The Best Byron Bay Beaches – Find Your Slice Of Paradise!

Want to kick back with sand between your toes? Well here are the best Byron Bay beaches so you can find your perfect slice of paradise!

Byron Bay is famed for its barefoot, beach vibes – but what are the best Byron Bay beaches to chill out on?

Whether you fancy kicking back with your new travel buddies, going for a surf, soaking up the sunset or just escaping the crowds for a bit of nudist sunbathing here’s your guide to the best Byron Bay beaches and where to find them!

The Best Byron Bay Beaches – Find Your Slice Of Paradise!

Belongil

Distance from town: 1km along the beach

Best for: escaping the crowds of the main town beaches

Surf spots: A few peaks along the beach

Parking: Yup, free parking

You can either drive out of town a bit and park up in the carpark opposite the BP Garage or slightly further up in front of WakeUp Byron Bay.

Alternative you can walk along the beach from the Wreck up to Belongil, which takes about 10 minutes.

There’s some awesome little coffee shops up that way too as well as The Treehouse – which is perfect for cocktails and date nights as well as doing some of the best stone baked pizza in Byron! The warm olives are an absolute treat too!

 

 

The Wreck

Distance from town: About 100m

Best for: Sunsets, dog walkers and an alternative from Main Beach

Surf spots: The Wreck, Boilers and beach breaks

Parking: At the Wreck carpark or along the beachfront, $4 per hour

best beaches in Byron Bay Australia the wreckSituated right in town the Wreck is recognisable by the iconic rudder of a ship which juts out of the water – and has created a really fun, punchy surf spot too!

This slice of sand to the left of the rock groin is slightly quieter than main beach and a favourite amongst those with 4 legged friends in tow.

If you head to the overlooking car park at sunset check out the awesome views across to Mount Warning and enjoy the tunes of the famous drum circle – a greta spot for a cold sunset beer to end the day.

 

 

Main Beach

Distance from town: About 100m

Best for: ease of walk from town, safe swimming

Surf spots: Loads of peaks around

Parking: Along the beachfront, $4 per hour

byron bay surf spots guide australia pass wreck tallows
Main Beach Is Heaps Of Fun

As you might have guessed by the name, this is the main beach in front of Byron Bay!

This is also the only stretch of beach in the area that is regularly patrolled by beach lifeguards too, so if you’re looking to swim or have kids running around this is the safest option. Just make sure you stick between the flags.

For surfers there are plenty of peaks all along the beach to choose from, including mellow spots to short, hollow sections – especially when a bigger swell comes through.

There are also a heap of free BBQs along the coastal walk too (which runs from Main Beach all the way to the Pass) which are a great spot to catch up with buddies and cook up some treats!

 

 

Clarkes

Distance from town: About 500m along the beach

Best for: Escaping the crowds of the Pass

Surf spots: Plenty of peaks along the beach and inside of the Pass

Parking: Clarkes carpark or Captain Cook carpark, $4 per hour

Just up from Main Beach and before the coast bends around towards The Pass is Clarkes Beach.

It’s usually one of the quieter spots out of the beach within easy walking distance of town – but there are 2 carparks which make accessing it super easy.

Some seasons there are some rocks kicking around (especially after a big storm comes through) so be aware of those, especially at low tide.

A good base if you can’t find any parking at The Pass too, as it’s an easy walk up to the point – or you could surf out front at some of the beach break peaks or inside section of The Pass as well.

 

 

 

The Pass

Distance from town: About 1km along the beach

Best for: Pumping waves (but super crowded!)

Surf spots: The Pass, right hand, sandy bottom point break

Parking: The Pass Carpark or Captain Cook carpark, $4 per hour

Easily the most famous of all the Byron Bay beaches – The Pass is world renowned surf spot.

This super fun right hand point breaks over a sandy bottom and is a firm favourite for long boarders. When the swells pumping the wave is one of the best rides you’ll ever had and can run all the way through to Clarkes.

Unfortunately though it’s always crowded – like super crowded! You can easily find 200+ people in the lineup during peak season and when the swells pumping, so be careful.

For beginners surfers the mellow, beach break section is super fun too, but again crowds can be an issues.

Also along with the crowds comes a big issue with parking and good luck getting a spot at The Pass carpark in high season unless you’re either super early or super lucky!

