Of all the major cities in the world, there is perhaps only Brazil's Rio de Janiero that has a natural harbour as iconic and spectacularly beautiful as Sydney. Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is a magnificent backdrop to Sydney; it is the location of Australia's most internationally recognised buildings - the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Taronga Zoo, and all are best viewed from it.
There are a number of islands in the harbour, some are open to visitors, all played an important role in Sydney's colonial past. Historic fortifications with gun placements and tunnels, built in the days when Australia was no more than a colonial outpost of the British Empire, occupy prominent headlands of the harbour, and are open to explore. Lookouts at various points up and down the harbour shores give different perspectives of the city.

Many pockets of natural bushland are scattered around the harbour's 240 kilometres of shoreline, most are accessible by walking tracks, making the harbour foreshores a walkers' paradise. It is possible to walk around much of the harbour's edge, and to picnic, relax or swim at a wide choice of diverse settings, all within a relatively short distance from the city centre.

Note: as the lower sections of the Lane Cove River and the Parramatta River are perceived as being part of Sydney Harbour, they have been included here, though technically they are not part of the Harbour.

Harbour highlights

Sydney Harbour is where a large number of Sydneysiders choose to spend their leisure time. On a warm sunny day, the harbour is a vibrant blue and dotted with hundreds of yachts, cruisers and ferries. Along its shores, walkers take leisurely strolls through tracts of rainforest, stopping for a dip at a secluded beach or to view the flora and fauna; amateur fisherman dangle a line; families picnic and children splash in its calm waters as boats pass to and fro. From early morning until late at night, ferries and pleasure craft take partygoers and diners on cruises around the harbour, taking in many of its bays and coves. Evening cabaret/dinner cruises often come with live music and a dance floor.

Circular Quay, at the bottom end of the central business district, is the hub of Sydney Harbour. The Harbour Bridge and Opera House stand as sentinels on either side of the entrance to Sydney Cove, which is the terminus for harbour ferries and harbour cruises. Circular Quay railway station, right above the ferry terminals, is the hartbour's main access point to Sydney's railway network.

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