Western Australia’s sun-drenched capital Perth is known as the world’s most isolated city. What’s less known is that the coastal city is home to the best beaches this side of the Equator. Pack your bikinis, board shorts and sunscreen and check for flights to Perth and its glorious beaches. There are so many Perth beaches that some don’t even have names. At the risk of offending surfers who judge a beach by its surf break or families who crave plentiful car parking, I’ve chosen beaches that mostly have a little something for everyone. Beach goers will quickly learn that Perth is cooled in summer by a brisk sea breeze called the Fremantle Doctor. The Doctor generally arrives mid – late morning. If you want to avoid being sand-blasted choose your beach wisely, or alternatively plan to be off the beach by midday and soaking in the view from a beach-side café, restaurant or pub. Vacationing to Perth? You can visit our Perth Australia Travel Guide for all the area info.
Here are the best all-around Perth Australia Beaches:
Scarborough Beach
Scarborough Beach is probably one of Perth’s most famous beaches. The shore is lined with hotels, apartments, shops, cafes, restaurants, burger joints, ice-cream kiosks and surf shops. Scarborough takes its street-cred seriously. Turn your back on the shore though and look out to the west and Scarborough is blessed with all the essentials – blue water broken by breakers, white sand and tons of sunshine. If you want to escape Scarborough’s crowds walk southwards to Brighton Beach which is every bit as gorgeous but generally has fewer people. This beach is great for surfers and people watchers.
Scarborough Beach, Perth Australia
City Beach
Another popular beach thanks to its location, right in the middle of Perth’s northern suburbs, City Beach has a little something for everyone. When the swell is up it can be a little boisterous though, so families with youngsters should be extra cautious. Beach side there are a couple of terrific restaurant/cafes along with grass park lands and BBQs, so it’s a popular spot for early evening gatherings to watch the sunset. This beach is best for families, body surfers, beach walkers, and those that love a good sunset.
City Beach
Port Beach
Fremantle’s hipster answer to Scarborough Beach, minus the big surf, Port Beach and nearby Leighton Beach are essentially an unbroken continuous strip of sand all the way to South Cottesloe. It’s a great beach for ocean swimmers, Stand Up Paddle boarders, and families with young kids as there are rarely breakers at Port thanks to its proximity to Fremantle Harbor to the south. Beach walkers and joggers will love it too. A kiosk with cold drinks is available for beach goers, as well as the Salt on the Beach Restaurant. This restaurant is definitely worth a visit whether you’re coming straight off the beach or want a leisurely lunch or romantic waterfront dinner. this beach is best for everyone, but is not a good surfing beach.
Port Beach
Trigg Beach
The undisputed king of Perth’s surf beaches, Trigg Beach can get a little wild for swimmers. The water is best avoided by weak swimmers and children as beach breaking waves, rips and undertows make it challenging even for strong swimmers. Surfers rate it one of Perth’s best, though its popularity mean that waves can get a little crowded. Get there early. Either way, it’s a beautiful beach to watch the surfers or to get your daily exercise by walking or jogging on the firm beach sand. This beach is best for surfers.
Trigg Beach
Cottesloe Beach
Rivaling Scarborough Beach for Perth’s most popular beach, Cottesloe (or just Cott as the locals call it), has something for everyone. Kids clamber onto the concrete pylon originally used to secure a shark net to, doing water bombs into the water. Protected by a southern break wall, is the iconic art-deco Indiana Teahouse. Even if you’re not a beach goer, it’s worth paying a visit to Cottesloe Beach for the casual Aussie vibe and beautiful coastline vistas. Across the road is the Cottesloe Pub which is a must visit for re-hydrating sun-parched lips. Though there are plenty of other choices too – the Cott, like the Teahouse, is an institution! This beach is great for everyone.
