous apartment blocks shading the beach by midday like at Surfers Paradise.

And, you can easily find a spot on the sand to lay your towel, unlike Bondi.

What To Do At Hyams Beach

One of the main reasons we love visiting Hyams Beach, aside from its beauty, is that it’s such a family beach.

It also has all the amenities families need, such as bathrooms with toilets and showers.

Swim and Play in the Ocean

The water being clear and the waves being gentle makes for great swimming (although a little chilly at this time of year) and the sand soft and clean makes for easy playtime.

Kalyra and Savannah absolutely loved it.

The shoreline slopes gradually so you can paddle if you’re not strong swimmers.

Go Wildlife Spotting

Hyams Beach is a great place to see marine life in Jervis Bay Marine Park, which is often home to dolphins, penguins, seals and humpback whales in the migration season (June to November).

It’s usually better to take a boat tour out to see them from the seaside village, as it can sometimes be hard to spot them from the shore.

Go Kayaking or Stand-Up Paddle Boarding

You can rent kayaks, paddle boats and stand-up paddle boards from Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages, which is located on the northern side of the beach.

If you are not experienced with kayaking or stand up paddle boarding, you can also book lessons from here.

Go on Snorkeling

Hyams Beach is a great place for a snorkel. Because the beach is protected by the bay, you can find several species of fish in the waters here, from Blue Gropers, Rockfish and even little stingrays.

If you want to do some diving, you will find dive tours leave from Huskisson.

Walk over to Seaman’s Beach

If you’re thinking Hyams Beach is a little crowded, it’s a short walk around Hyams Head Lookout to Seaman’s Beach, which is a little beach hideaway that offers more privacy and seclusion than Hyams.

Hang Out at Hyams Beach cafe

Whether you visit Hyams for just an hour in the morning, or spend half a day there taking it all in, finish off your time by heading to the nearby cafe for breakfast, lunch, or simply a great coffee and cake!

Places to stay near Hyams Beach

The nearby town of Huskisson offers ample accommodation options for all budgets, plus lots of nice cafes.

We stayed in a cabin at Jervis Bay Caravan Park overlooking the river.

Here are some holiday rentals in Hyams Beach you may want to stay in:

• Located in Hyams Beach, a 3-minute walk from Hyams Beach and one mile from Greenfield Beach, 24 Hyam Road Hyams Beach has accommodations with air conditioning and access to a garden with a grill. See prices and availability here.
• Located in Hyams Beach, just a 2-minute walk from Hyams Beach, Sea and Salt Hyams Beach has beachfront accommodations with a garden and free WiFi. See prices and availability here.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Hyams Beach

I’m happy to say that impression the billboard in Sydney made on me became a reality. I’m blown away by how stunning Hyams is. Why have I not been here before? Why have we ignored the shores of the Jervis Bay region for so long?

I know one thing, this part of the south coast is definitely underrated and underappreciated, and maybe they need a few more of those billboards around the place.

Then again, maybe we should keep it quiet as that’s part of the appeal of Hyams and the Jervis Bay area.

Definitely, add it to your must-visit list of places when you visit the south coast of NSW.

Hopefully, we have done our part to inspire you to spend a day on Hyams.

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