There are surfers bobbing in the water off Avoca Beach waiting and watching for when the sets hit and they are in position to catch a wave from the point. This popular beach also has a beach break, with lefts and rights suited to most skill levels. Follow the stream of people pouring along the sand at Avoca Beach at sunrise where it’s peak hour year-round. Avoca Beach is an all-rounder for water activities and a must-visit on your list of best beaches on the NSW Central Coast. Bring your KeepCup to Becker & Co. so you can wander across the road from the café and enjoy your brew with a view. The beach is patrolled from late September to late April.

Hire a few paddleboards from Bombora Ettalong Beach SUP, which is the home of SUPball, a popular game that originated in Manly. Divide your family members into teams to have a crack at this emerging water sport, which combines the skills of netball with water polo and lacrosse while balancing on a paddleboard. The beach has a mellow vibe with a foreshore pathway that connects all the way to Umina with beautiful views across to Broken Bay. Dine at the Box on the Water at the end of the day’s play.

Macmasters Beach is a popular destination for Sydneysiders looking to escape the city as it’s calm and peaceful and away from the bustle. One of the most popular things to do at Macmasters Beach is swim in the 17-metre-long rock pool, which is barnacled to the Bouddi Peninsula beside Bouddi National Park near a picnic ground and cafe. You can also swim between the flags at the southern end, which is patrolled by lifeguards between September and April. Macmasters Beach is also a popular spot for surfers, suiting everyone from beginners to advanced.

If you’ve got a spare $8 mill, you might well ponder a move to Pearl Beach, which shares a peninsula with Patonga. It’s impossibly pretty. There’s a rockpool at the southern end, which is a calm spot to swim and watch seagulls strutting around. The serene cove with the pearl-white sand faces Broken Bay and has a natural botanic garden at one edge that is laced with bush trails. The arboretum is home to rare plant species, natural flora and local swamp wallabies. Dust the sand off your feet and head to Amalfi at Ettalong Beach, one of the best waterfront restaurants on the Central Coast. The beach is not patrolled by lifeguards.

Putty Beach is one of the most popular beaches with locals on the Central Coast. And, like a seagull onto a hot chip, they’re all over it for the fishing, swimming and snorkelling. Putty Beach is also the starting point for Bouddi Coastal Walk, where you will likely find kindred spirits with a love of nature. Escape the crowds and set up camp at Putty Beach Campground. Or base yourself at Bells at Killcare where the onsite offerings include The Wild Flower Bar & Dining and Bells Day Spa.

Pack a Tupperware of watermelon so you can enjoy the cold chunks of fruit after a morning spent dunking in and out of the sea. Shelly Beach is patrolled during the warmer months and has a grassy area that is perfect for those who love the beach but hate being schnitzelled in crumbs of sand. Shelly Beach is one of the most popular beaches for surfing on the Central Coast. Pick up a coffee from Flour & Co. so you can scope out the best place for a surf. Shelly Beach is near to The Entrance, Long Jetty and Bateau Bay. Extend your stay at the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort.

Tallow Beach at Box Head is a wild, rugged stretch of sand that rewards the intrepid with spectacular sunrises and surf. Pitch your tent above the high tide line at Tallow Beach so you can be lulled to sleep by the song of the sea. Set off for a dawn walk as the sun starts to smudge the horizon and the outstretched branches of the trees are lit up in a soft light. If your instant coffee is not cutting it, you can swing by Woy Woy or Gosford for a perfect little piccolo and piece of cake. Tallow Beach is not patrolled by lifeguards.

The ultimate list of best beaches on the NSW Central Coast must include Toowoon Bay for families with young kids. The sheltered 700-metre beach at Toowoon Bay is calm and sheltered and perfect for a gentle swim in its turquoise waters. Stand with the water lapping your ankles watching a white-bellied sea eagle wheeling above on a thermal air current. Build some sandcastles with the kids. Or inflate your paddleboard so you can glide across the bay. Wait until your exhausted toddlers start dragging their feet and then plot the fastest course from the beach to the surf club for a fruit-filled smoothie and iced latte. Kick back at Kims Beachside Retreat.

