Beaches and bays. Blue Mountains and Botanic Gardens. Sydney is not afraid to show off her natural beauty.

But beyond the famous landmarks lie plenty of lesser-known gems that offer a quick escape from the daily urban maelstrom.

For Lucy Turnbull, the chief commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission, Parramatta Park is not only a special gem in the heart of Sydney but "a whole other world of peacefulness, natural history and cultural heritage".

"Winding its way through the park are the upper reaches of the Parramatta River where, quite literally, the harbour city of the east meets the river city of the west," she says. "And along the river banks are wonderful nooks, crannies and hollows – where Governor Phillip camped during his inaugural expedition up the river and where today locals mix with tourists taking in the surrounds.

"At Parramatta Park you can witness the past, be part of the present as well as sense the future of the city. To my mind, that makes it a pretty special part of our city."

Similarly, when David Borger escapes into the great outdoors it is to his favourite haunts in western Sydney, places which remind him of Europe.

The western Sydney director of the NSW Business Chamber visits the historic Cumberland Gardens in Parramatta, which in spring are a sea of colour, particularly mauve, as the cottage gardens flower and the many wisteria trees bloom.

Another favourite is Lake Parramatta, just off the frenetically busy James Ruse Drive, which sits in the 73 hectares of bushland and parkland reserve, one of the most significant in western Sydney. Surrounded by suburbia, the lake and bushland open up after a short walk into native greenery, in the same way expansive piazzas open up from narrow laneways in Italy's medieval towns, according to Borger.

There are also plenty of great escapes on the city's north, the National Park and Wildlife Service assures us. The lookout from West Head in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is regarded one of Sydney's best, with amazing views of Pittwater, Barrenjoey Head and the Central Coast,

West Head is also the site of little-known fortifications built during World War II as the first line of defence for Pittwater. The fortifications fell into disrepair but were recently restored by the West Head Awareness Team. One of its members, Jack "Bluey" Mercer, helped construct the forts in 1942, and celebrated both his 18th and 90th birthdays on the site.

Slightly south of West Head, and across Pittwater from Palm Beach is The Basin, an idyllic oasis with an isolated beach, a lagoon, bushwalks, picnic area and campground. The site is accessible by road, but a ferry or boat trip across Pittwater adds to the enjoyment of the day, and an ideal location for a family getaway, according to an NPWS spokeswoman.

Still in the the Ku-ring-gai National Park is Cowan Creek, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, which also offers family friendly retreats. The picturesque Cottage Point is the perfect place to put a kayak in the water, and while away a few hours surrounded by the majestic landscape of the river. Similarly, nearby Bobbin Head, only an hour's drive from the Sydney CBD, is a popular place with locals who enjoy fishing and watersports in the river, while many Sydneysiders are not aware of its great beauty, says the NPWS spokeswoman.

In the southern-most points of the city are the little-known Maddens Falls in the Dharawal National Park, on Darkes Forest Road, south of Helensburgh. There is plenty of wildlife in the short walk through bush to the falls – honeyeaters, red wattlebirds, golden whistlers, tree and banjo frogs, and brown froglets, which provide a full-throated chorus to accompany walkers. The vegetation at the base of the picturesque falls is unique, with colourful acacias, native river rose and lush, sprawling ferns, as well as a rare fern-leaf grevillea with its red toothbrush-like flowers.

The coastal track in the Royal National Park, which begins in Bundeena in southern Sydney, offers an escape like no other, with Marley Beach, and Little Marley Beach, a little-known highlight only a few kilometres along the track from where there are plenty of dramatic ocean vistas along the way.

Marley Beach's beauty lies in its wildness – big ferocious waves, thousands of bluebottles crowding the water and obvious rips. The beach, which is backed by extensive sand dunes and a lagoon, has been the site of shipwrecks, and is not safe for swimming or surfing, the NPWS stresses. But it is a great reminder of the power of the ocean and nature, and an inspiring getaway from our suburban routines, while only a short trip from the city.