Dont let me put you off though – it’s a really nice beach and a walk up to the rock lookout is well worth it – keep an eye out for dolphins and whales passing by.

 

Wategos

Distance from town: 4.8km drive

Best for: Beach BBQs, dolphin spotting and long boarding

Surf spots: Plenty of peaks from the point to the beach

Parking: Anywhere in Wategos, both free and paid available

Around the corner from The Pass is Wategos – a truly stunning little cove and beach.

One of the best places in Byron to spot whales and dolphins there are also free BBQs right next to the sand so it’s an ideal place to base yourself for a day of beach filled fun, with an sky full of cold beers!

Surf wise it’s another longboard favourite and is certainly less crowded than the pass, making it a great spot for beginners too.

When the swells working the point starts to work and there are often some fun banks on the left hand side of the beach near the cliffs too.

If you don’t have access to a car you can walk all the way from Main Beach along the sand before cutting across to the coastal path by The Pass and ended up in Wategos. It takes about 45 minutes with some epic view points and you can continue right up to the famous Cape Byron Lighthouse afterwards.

 

 

Little Wategos

Distance from town: 4.8km drive and then a 5 minute walk

Best for: Sunrise, lack of crowds, dolphin and whale watching

Surf spots: Little Wategos

Parking: At Wategos and Cape Byron Lighthouse and walk around

Just around from Wategos lies Little Wategos, a small secluded beach which you can reach from the coastal path. The rock lookout here is perfect for some epic views of the lighthouse and in whale season they get super close, so keep an eye out.

Calm, secluded and relaxing, it’s usually one of the quietest beaches around Byron Bay

For those who are willing to put in the walk there can be some really fun and empty waves here.

 

 

Tallows & Cosy Corner

Distance from town: 3.5km

Best for: Escaping the crowds and nudist (down to the right!)

Surf spots: Cosy Corner and plenty of peaks along the beach

Parking: Tallows Beach carpark, $4 per hour

On the other side of the Cape, under the shadow of the lighthouse, lies Tallows – a huge stretch of beach than runs all the way down to Suffolk Park and Broken Head.

As you hit the beach from the carpark (which has very limited spaces, so during peak season the 20 minute walk from town might be your best bet!) the spot on the left hand side is known as Cosy Corner. For surfers this is the best place to head on a Northerly wind as it offers a punchy wave.

Be aware of the rips though and it isn’t a spot for beginner or intermediate surfers. In fact the rip warning goes for swimmers too as this beach isn’t patrolled at all.

Also if you fancy a bit of naked sunbathing head about 5-10 minutes walk to the right of the beach entrance for the nudist section!

For those doing the Lighthouse Walk you can also head along past the paragliding platform and drop down to Tallows to chill for a bit before heading back into town.

 

 

 

 

Suffolk Park

Distance from town: 7km

Best for: Escaping the crowds

Surf spots: Plenty of peaks along the beach

Parking: Yes, free parking around some of the beach entrances

Just outside of the main part of Byron Byron is Suffolk Park. It’s a good base for anyone who fancies dipping in and out of the Byron bubble, without having to get stuck in it!

And right out front is a nice slice of sand which is a perfect spot to chill out and escape the crowds of the main Byron Bay beaches.

Surfers have plenty of options for peaks along the beach break and you can take a left and walk all along to Tallows or take a right and go down to Broken Head.

 

 

 

 

Broken Head

Distance from town: 10.2km

Best for: An alternative from the main town beaches, stop off to/from Byron

Surf spots: The Point, Broken Head Beach

Parking: Broken Head carpark – first section is free parking

Technically on of the Byron Bay beaches, Broken Head sits about a 15 minute drive from Byron itself.

I’ve included it on the list though as it’s well worth checking out on the way in/out of Byron if you’re heading along the East Coast of Australia.

The furthest end of the uninterrupted stretch of sand which runs from underneath of the Byron Lighthouse at Tallows Beach, Broken Head has an awesome little campsite which a perfect stop off in or out of town.

For surfers the point here is really fun when it’s working – especially for advanced surfers and longboarders. For those learning to surf the beach breaks near the main entrance are sandy bottomed and forgiving as long as the swell isn’t too big.

There are also a couple of other semi secret beaches around this area too, but I’ll leave those for you to find!

 

What are your favourite Byron Bay beaches?

 

 

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