Best Beaches In & Near Coolangatta

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Map featuring Coolangatta beaches. Click on pins to view beach details
  • 1. Currumbin Beach

    Currumbin Beach
    © Daniel Jurin

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    With its crystal clear waters and sparkling white sands, Currumbin in South East Queensland is regularly voted the state's cleanest beach.

    Surfers flock from far and wide to ride the waves here, and there are a handful of surf schools dotted along the beach which cater for everyone, from beginners taking their first lessons to experienced surfers looking to escape the crowds across the Tweed River.

    Loads of other watersports get practiced… read more »

  • 2. Dreamtime Beach

    Dreamtime Beach
    © Daniel Pink / CC BY

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    Sitting to the south of the little headland of Fingal Head, near the NSW/Queensland border, is the beautiful 5km stretch of golden sand known as Dreamtime Beach. The beach here is a different world to the busier, more developed Fingal beach on the other side of the scrubby headland with Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast beyond.

    The beach's name harks back to a time when the indigenous Minjungbal people laid… read more »

  • 3. Burleigh Heads

    Burleigh Heads
    Simon Morris

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    Sitting neatly between the better known resort of Surfers Paradise to the north and Coolangatta to the south, Burleigh Heads Beach is a top choice for those looking for golden sand and good surf. The largely protected waters are good for swimming and surfing around the headland, which is within the Burleigh Heads National Park.

    Burleigh is one of the most consistent surf spots on the Gold Coast… read more »

  • 4. Palm Beach

    Palm Beach
    Simon Morris

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    Sandwiched between Burleigh Heads and Tallebudgera Creek on the north end and Currumbin Point to the south, Palm Beach is a popular patrolled beach on Queensland's glorious Gold Coast.

    The sandy beach extends for about 4km (2.5 miles) parallel to the busy Gold Coast Highway 200m to the west. Park on one of the many side streets and direct beach access is easy.

    Along much of the beach there… read more »

  • 5. Coolangatta Beach

    Coolangatta Beach
    Kgbo

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

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  • 6. Kirra Beach

    Kirra Beach
    © Nathan Cowley

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    An urban beach found in the neighbourhood of Coolangatta, part of Queensland's Gold Coast, Kirra Beach is a relaxed and down to earth destination that continues to exude the surf vibe that made it famous around the world.

    Beyond its globally-renowned breaks, suitable for intermediate and expert boarders, protection from southerly winds means Kirra Beach is also a great place to go for a swim, or strap on scuba gear and… read more »

  • 7. Duranbah Beach

    Duranbah Beach

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    Dee-bah as it's known to the locals is the most northerly of New South Wales' many beaches. In fact, it's so close to the Queensland border that you can walk up to the headland here in just a couple of minutes, and find yourself in a different timezone.

    The beach is a bit of a geographical lash up; set on the Queensland side of the Tweed River it is part of… read more »

  • 8. Cabarita Beach

    Cabarita Beach
    Cabarita Beach

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

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  • 9. Kingscliff Beach

    Kingscliff Beach
    © Daniel Jurin

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    read more »
  • 10. Miami Beach

    Miami Beach
    Simon Morris

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    read more »
  • 11. Surfers Paradise Beach

    Surfers Paradise Beach
    Simon Morris

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

    Surfers Paradise Beach lives up to its name with a world-famous reputation for its beach, surfing, nightlife and attractions. Undoubtedly one of the most heavily developed and busiest beaches in Australia, it is a popular resort with bars, casinos and clubs that buzz after dark.

    This modern waterfront city focuses around one of Queensland's most iconic beaches, with good left and right breaks that are always dotted with keen surfers… read more »

  • 12. Broadbeach

    Broadbeach
    CucombreLibre

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

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  • 13. Budds Beach

    Budds Beach
    Simon Morris

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 0.5 hrs

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  • 14. The Pass

    The Pass
    © Ricardo Flores

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

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  • 15. Little Wategos Beach

    Little Wategos Beach
    Kpravin2

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

    Sitting in the shadow of the 100 metre high Cape Byron headland, Little Wategos is the most easterly beach in Australia. The beach can be accessed by a set of steps and a track which lead away from the main Byron Bay Lighthouse walk.

    Being one of the less accessible beaches in Byron Bay means Little Wategos is a great get-away spot. It's only about 150 metres in length but it… read more »

  • 16. Byron Bay Main Beach

    Byron Bay Main Beach
    © Karl Lundholm

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

    Byron Bay is situated in the far north of New South Wales and on the very eastern tip of Australia - Cape Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. This small beach town was put on the tourism map back in the 1970s when it was on the hippy trail later becoming a popular backpacker destination. It is to a large extent the legacy of Byron's early days that… read more »

  • 17. Wategos Beach

    Wategos Beach
    Will Ellis

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

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  • 18. Belongil Beach

    Belongil Beach
    © Bex Walton

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

    Byron Bay's Belongil Beach sits on a sandbar which runs for 2.5 kilometres from Main Beach car park to the mouth of Belongil Creek. On its opposite side is Tyagarah Beach.

    Less crowded than Main Beach, Belongil Beach is generally considered a good place to swim and otherwise enjoy the water, with lifeguard patrols at its southern end between the red and yellow flags.

    Its expansive stretch of sand is a… read more »

  • 19. Clarkes Beach

    Clarkes Beach
    Visions of Domino

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

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  • 20. Tallow Beach

    Tallow Beach

    Travel time from Coolangatta: approx 1 hr

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