15 Best Beaches In Margaret River Region Everyone Must Visit At Least Once
Margaret River has some of the best beaches in Western Australia, where you can take your pick of activities – surfing, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, SUPing… even swimming with stingrays!
Plus, the region is just a 3-hour drive from Perth, it’s the perfect weekend getaway if you need some vitamin D.
Choosing the “best beaches” is quite subjective, though.
For example, the best beach for surfers is Surfer’s Point, in Prevelly. The best one for families might be Gnarabup Beach or Granny’s Pool. And the best for both surfers and families is Yallingup Beach.
That’s why we created this guide with the 15 best beaches in Margaret River Region, as well as some honourable mentions.
You’ll know the top things to do on each beach, highlights, and why each one is worth a visit. There’s also a free map at the end with all the beaches mentioned, to help you plan your visit!
Table of Contents
15 best beaches in the Margaret River Region
We recognise the traditional owners of this land, the Wadandi and Bibulman.
1) Hamelin Bay
Where: Hamelin Bay
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Yallingup.
Best for: Snorkelling, swimming, wildlife viewing.
Highlights: Stingrays, clear waters.
This beach is famous for the friendly stingrays that swim close to shore! It’s awe-inspiring to see these massive yet gentle creatures gliding so close by.
Just remember that even if they’re used to human interaction, they’re still wild animals. Don’t make them feel threatened and be careful where you step!
As for the beach itself, it is easily accessible and has basic amenities like toilets and picnic areas. The clear waters are perfect for snorkelling and swimming.
2) Bunker Bay Beach
Where: Cape Naturaliste
Nearby towns: Augusta, Margaret River.
Best for: Swimming, snorkelling, surfing.
Highlights: Calm waters, scenic views, family-friendly.
This stunning beach is a short drive from Dunsborough and it’s easily accessible by car. The waters are calm and clear, perfect for swimming and snorkelling with the family.
There’s a café nearby and toilets, too!
🤩 This eco-tour offers stunning coastal scenery and Aussie wildlife encounters. It also takes you to Bunker Bay!: Margaret River Coastal and Wildlife Eco Trip from Busselton or Dunsborough
3) Yallingup Beach
Where: Yallingup
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Busselton.
Best for: Swimming, surfing, fishing.
Highlights: Calm waters, solid surfing, family-friendly.
This beach has the best of both worlds – calm waters for swimming and great waves for surfing.
The waves off-shore are top-notch, while the Yallingup lagoon is perfect for a relaxing swim. You’ll see a varied crowd there – from experienced surfers to families with small children.
The beach is easily accessible by car with ample parking. Amenities include toilets, showers, and BBQ facilities! Ideal to spend the whole day here.
Keep reading: 15 Unique Things To Do In Yallingup
4) Surfer’s Point
Where: Prevelly
Nearby towns: Margaret River, Hamelin Bay, Yallingup.
Best for: Surfing, swimming, beach walks.
Highlights: Great surf, scenic views.
As the name entails, this is a surfing hotspot in Margaret River – every year, it hosts the Margaret River Pro World Championships.
There’s plenty of parking available, picnic area, toilets, and a few vantage points from where to watch the surfers catching waves.
🤩 In this surfing lesson, you can ride the waves and master your surfing skills with expert instructors at one of Australia’s best surf spots: Margaret River Group Surfing Lesson
5) Meelup Beach
Where: Cape Naturaliste
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Busselton, Yallingup.
Best for: Snorkelling, kayaking, picnicking.
Highlights: Calm waters, family-friendly, scenic picnic spots.
This beach is a short drive from Dunsborough and is renowned for its calm and clear waters. If you want to go kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding, this is the best place to do so!
Meelup Beach is accessible by car with plenty of parking. The amenities are well-kept, including toilets, picnic tables, and BBQ facilities.
6) Smiths Beach
Where: Yallingup
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Busselton.
Best for: Swimming, snorkelling, surfing, fishing.
Highlights: Great waves, stunning sunsets, spacious.
This sandy beach is a popular spot for surfers due to its consistent waves. But much like Yallingup Beach, it has a sheltered area with calmer waters where you can go for a swim.
There’s a car park and a public toilet near the resort. There’s also a nice lookout a 30-minute walk from the beach, here!
7) Castle Rock Bay
Where: Dunsborough
Best for: Swimming, hiking, surfing.