Cottesloe Beach
Swanbourne Beach
Swanbourne Beach can be divided into two parts. The family friendly southern beach is every bit as pretty as Cottesloe and perfect for beach walkers, sunbathers and swimmers. The northern section is clothes-optional Swanbourne Nude Beach, ‘officially’ one of Perth’s few nudist beaches. The beach itself is not really on public view (so nudists can do there thing in private) as it’s only accessible by a 300m walk from the car park. You’ll know you’re there when you see the clothing optional sign. As if the lack of clothed bodies wasn’t a dead giveaway. This beach is great for everyone in the southern part, and nudists in the northern part.
Swanbourne Beach
South Beach
Popular with locals as well as visiting vacationers, South Beach is always calm thanks to its outlying reef as well as Carnac and Garden Islands which form a breakwater. Shaded by ancient coastal trees and pines, extensive grassy areas, children’s playgrounds, BBQ’s and timber gazebos make it a perennial favorite whether day or night. Families often gather here for picnics while the beach itself is very family friendly. Fremantle’s famous Cappuccino Strip is a few minutes away, for a multitude of dining, shopping and people watching activities. This beach is great for everyone except surfers.
South Beach
Bathers Beach
Hidden away between the rock breakwater of South Head and Challenger Harbor, Bathers Beach is the sort of beach you’d go to if you can’t be bothered going anywhere else. It’s super convenient for cooling off or getting your saltwater fix in between breakfast and lunch or for an early morning ocean swim. Surrounded by all the action of Fremantle, this 300m strip of sand is a city treasure – it’s attractive in an urban arty sort of way that Fremantle excels at. Sandstone Kidogo Arthouse is a beautifully restored building behind the dunes, boardwalks are dotted with public art and nearby restaurants, cafes and pubs combine to make Bathers Beach the full package. This beach is great for everyone except surfers.
Bathers Beach
Rottnest Island
Perth’s favorite offshore island is known by everyone simply as Rotto. The Beach Gods blessed this little eruption of limestone emerging from the Indian Ocean with exquisite beaches. Dazzling white sand, gin-clear water, sweeping crescent shaped bays and intimate cosy coves are all here. Favorites are The Basin, Longreach and Geordie Bays along with Thompson Bay, the hub of the island. Hire a bike and head for Salmon Bay and Little Armstrong Bay which are rarely tarnished by others footprints if you get there early. Rotto has boating, diving, snorkeling, surfing & swimming – it’s a water baby’s paradise! This beach is great for everyone.
Rottnest Island
I have never been to Australia but Cottlesleo is going on my bucket list! planning my vacation just got a lot easier. I’m from the U.S. in the cold North West so just seeing these pictures makes me want to kick back and relax with a nice lemonade.
Oh, I grew up in the north west, so I know what you mean. The snow and the cold can get to you. I live in sunny Florida now and love it! Perth is not as well traveled as some of the other Australia beaches, but well worth it. Glad you enjoyed reading about Perth Australia beaches.
I love Australia! I haven’t made it to Western AU yet but I want to. I was just in Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns and the Port Douglas area last October and had such a good time. We even made it 20 miles offshore to the Great Barrier Reef. Your post now has me longing to visit more of AU. Thanks, Curtis.
I am glad you enjoyed. Sounds like you had a blast in Australia! You would love Perth as well, shoot anywhere where there is a coastline in Australia is going to have fabulous beaches! Thanks for visiting Perth Australia Beaches.
Oh wow, just reading this has made me want to just kick back and relax in the sun and get some essential vitamin D! The pictures look amazing and the teahouse on Cottesloe beach looks really cool to visit.
Can you tell me which beach is best for families with young children? Thanks for a great read.
There are so many great beaches for family with young children. There are the ones that top the list: Bather’s Beach, Cottesloe Beach, Mettam’s Pool (North Beach), Rockingham Beach, Sorrento Beach, City Beach, Scarborough Beach, and Little Salmon Bay. I like the idea of lounging in the sun getting the benefit of Vitamin D! Thanks for reading about Perth Australia Beaches.
Hi Leahrae, This is a great article, I had no idea there were so many beautiful beaches in Perth. All the pictures look so vibrant and make me want to go there right away! The ability to look at the pros and cons of family suitability is fantastic. Thank you for taking the time to write this article for us.
