Who knew there were more beaches in Melbourne other than St Kilda and Brighton?
It’s amazing what you can discover when you spend a bit of time in the city and you have friends living in town, and you get some consistently good weather, which is asking a lot for Melbourne.
The words Melbourne and beaches never came into my mind before our month long visit, and if you’re only visiting the city for two or three days, don’t even think about it and concentrate on what the city is famous for – food, coffee, shopping, sports, festivals, the arts.
But if you have a longer stay like we did, and you time your visit for summer when you have a CHANCE at getting some blue sky and warmth, the beaches in Melbourne could pleasantly surprise you, like they did for us.
Now I’m not saying they come close to rivaling the beaches of Sydney, or Perth, but they can be a good outlet to getaway from the downtown hustle and temptations of yet more coffee and cake!
Here are 6 Melbourne beaches to visit on your trip.
1. St Kilda Beach
If you’re only in Melbourne for a short stay but you crave some beach action, then St Kilda is your best option. It’s the closest and easiest beach to get to from the city centre, just 6km away, and it’s Melbourne’s most famous beach.
On a sunny day, St Kilda is the place to be seen and has an interesting mix of people. It’s generally a safe beach to swim at, but besides the swimming it’s the most happening of Melbourne Beaches.
Thereare plenty of people sunbathing on St Kilda Beach and grassy area adjacent to it plus windsurfing, sailing, kite surfing, rollerblading, beach volleyball, jet skiing and water skiing.
Our favourite thing to do there as a family was the walking track along the beach and then cycling all the way to Brighton Beach.
Sunsets at St Kilda are pretty impressive, and we suggest grabbing a takeaway pizza from Mr Natural Pizza place and a bottle of wine and sitting on the beach whilst the sun goes down. Our other food hangout was Beachcomber Cafe at the sea baths where we could watch the kids play on the sand just metres away.
St Kilda is also the place to experience the rides at Luna Park, and for the famous cake shops on lively Acland Street. To get to St Kilda jump on a tram near Flinders Street Station in the city.
2. Elwood Beach
Elwood is another popular Melbourne bayside beach during sunny days and a great family beach. It’s not as accessible from the city as St Kilda as it’s not exactly on the tram or train line, but still only 8km’s away if you have a car, or jump in a cab.
The water was clean and calm for swimming and our kids had a great time playing on the sand and the rocks. It’s another fairly active beach and you’ll see people windsurfing, cycling, playing cricket and walking.
Once your day at Elwood Beach is over, we suggest hitting up Jimmi Jamz Bar on Ormond Road in the town centre which has great AND cheap pizza.
Plus there is a little playground in the back courtyard area – bonus for us parents in getting 5 minutes down time after eating dinner.
3.Parkdale Beach
Parkdale Beach was a great find for us, thanks to our friend who lives in a nearby suburb. It’s a bit of a drive from the city centre, 23 km south-east, but if you’re looking to get away from the crowds of St Kilda it’s a great place to relax and swim with the kids.
The water was again clean and calm and with the shallow bars you could walk quite a ways out. It’s best to stay on the shallower bars and clear of the rocks and reefs area.
Whilst there don’t miss having breakfast or brunch at Parkdale Beach Cafe + Kiosk which is right on the beach. With its outdoor deck you can watch the kids play on the grass, and the food and coffee was really good.
4. Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is famous for the 82 colourful bathing boxes that call the beach home and are one of the tourist icons of Melbourne.
Brighton also houses some of the wealthiest citizens in Melbourne with grand homes, and the coastline cycling and walking tracks are a popular route for exercise and leisure.
Brighton is easily accessed via the Sandringham train line.
5. Sandringham Beach
Sandringham is another local tip from our friend who lives in the area and is one of Melbourne’s bayside suburbs popular for living and for beachgoers, walkers, and cyclists.
It’s quiet, it’s calm and it’s accessible by train. Just jump on the Sandringham line, or it’s a relatively easy drive from the city.
6. Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a bay located in the suburb of Black Rock.
It’s wonderfully isolated with a nice atmosphere for relaxing and gentle waves for swimming. Half Moon Bay also has aquatic life which makes for good snorkeling plus a nice place to watch the sunset over the ocean.
Grab yourself some calamari and chips at the local chippa and enjoy the beach views.
So there you have it. Melbourne beaches aren’t too shabby given the right conditions. Next time you pack for a visit throw your beach wear in just in case!
Do you need more Melbourne tips?
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Can you recommend other beaches in Melbourne?
