This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase. Read Disclosure.
Margaret River is not all wine-tasting and gourmet food, or overindulging on cheese, chocolate, and coffee.
Sure, you’ll probably go to Margs and sip endless glasses of the internationally recognized wine – they have 150 wine producers!
But there’s another great reason to visit this region in South West Australia – the beaches of Margaret River!
After road tripping around Australia for 18 months, I can safely say this stretch of coastline has some of the most stunning beaches in Australia, for quality and quantity.
They are some of the most beautiful beaches you will ever walk on and for the surfers, some of the best waves you’ll ever ride.
If you’re not sure which beaches on Margaret River to visit, then keep reading to see the best of the best.
Why is Margaret River Special?
After spending a month in the area, it turns out the Margaret River region is many things, and when it does something, it does it better than most.
Then throw in the amazing diversity of people from winemakers, farmers, artists, and of course the surfers the place has such an addictive vibe.
There is nowhere else quite like it, and I haven’t even got to the Margaret River Beaches yet!
The beaches are known for their soft, pure white sand, crystal clear waters, and thriving marine life that come right up to the shoreline.
It’s also comparatively quieter than other beaches in Perth, which I don’t need to tell you is a bonus.
Although the water temperature is a little cooler down south, it makes for a refreshing dip on a summer’s day, and visually they truly are spectacular.
The Best Margaret River Beaches
Whilst we didn’t get to play on all the beaches, because there’s just so much to do in the area and we’ll definitely be back, below are my top picks for beaches on the Margaret River to set foot on.
1. Hamelin Bay Beach
Possibly the most picturesque beach for me was Hamelin Bay with its fine white sand, crystal clear turquoise water, and those natural dunes.
It’s a great spot for swimming, snorkeling, and apparently scuba diving.
What makes Hamelin Bay different is it’s the best place we’ve seen stingrays in Australia.
They’re super friendly and will come right into shore and swim around your feet.
Not sure if there’s a particular time of day when they show up, just head down towards the boat ramp and you’ll see the crowd gathered.
2. Yallingup Beach
We camped at Yallingup Caravan Park for three nights, which is right across the road from the beach.
This beach has powerful surf breaks over the Yallingup Lagoon, and I enjoyed our morning ritual of grabbing a coffee from the mobile coffee man at Yallingup point car park and watching the surfers ride the waves.
Yallingup is a favourite spot for snorkelers as well with the sheltered swimming lagoon at the southern end of the beach, and as you walk down the steps from the car park in town there is a kid-friendly swimming area and then a nice stretch of beach heading north for a walk.
Though you should note there are no facilities such as toilets and showers here.
3. Smiths Beach
Next door to Yallingup, Smiths Beach is an expansive flat beach with more of that pure-white sand and beautiful blue water every Margaret River beach has.
We enjoyed a few swims here and it seemed one of the more popular beaches in the region.
Besides the bathers, I noticed quite a few boogie boarders getting amongst the scene.
4. Prevelly and Margaret River Mouth
Prevelly Beach is close to Margaret River town and is famous around the surfing world as being home to the pro surfing event held every April at Surfers Point.
You get stunning coastline views as you drive down into Prevelly town and then around to River Mouth.
For us, Prevelly Beach was all about the kid-friendly River Mouth with the shallow and calm water being a top spot for our kids to have a paddle on their boogie boards and a swim.
It also looked like a top spot to do a bit of stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking out on the Indian Ocean.
5. Gnarabup Beach
Neighbouring Gnarabup Beach was mostly occupied by families playing on the sandy beach, swimming, snorkeling, and fishing.
It’s much calmer on the waves side of things due to the reefs out to sea providing a bit of shelter.
The highlight for me though wasn’t actually the beach, but the cafe overlooking the beach.
Just thought I’d throw this in that at the southern end there’s the White Elephant Beach Cafe overlooking the boat ramp and little jetty.
Highly recommend either breakfast or lunch here – stunning views with good coffee and quality food!
6. Meelup Beach
The family-friendly Meelup Bay is another picturesque beach totally worth a visit.
Our kids happily played in the sand here and enjoyed a swim in the calm waters whilst I kicked back on the shaded grassed area and read a book.
There are also kayaks for hire here which seemed a popular activity for those looking to get out more on the clear water in ideal conditions.
If you want more seclusion, walk around the headland to Castle Rock beach which is a smaller but also beautiful beach.
7. Eagle Bay
I recommend having a morning swim or beach walk at Eagle Bay, then hitting up the nearby Eagle Bay Brewery for lunch – great pizzas, a kid’s playground, and the beer was pretty good too!
Eagle Bay is yet another expansive beach, and then the coastal drive from here to Meelup is short but one of the most picturesque in the country!
I’m not sure if the little beach in between the two has a name, but the orange rocks and turquoise water create a stunning scene!
8. Bunker Bay Beach
I hesitated to put Bunker Bay on this list.
It’s definitely one of the best beaches in Margaret River most of the year, but at the time of our visit the flies were out of this world and I could only stand being around long enough to take this one quick photo.
It was the first time I’d ever seen people sitting on a beach before wearing fly head nets, they were that bad. You’ve been warned.
But the beach looked beautiful though!
Make sure to hike up to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for some incredible views.
9. Injidup Beach
We didn’t swim at Indijup Beach and only visited once but visually I had to add it to my list and from the surfers riding the waves it appeared to be another handy surfing spot (very uncrowded) and a beautiful place for a swim.
Apparently, there’s a pod of dolphins that call the bay home and are known to ride the waves, and at the southern end of the best, a group of sand boarders was riding down the steep dune which looked like fun!
This beach has grown in popularity after Instagram videos started appearing of the “Injidup Natural Spa” which is a rock pool that has been protected by the crashing waves.
Head to the north headland and walk along the Cape to Cape track to find this phenomenon.
Map of Margaret River Beaches
If you think you’ll visit a few of these beaches, here is a map that shows you where each of these top beaches are located.
Scroll through the list below to find accommodation in Margaret River
Final Thoughts on Margaret River Beaches
So there you have it, those are our favorite beaches in the Margaret River region, and as you can see from the photos, they are all beautiful!
One thing to note before you go is that many of these beaches lack facilities such as showers, toilets and picnic tables for picnics. Meelup, Bunker Bay Beach, Hamelin Beach and Eagle Bay Beach have public bathrooms.
It’s a good idea to bring everything you need before you go.
More Margaret River Travel Tips
Need inspiration for more things to do in the Margaret River region? Then check out these other posts…
- Best things to do in Margaret River with kids
- Best beaches in Western Australia
- Best things to do in Busselton, WA
- Margaret River Weekend Getaway at the Big House
Pin to Save to Pinterest:
What’s your favourite beach in Margaret River? Let us know in the comments.