Highlights: Scenic hiking trails, wildflowers, rock formations.
This is a serene spot known for its impressive rock formations and scenic hiking trails.
It’s a beautiful spot to see the wildflowers when in season, too, which is usually from September to November in this corner of WA.
The beach is accessible by a short walk from the parking area. There’s a BBQ and a picnic area, but no toilets.
8) Eagle Bay Beach
Where: Cape Naturaliste
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Busselton, Yallingup.
Best for: Swimming, snorkelling, boating.
Highlights: Luxury holiday town, crystal clear waters.
This beach is in the luxurious holiday town of Eagle Bay, a short drive from Dunsborough. The pristine white sands and crystal-clear waters are ideal for spending the day swimming and snorkelling.
Plus, the area is easily accessible with parking facilities and toilets nearby. There’s also the Eagle Bay boat ramp on the northern side of the beach, if you want to go boating.
9) Injidup Beach
Where: Yallingup
Nearby towns: Dunsborough, Busselton.
Best for: Surfing, snorkelling the rock pools.
Highlights: Great surf, near the Injidup Natural Spa, secluded.
This beach is popular among surfers for its excellent waves, plus there are a few rock pools to check out if you want to snorkel.
There’s a nice lookout at a short walking distance from the beach and it’s next to the insta-famous Injidup Natural Spa – don’t miss the chance to visit it.
The beach is accessible by car, though you will have to walk a bit from the parking area to get there. The amenities are limited, though – there aren’t any toilets, BBQs, or picnic tables.
10) Boranup Beach
Where: Boranup
Nearby towns: Hamelin Bay, Augusta, Margaret River.
Best for: 4WD, surfing, swimming.
Highlights: Very remote, pristine, long.
This beach is the very definition of pristine. It’s a remote stretch of coastline only accessible by 4WD. The road there is a bit rough but absolutely worth it!
Once there, you can 4WD along the beach or catch a wave. Swimming is good too, but be careful as it can get windy.
There aren’t any amenities, so come prepared!
11) Cosy Corner
Where: Deepdene
Nearby towns: Hamelin Bay, Augusta.
Best for: Snorkelling, swimming, fishing.
Highlights: Blowholes, launch point for boats.
The Cosy Corner beach is sheltered and calm, with lots of marine life to check out – perfect for swimming and snorkelling.
It’s also a popular spot for rock and beach fishers, but be very careful when doing so. The area is known by locals for its swells, which can sometimes wash fishers from rocks.
The beach is accessible by car and there’s a car park as well as picnic tables, but no toilets.
12) Flinders Bay
Where: Augusta
Nearby towns: Hamelin Bay, Margaret River.
Best for: Swimming, whale-watching, paddling.
Highlights: Calm waters, scenic views, family-friendly.
This massive bay is known for its calm waters, making it ideal for swimming, paddling, and boating.
If you visit anywhere between May and August, there’s a chance you might see whales breaching during their migration, just make sure to bring binoculars!
The area is easily accessible with parking and amenities like toilets and picnic spots. There’s also a dog-friendly area.
🤩 Wanna see majestic whales? Get to see them in their natural habitat and enjoy informative and expert guides on this cruise: Whale Watching Cruise from Busselton, Augusta or Dunsborough
13) Granny’s Pool
Where: Augusta
Nearby towns: Hamelin Bay, Margaret River.
Best for: Swimming, snorkelling, SUP.
Highlights: Calm waters, child-friendly, scenic.
This natural pool is technically part of Flinder’s Bay, but it’s so good it deserves its own spot.
Its waters are calm and shallow, so it’s as child-friendly as it gets. There’s lots of marine life too, so you can squeeze in a relaxing snorkelling session.
Granny’s pool is easily accessible by car with parking facilities nearby and toilets near the jetty.
Keep reading: 17 Unmissable Things to Do in Augusta
14) Redgate Beach
Where: Redgate
Nearby towns: Margaret River, Hamelin Bay, Yallingup.
Best for: Surfing, snorkelling, beach walks.
Highlights: Great waves, shipwrecks, sunsets.
This beach is another hotspot for surfing, with waves for all levels – from beginners to experts. If you visit while the waters are calm, you might see the shipwrecked SS Georgette off the coast!
The beach is accessible by car and the road is unsealed but well-kept, so keep that in mind. There are parking facilities and toilets.
