Cronulla beach is one of a series of beaches that curve for around 4km along Bate Bay. Cronulla Beach is fairly small, around 300 metres from corner to corner. The middle of the beach faces due East and is exposed to the Pacific Ocean, but is protected from southerly swell and winds by Bate Bay headland. The back beach is a grassy park with picnic tables, beyond that shops and apartments.
It is a sandy beach, the sand is a nice golden colour and usually clean. Cronulla Beach is an ocean surf beach, affected by wind, swell, and tides.