Some of the world’s most beautiful beaches may be found along New South Wales’ coastline, particularly in and around Byron Bay in the state’s northeastern corner.
Byron Bay is a popular seaside town that receives a large number of visitors each year. Since the 1960s, Byron Bay has gradually transformed from a busy industrial port town to a holiday resort and surfing hot spot.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the best of Byron Bay beaches so you know where to go the next time you visit Australia’s most dynamic coastal town.
Wategos Beach
Wategos Beach is a lovely tiny cove on Australia’s most easterly point. This beautiful area of pandanus palms is well-protected, making it popular with both long-boarders and swimmers.
It is often regarded as the most beautiful beach in the Byron Bay area, is a nicely protected stretch of sand with a laid-back feel and excellent amenities. Wategos creates a gentle wave that is ideal for beginning surfers.
Wategos Beach is located between Cape Byron and the Fisherman’s Lookout, below the Byron Bay Lighthouse, and is accessible by foot through the Cape Byron walking pathway.
There is also limited street parking accessible along Marine Parade, close behind the beach.
The Pass
The Pass is a point break that connects Clarkes Beach to Wategos Beach. Climb to Fisherman’s Lookout for a bird’s-eye view of the line-up and everyone fighting for a turn on this excellent right-hander.
When there is a swell, the wave draws a mix of soul surfers (long-boarders) and amateurs and is best left to the pros. The good news is that it’s a big break with plenty of sand along the beach. Only a few months of the year are lifesavers on patrol at the Pass. Find a lovely shaded spot to flop, drop, and swim between the flags.
Belongil Beach
Belongil Beach is a 2.5-kilometre strip of sand between the mouth of Belongil Creek in the west and the seawall and Byron Bay car park in the east.
Belongil Beach is a considerably calmer alternative to Byron Bay’s Main Beach (see below), making it ideal for families and dog owners.
In 1921, the 2K tonne passenger steamer Wollongbar became trapped in the waves in front of Belongil Beach. This wreckage may still be seen and is now a famous snorkelling location.
This stretch of Belongil Beach, just north of the seawall, is known as The Wreck and is a famous surfing destination. It’s a well-protected reef break with steady swells.
Main Beach
Main Beach is the nearest beach to Byron Bay’s main town areas and is popular with families since it is patrolled every day of the year.
People-watching is one of the finest parts of this beach: see bronzed surfers paddling down the beach to catch a wave; youngsters snapping selfies, preening and dancing, and practising their best duckface; and hippies with man buns feverishly playing on their bongo drums at neighbouring Apex Park.
Byron Bay’s famed Main Beach is conveniently located just in front of the town’s core, stretching from the main car park at the end of Jonson Street all the way to Clarkes Beach and The Pass further east. It’s swimmable, with usually very gentle waves.
A wide grassy park area just behind the beach is a popular gathering spot with great facilities such as picnic tables, barbeques, toilets, and playgrounds.
Clarkes Beach
Byron Bay’s Main Beach drains into Clarkes Beach, a calm north-facing strip of sand with beachfront parking, fantastic amenities, and a big RV park, farther around the bay to the east.
Clarkes Beach is ideal for swimming since the waves are tiny yet large enough to accommodate learn-to-surf programmes, which are frequently held there.
It’s also a popular snorkelling location, with some rocky places along the coast to explore.
Tallow Beach
You may go for a paddle in Cosy Corner, which is shielded from northerly winds if you’re a mad-keen experienced surfer or a strong swimmer. Tallow Beach is best suited to experienced swimmers, who congregate in one of three monitored areas.
Cosy Corner, Suffolk Park, or Broken Head, are lovely and protected when the wind blows from the north. Clifford Street in Suffolk Park provides access to the beach. If you can walk the seven kilometres to Broken Head Beach, you may do what the local naturalists do and strip off on the ‘clothes-optional’ beach.
Little Wategos
Little Wategos Beach, Australia’s most easterly beach, is just next door and can be reached on foot by a sidetrack off the Byron Bay Lighthouse walk.
This 150m long north-facing beach is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and rock fishing.
Little Wategos may be the ideal location for you if you’re seeking a protected and remote stretch of sand.
Beaches Near Byron Bay worth Visiting
Brunswick Heads – Torakina Beach
Torakina Beach near Brunswick Heads is a protected, scenic beach. The secluded sanctuary is a 5-minute walk from Brunswick’s laid-back café culture and a 20-minute drive from Byron Bay.
The man-made beach, nestled between two break walls at the entrance of the lovely Brunswick River, is nearly always crystal-clear and swell-free, giving ideal swimming conditions for everybody.
Torakina’s modest stretch of beach is suitable for sunbathing, picnics, and constructing sandcastles. A few patches of sand are sheltered by the surrounding trees, some of which are ideal for climbing.
Lennox Head – 7 Mile Beach
From the Lennox Point headland with the national surfing reserve, featuring the famed right hand surf break – one of Australia’s top ten waves – to the north, Seven Mile Beach is an iconic beach and paradise for surfers, swimmers, fishers, and beach lovers.
The Boat Channel at Lennox Head, right off Rutherford Street, is a secure sanctuary for swimming and snorkelling. It is totally safe from the surf at high tide.
Discover Seven Mile Beach’s remote northern end. You may drive down this surf and fishing beach by purchasing a 4WD ticket at the self-registration machine on Camp Drewe Road.
Ballina – Flat Rock
Flat Rock is a rocky outcrop in East Ballina, located north of Angels Beach and south of Sharpes Beach.
The rock pools are teeming with marine life and are ideal for exploring when the tide is low. The rocky outcrop provides a point break, which is a popular surfing location. Flatrock Tent Park is located behind the dunes and is accessible through the beach trail.