Tucked into the southern end of Avalon Beach, the Avalon Rockpool is a photogenic, wedge-shaped ocean pool with a shallow toddler pool right beside it, so paddlers and proper swimmers can share the same patch of coast. Backed by a playground, a skate bowl and one of the best cafe villages on the Northern Beaches, it is the kind of spot where you can swim, scoot and eat without ever moving the car.

Why We Love It

• Separate toddler pool a shallow section beside the 25m rockpool means the littlest swimmers get calm, contained water while older kids take the deeper end.

• Ocean pool, not open surf the rockpool gives you sheltered saltwater swimming away from Avalon's rips and shore dump, a big confidence-builder for nervous swimmers.

• Built-in plan B for non-swimmers a playground and skate bowl sit right behind the sand, so you can split the group without leaving the beach.

• Refilled by the tide the pool flushes with fresh seawater on the swell, so it stays cool and clean on hot days.

• Laid-back peninsula vibe Avalon is quieter and less touristy than the southern beaches, an easier outing with small kids and a pram.