You are very welcome Nick, and thank you for visiting BeachTravelDestinations to read all about Perth Australia Beaches.
I’m looking at the snow outside my window and then looking at the pictures of the beautiful beaches… It makes me want to pack my bags and fly across the world to Australia. Actually, Australia is on my wish list of places to visit, so I’ll need to make sure to refer back to this post so that I can find the best beaches there!
Hi Christina, yes I have all of the beaches for all of Australia covered 🙂 You can just search in the top left corner for the area you are planning to visit. There are so many wonderful beaches, besides the Perth Australia beaches. Thanks for visiting BeachTravelDestinations.com!
The beaches look so beautiful. How i wish I live in Australia. I am planning on visiting Perth actually, so this information is very helpful on which beaches I want to visit. Thanks for the great information!
You are right! The Perth Australia beaches are beautiful. I am glad I could provide information to help with your planning. I am going to be start a post on the Perth Travel Guide. I will email you the link when it is finished. It will definitely help with the planning. Thanks for visiting BeachTravelDestinations.com.
This makes me want to leave work right now and go sunbathe. Ugh these all look fantastic and you’ve done a great job of picking out something for everyone like you said. Also I’ve never heard of these before so definitely something I’m going to keep in mind! I’m trying to plan my honeymoon and it’s definitely going to be somewhere like this 🙂
Yes, you need to enjoy a honey moon filled with sunshine, warmth, sand and the ocean 🙂 My personal preference!
Who doesn’t love a nice beachy vacation destination, eh?!
Australia has always been one of the top things to cross out on my “To Visit†list. I’ve actually heard about Trigg Beach and that photographers love shooting there. Most people just assume that they should visit Sydney or Melbourne and miss places like Perth, don’t they?
Yes, they do. Perth is a great location. I would skip Sydney and Melbourne all together to head to some of the other beaches personally.
I am intrigued by your site and only wish i can visit and experience something new. Your site is warm and inviting with breath taking places. You are sure to land many visitors and explorers alike all the best with your business, blogging extra…, I love the different activities that are available but I need to know do you pay to access the beach here in the Caribbean it’s free awesome isn’t it..I don’t know how to surf bu I am sure the surfer must love down unders’ paradise…I fell in love with berth beach simply because it reminds me so much of home.
Great, I am glad you enjoyed your “visit” to Perth 🙂
georgous places and excellent site overall. I love the layout of your site…you will attract many visitors and explorers alike.
Thank you so much!
Hi Lea,
Wow, what a nice website, I really like it and the pictures are beautiful! It makes want to jump on a flight to Australia right away:) I’ve never been to Australia but just by reading your article I will surely put this beautiful country on my bucket list for the next vacation! I met a lot of Australian people when I was a volunteer and I got along with them very well, they are so friendly and also they love adventure. Cool people! So I wouldn’t miss a trip to Australia!
Thank you for this excellent post!
You are so welcome Daniella! I am glad you enjoyed reading…Australia is definitely a great beach destination. And yes, such friendly people.
the photos are certainly enticing! beautiful overall site with professional neat look, noticed your quick response to comment, search tool, sharing options, and such variety of information available according to what traveler’s destination may be. your reviews of beach gear and relevant ads are very impressive.
Love the site and wish I were traveling to a beach now!
Good luck
I’m so glad you like it Rachel and thank you for visiting! Hope to see you at a beach!
I have travelled to lots of summer paradises in the Mediterranean, but I have never been to Australia. I have researched about it when I was planning to study English there 10 years ago and Perth was my preferred place. Instead, I went to London and I just cannot say that I regret because that’s was where I met my wife. 😉 apart from that, I think Perth is a magical place to visit. I love the picture of Scarborough beach, the green water make me crazy.
Is it an expensive destination compared to other Australia destinations? Thanks
All the best
Stefan
I know you would enjoy a visit there, heck I am sure your wife would as well. If you find yourself going and need any information, just let me know!