Umina Beach, patrolled during summer, stretches for some three kilometres. And it’s a dreamy spot when a day at the beach is calling. Umina Beach has a dog-friendly section, a beachside café serving breakfast and lunch and picnic tables and BBQs. The beach also lays claim to having the biggest playground on the Central Coast, which makes it one of the most family-friendly beaches on the Central Coast. Get the heart pumping with a walk to Mt Ettalong Lookout, which boasts panoramic views of Broken Bay. Terrigal Ocean Tours runs a range of eco-tourism experiences in Broken Bay.

You will see a snapshot of local lifestyle with a wander up and back Wamberal Beach in the early morning when locals parade past, on their way for a swim or a surf. Wamberal is north of Terrigal and has an off-leash area for dogs that extends from Surfers Road to Pacific Street. Wamberal Beach also has a Sand Cruiser wheelchair available for bookings from the Wamberal Surf Club. Wambie, as it is affectionately known, has consistently good surf. Follow the yawning mouth of the estuary into Wamberal Lagoon, near a nature reserve, which is a calm place for less experienced swimmers to enjoy a paddle.

The headland rises up to meet the sky at Norah Head Lighthouse, a landmark attraction on the NSW Central Coast that offers panoramic coastal views. The beach has pristine white sands, reliable surf and crystal-clear waters. It’s patrolled during the warmer months and is one of the less-crowded beaches on the NSW Central Coast. Hit the trifecta of a surf, swim and beach walk and maintain that 10,000 steps a day streak by schlepping to Kraken Kiosk for milkshakes and burgers. Hire a SUP from Canton Beach Paddleshack on nearby Tuggerah Lake foreshore, just a short drive away.

Clothing is optional at Birdie Beach, a four-kilometre-long stretch of sand overlooking the protected Bird Island Reserve. The nudist beach is bookended by the green-capped flanks of Wybung Head and Budgewoi Peninsula. It’s a great spot for surfing and snorkelling and near to scenic trails such as Palm Circuit Track and Moonee Beach Trail. The rock pools at Moonee Beach are like mini aquariums adorned in Neptune’s necklace and filled with octopus, small crabs and shells. Stay at Freemans Campground, one of the best places to camp in NSW. If you want to get your gear off, look for the ‘Unclad Bathing’ sign. The Central Coast’s only nudist beach is not patrolled by lifeguards.

Lobster Beach, on the Traditional Lands of the Darkinjung Nation, is secluded and scenic. The beach is tucked into a pocket of bushland on the headland of Box Head, which forms a dramatic backdrop to the beach. Access the sheltered beach on foot via the Flannel Flower Walking Track, or via kayak, when the water is as smooth as syrup. Listen for the violent screech of black cockatoos, arguing in the trees, and inhale the smell of eucalyptus, ferns and seasonal flowers in bloom. The beach, which is uncrowded and calm, is not patrolled by lifeguards. If you have an aversion to roughing it, stay at Pretty Beach House on the spectacular Bouddi Peninsula.

There are beautiful natural rock pools puddled on the southern end of Frazer Beach. Visit at low tide, when the inhabitants are all home and you can play spot the starfish, limpets, octopus and shore crabs. Frazer Beach is enveloped by Munmorah State Recreation Area and is at the northern end of NSW’s Central Coast. It’s a secluded beach with a picnic area and has one of the best campgrounds in NSW for enjoying a serene beachside retreat.

Pelican Beach, or ‘Pelos’, as it’s affectionately known, is tucked away at the northern end of Wyrrabalong National Park. Hit the road early so you can get to the lookout at the end of Pelican Beach Road at dawn to check the surf and identify where the best waves are rolling in. If it’s Flatsville, Tennessee, dig a hollow in the sand and enjoy a swim or spot of fishing. Head to Green Tangerine in nearby Long Jetty for coffee and cake; it’s one of best cafes on the Central Coast. Pelican Beach is not patrolled.