A weekend in Sydney can be enough to soak up its open character... and leave you wanting more
DAY 1
08:00 a.m. Start the day with a good breakfast at The Grounds of the City (500 George Street) , in the heart of the city's commercial and financial district. Their tarts They are second to none and, in addition, it has many options without gluten and/or lactose.
Take advantage of the fact that you are in Australia, since there you can have breakfast as if every day were Sunday.
9:00 a.m. Discover their historic shopping arcades, they are like a trip to the past in a time machine.
**The Queen Victoria Building** (455 George Street) or **The Strand Arcade** (412-414 George Street), 19th century, hide tailor shops, flower shops or stationery shops under its stylish balustrades art Deco, luminous glass domes and Renaissance arches.
10:00 a.m. Walk to the quintessential icon of Sydney, the **Opera House** to admire and photograph it from every angle.
In 2007, UNESCO declared it World Heritage and today it is the most modern building in the world that has obtained this recognition.
In the same area, stroll through the **Royal Botanical Gardens**, a green oasis of dozens of hectares where there is always something to do, apart from, of course, discovering some of its more than 8,000 species of plants: gardening, drawing, poetry workshops or outdoor yoga classes.
The Opera House, the quintessential icon of Sydney
11:00 a.m. Join a guided tour of the Australian Museum of Contemporary Art (140 George Street) to immerse yourself in its permanent exhibitions of contemporary Aboriginal art, collections of prints and paintings by emerging artists, or temporary sculpture exhibits. Access is free.
1:00 p.m. spend a few hours in Bondi Beach, one of the most popular coastal areas of the Australian city. After having lunch in Preach Cafe (Shop 1/112-116 Campbell Parade, Bondi), go to Icebergs Club (1 Notts Avenue, Bondi), where the photogenic seawater pools in which you can bathe for 7 dollars. Access to the sauna is included in the price.
After the dip, swap flip flops for slippers to start the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, a walk of about 5 kilometers, always by the sea, which runs through several beaches where you can make a pleasant stop to watch the waves: Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly or Gordons Bay.
You will also pass through recreational areas with electric barbecues where Australians organize their traditional meals outdoors or by the Waverley Cemetery , which has stunning views of the sea.
6:00 p.m. Once in Coogee, settle into the terrace of the **Coogee Pavilion** (169 Dolphin Street, Coogee) , an old pavilion with Mediterranean touches, converted into restaurant with cocktail bar and rooftop with electronic music sessions every Sunday evening.
8:00 p.m. Back in the city, dine at one of the restaurants at ** The Argyle ** (18 Argyle Street) , housed in an 1820 building that is now one of the epicenters of Sydney nightlife.
this vibrant leisure space with several cocktail bars that overlook an effervescent patio, also offers outdoor cinema Y a different party every weekend.
11:00 p.m. . The night goes on Ivy Pool Club (320 George Street), the place to be seen. This rooftop pool belongs to Ivy, Sydney's entertainment empire and one of the city's biggest nightclubs.
If you prefer a more alternative and local atmosphere, Newtown is your area: there you will find nightclubs with live indie music perfect for the most late-nighters, since some open until 4 in the morning.
DAY 2
9:00 a.m. Give yourself a tribute in the form of breakfast or brunch in Two Sis , a small charming cafe located in the central neighborhood of Pyrmont (306 Harris St.).
You will want it all: their matcha green tea pancakes, their colorful juices or their Benedict eggs with smoked salmon on brioche bread. Warning for Instagrammers: everything is beautiful there.
10:00 a.m. Browse through the stalls fish market , in the bay of blackwattle , which opens every day from 7 in the morning.
This bustling market attracts locals and tourists and is the perfect place to buy and taste fresh fish or seafood every morning.
1:00 p.m. If you get hungry and haven't succumbed to sushi, lobster rolls or barramundi - a typical Australian fish - at the Fishmarket, listen to the recommendations of other travelers and have lunch at ** Social Brew ** (224 Harris St.), Sydney's highest rated coffee shop on Trip Advisor.
Don't miss her quinoa salad with cranberries, walnuts and raisins with roasted pumpkin or its vegetarian panini with grilled vegetables, halloumi cheese, hummus and pistachio pesto.
3:00 p.m. Stroll through **Darling Harbour**, one of the most atmospheric areas of the city. This recreational and pedestrian port concentrates a great variety of restaurants and terraces.
If you are traveling with children, you will be interested to know that in this area there are the aquarium and the zoo.
4:00 p.m. If you keep walking past Barangaroo, which has an impressive natural reserve of several hectares, you will arrive at TheRocks, a quaint shopping area of labyrinthine alleys overlooking the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Art galleries, souvenir shops, tea rooms or historical bookstores are crowded into this neighborhood, which is the oldest in the city. On weekends, its lively market attracts thousands of people.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge from the Barangaroo Reserve
5:00 p.m. take the ferry at circular quay address Watson's Bay and get ready to see the Opera House from another spectacular perspective.
But first, buy yourself an ice cream at ** Messina **, one of the best ice cream parlors (Italian, of course), in Sydney. In 15 minutes you will arrive at your destination: a small fishing village with several beaches, attractive slopes where you can have a picnic or hiking trails.
Once there, and after a dip in Lady Bay (a small nudist cove), walk to the hornby lighthouse before the sun goes down and stay to watch the sunset from there: you will be able to contemplate one of the best views of Sydney over the sea, with its skyscrapers on the horizon.
8:00 p.m. End your second day with a cultural plan: catch a performance by the ** Sydney Theater Company ** or a concert at the Opera House.
Take the opportunity to see the majestic building at night from the ferry terminal, since its nocturnal image has nothing to envy to what can be seen during the day.
11:00 p.m. Last stop: The Lobo Plantation (1/209 Clarence Street), an underground bar specializing in rum, since it has more than 250 varieties.
Take the last drink there to say goodbye to Sydney... while you plan when you will return.
Sunset from Hornby Lighthouse offers one of the best views of Sydney