Beach Paradise

With 300 days of sunshine each year, warm blue water, and an average temperature of 25 degrees, the beaches of the Gold Coast are still its most famous attraction. The Gold Coast’s central beaches are all about action, in the lively quarters of Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Broadbeach, and Burleigh. Locals and visitors are attracted by these popular ‘see and be seen’ beaches. The further south you go on the Gold Coast, the more space you find. Southern precincts such as Currumbin, Kirra and Coolangatta are idyllic coastal communities defined by their own individual stretches of sub-tropical coastline. From one of the most popular beachfronts to some of the laziest secluded coves, nowhere is the variety of Australia’s iconic beach culture celebrated like it is on the Gold Coast.

South Stradbroke - Affectionately nicknamed ‘South Straddie’ by locals, this diverse island retreat is a vast natural reserve just minutes from the hustle of Surfers Paradise but truly another world away. South Straddie is respectfully adored by boaties, surfers, campers, hikers, kayakers, and fishermen for its calm inner waterways on one side, virtually untouched native bushland in the centre, and on the other side, 22kms of pristine surf beach with hardly a soul in sight. It is a refreshing stage to see whales, dolphins, wallabies and plenty more iconic Australian wildlife. South Stradbroke Island is easily accessible by boat hire, charter, ferry or water taxi and there are four well appointed camping grounds for overnight stays.

Currumbin - Currumbin is an active beachside community where lovers of watersports, walking and nature take advantage of the Currumbin Creek waterway, which links the pristine rainforest mountains of the region to the open golden beach. Currumbin Creek and the Alley, where it meets open ocean, offer a protected and patrolled stage for all kinds of active water sports, particularly stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking. There is good flathead and bream fishing off the rock wall or taylor off the beach. Currumbin also has a gorgeous right hand surf break which is a specialty for local longboard riders. The Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club is worth a stop to experience absolute beachfront dining and of course, just metres from the beach, you’ll find the famous Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

Burleigh - Burleigh is about as unique as a beach can be. As the beautiful swimming beach stretches south it transforms into a spectacularly accessible landscape of smooth rock pools which fringe the base of Burleigh Heads National Park. This variety of easily explored natural landscapes coexist a short meander from each other and are all adjacent to the hip James Street café precinct and a variety of other cosmopolitan comforts. The pleasure of kicking back at Burleigh with fresh fish and chips, watching surfers work the waves, with the National Park at your back and the Surfers Paradise skyline in the distance, is a scene that is loved by locals and visitors alike.

Coolangatta - Coolangatta is an authentic experience in old-school Aussie surf culture, where Combie vans and Kingswood cars still fill the beachfront car parks. It is the Gold Coast’s southern entertainment hub with restaurants, cafés, bars and shops happily surrounded by some of the best surf beaches in the world, like Kelly Slater’s favourite point break on the planet, the legendary Kirra barrel. Coolangatta’s charms were discovered by holiday makers in the 1880s with visitors from Brisbane and northern New South Wales gravitating to the pretty beaches annually. Today, the area’s north-facing beaches remain popular for swimming and surfing. It is an excellent spot for diving, whale and dolphin watching, and great walking/ biking tracks allow easy exploration of the coastline.

Broadbeach - Traditionally popular with locals, Broadbeach is now a favourite place for visitors who want everything right on their doorstep. The bright and open beachfront stretches as far as the eye can see with loads of patrolled swimming areas and surfing spots. The beach is overseen by Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club and bordered by one of the best public parks and playgrounds in Australia, a real attraction for families. A quick skip across the park and Broadbeach opens up into a precinct full of cafés, restaurants, retailers, and spots just to stop and take it all in. Broadbeach is the friendly beachfront community all grown up.

Surfers Paradise - The Surfers Paradise Foreshore and the newly upgraded Cavill Mall offers the perfect place to take in this famous beachfront in all its toned, tanned, and golden glory. This stretch is colloquially known as the ‘Glitter Strip’ where the glitzy Surfers Paradise entertainment, restaurant, and shopping scenes meet the golden beach, quite literally. While every kind of cuisine, couture, accommodation, attraction, and amusement is just a short barefoot walk from Surfers Paradise beach, visitors find most fun is to be had on the sun soaked sand and warm clear waves. It is a perennially popular beach with plenty of patrolled swimming areas, good surfing spots, first class amenities, and regular public events.

Learn To Surf - Young and old, girls and boys, parents and kids - all visitors to the Gold Coast are warmly welcomed and encouraged to take a surf lesson during their stay. Life is made easy for beginners with large, soft foam boards that are much more stable than small fibreglass versions. Your class will start on the sand where you’ll be taught how to stand up, then you’ll move into manageable waves selected by your teacher. Fully supervised, you can learn in a group or one-on-one. Finally you can brag to your friends and family with a photo of you standing up on a board, surfing a wave, on Australia’s most famous strip of coastline.

Surf Safety - The Gold Coast has some of Australia’s most celebrated swimming beaches, secluded coves, surfing spots, and bikini-filled hangouts. Wherever you are along the Gold Coast’s famous 55 kilometres of rolling surf and sand, our iconic Surf lifesavers and Lifeguards will be patrolling a spot close by. Be sure to look for them when choosing your place on the beach, and always swim between the red and yellow flags.