The footpath was completed in recent weeks after councillor Mark Way raised safety concerns in November last year.

"Before it'd be like Brown's cows walking in the middle of the road, because the ground here was uneven and you had cars, boats, horse floats and all sorts of things, so you couldn't really walk on it," he said.

"It's about safety - you can walk along here now and not get run over."

Cr Way said pedestrians and motorists had nowhere to go when parked cars reduced the road to a single car width.

He called the pathway the "missing link" between North Kiama Drive and Minnamurra Headland, off Eureka Avenue.

"The council did provide a footpath on Eureka Avenue ages ago, but hardly anyone uses it," he said. "Everyone wants to go where they can look at the ocean.

"This is a classic area for people who like to keep fit and they can now feel safe walking along here, and it will encourage more people to walk too."

Kiama Downs mother of two Jocelyn Quinn said the path was a welcome addition for her three-year-old son, Eli, who enjoyed riding his bike and scooter on the family's daily walks to the headland.

"Usually I've got the dog as well," she said.

"We used to just walk along here and dodge in and around the cars and obviously it wasn't as safe, so for us, it's about safety."

Cr Way said it had become increasingly popular for tourists to catch the train to Minnamurra and walk through to Kiama. He hoped better signs could be added to the route in the future.

"It might sound pretty unusual for a local person but I've seen people wandering around Minnamurra, not knowing where to go."