15) Gnarabup Beach
Where: Gnarabup/Prevelly,
Nearby towns: Margaret River, Yallingup.
Best for: Swimming, boating, beach walks.
Highlights: Family-friendly, pet-friendly, launch point for boats.
This is one of the most popular beaches for swimming and relaxing by the shore. The waters are calm, almost like a massive swimming pool – perfect for the little ones. It’s also pet-friendly.
The beach is easy to access, with a car park, toilets, and showers. There’s a café nearby as well!
Honourable mentions: Other beaches in Margaret River worth visiting
Even though they might not make the list of the “best” beaches in Margaret River, these spots should absolutely be included in your itinerary:
Abbey Beach, near Busselton. It’s a family-friendly beach with calm waters ideal for swimming and fishing. There’s a boat ramp too where you can take off for snorkelling/fishing if the Busselton Jetty is too crowded. Easily accessible by car with all the amenities.
The Aquarium, in Yallingup. It’s just like it sounds, a natural aquarium with heaps of marine life and calm waters, perfect for snorkelling and swimming. No amenities, so come prepared.
Gracetown Beach, in Gracetown. It’s a sheltered bay ideal for surfing, swimming, and fishing. Easily accessible by car with all the amenities.
Shelley Cove, in Cape Naturaliste. Known for clear waters and abundant marine life, perfect for snorkelling and swimming. Lacks amenities, so come prepared.
Kilcarnup Beach, in Yebble. A remote, hidden gem that’s only accessible by 4WD, with great surfing and swimming. No amenities.
Honeycombs Beach, in Wilyabrup. Excellent surfing and it’s mostly known by locals, it’s a great spot if you want to escape the crowds. Accessible by car but no amenities.
Map of all the best beaches in the Margaret River Region
Other things to do in the Margaret River Region
This region honestly deserves at least a week (or two) to explore it. There are sooo many cool things to do, that we created a guide to help you plan your trip. Click here to check it out!
If you want a summary, here’s a quick summary of all the things you can do:
Go wine-tasting. This area is famous for its wines, and there are several wine tours you can do.
Cave exploring. The region has ancient caves 100% worth checking out, like Ngilgi Cave, Jewel Cave, Lake Cave, and Mammoth Cave.
Hiking. There are several spectacular coastal cliff walks, the most famous is the Cape to Cape Track.
🤩 If you like tasting world-class wines while touring scenic vineyards of Margaret River, this tour is perfect for you: Margaret River Wine Tour: The Full Bottle
Top Tips
Look up the beach conditions and surf reports before heading out, especially if you’re planning to swim or surf – the weather can change quickly, so come prepared.
Also keep in mind that some beaches are not patrolled, especially the remote ones. Be cautious, especially if you’re not a strong swimmer or unfamiliar with the area.
Did you know?
The traditional owners of the Margaret River region are the Wadandi and Bibulman people.
They are part of the Noongar nation – one of the largest aboriginal groups in Australia – and have lived here for thousands of years. They have a rich cultural heritage and a deep spiritual connection to this land.
There’s plenty of information about them in the different visitor centres around the region, but the best way to learn about them is with a tour.
Go with providers like Koomal Dreaming, who offer authentic aboriginal experiences from Noongar custodians.
These tours often include bushwalks, storytelling, and demonstrations of traditional practices, providing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Wadandi culture and their connection to the land.
FAQs
What beach is the Margaret River Pro?
The Margaret River Pro is held at Surfer’s Point in Prevelly. It’s renowned for its powerful waves and excellent surfing conditions, plus the area is well-equipped to handle large crowds and offers great viewing spots for spectators to enjoy the action.
When to see stingrays at Hamelin Bay?
You can see stingrays at Hamelin Bay year-round. But the best time is typically during the warmer months from October to April, as they’re more active. Especially in the mornings and late afternoons when the water is calm.
The bottom line
It’s hard to make a list of the best beaches in the Margaret River region – all of them are incredible. So it comes down to what you want to do – surfing? snorkelling? or just looking for a family-friendly spot? This region has you covered!
Whether you’re after world-class surfing at Surfer’s Point, a family-friendly day out at Gnarabup Beach, or to chill with the stingrays at Hamelin Bay, there’s a beach here to suit every taste and activity.
With dozens of beaches to choose from, the hardest part will be deciding which one to visit first. So grab your sunnies, pack your bathers, and get ready to explore the amazing coastal gems of the Margaret River region!
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