One of Newcastle’s most stunning stretches of sand, Stockton Beach has been hailed with the Friendly Beach Award in this year’s Sydney Water Clean Beaches Awards.

The accolade recognises the holiday hotspot as the State’s most pristine, safe, welcoming and family-friendly beach environment, alongside joint winner City Beach in Wollongong.

Only a five-minute ferry ride or 20-minute drive from Newcastle’s CBD, Stockton Beach is a peaceful, clean and relaxed coastal retreat. Its relatively sheltered waters are patrolled for 37 weeks of the year by professional lifeguards, making it suitable for family swimming and learning to surf.

A great beach destination for visitors and locals alike, Stockton Beach offers spectacular views across the Stockton Bight, great picnic and catering facilities, wheelchair access, large covered barbeque areas, toilet and change room facilities, and ample parking at no cost.

Stockton Beach and its surrounds offer a variety of interesting attractions, such as flora and fauna walks promoting the area’s natural heritage including both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The area also has a strong historical link to the past, as the site of more than 100 shipwrecks, one of which can be explored via a fascinating self-guided signposted shipwreck walk.

Stockton Beach is one of a string of charming coastal destinations in Newcastle. There are six patrolled beaches located within five kilometres of the city centre, each with its own distinctive personality, including Merewether Beach, Newcastle Beach, Nobbys Beach, Bar Beach, Dixon Park Beach and Horseshoe Beach.

Newcastle is also home to several impressive saltwater ocean baths, including the largest baths complex in the Southern Hemisphere, Merewether Ocean Baths, and Newcastle Ocean Baths with its rugged pool structure and striking Art Deco façade.

Newcastle is known for its laid-back beach culture, paired with a cosmopolitan urban attitude. The city buzzes with events, entertainment, experiences and attractions, catering to a wide range of travellers, from adventurers and shopaholics, to wine and food connoisseurs and sun-loving families.