Every year, thousands of tourists flock to the Margaret River Region to enjoy a slice of paradise in South West Western Australia. Famous for its wineries and fantastic surf, Margaret River was our home for three months. When we weren’t busy holed up in one of the main street establishments or working hard vine pruning we were eagerly sniffing out the next best beach to relax on.
We were used to the pebbly beaches of the British shores, so the white bays of Western Australia were a sight to behold. And, being offseason and WA, they were largely empty! We think everyone deserves a perfect beach to themselves, so we’ve put together a list of the best Margaret River beaches for you to go and suss out. We’ve even included the GPS coordinates to help you get there! Don’t say we never give you anything…
1. Injidup Beach
GPS COORDINATES
Latitude: -33.699359 | Longitude: 114.989427
We stumbled upon what became our favourite WA beach by accident, looking for Injidup Natural Spa (for how to find the Spa, click here)! This huge bay is reached by a set of wooden stairs down from a small car park. When the surf is good, the parking is limited, so sometimes visitors pull up along the edge of the track. There is a toilet there and not much else besides sand, sea, and surf. Perfection.
One morning we arrived and the beach was closed to swimmers due to a shark sighting. We weren’t planning on swimming, but there were still surfers in the water. As Kez was watching the waves, she saw a fin streak through a huge wave, heading straight for a surfer. Just as she was getting ready to yell, the owner of the fin leapt out of the water and revealed itself to be a dolphin! We watched it and it’s pod playing in the waves with the surfers. It was magical. And this is why it’s number one in our Top 5 Margaret River beaches!
2. Bunker Bay
GPS COORDINATES
Latitude: -33.544104 | Longitude: 115.034596
This one was, believe it or not, brought to our attention by the label on a bottle of wine. Being the people that we are, we took the advice of the wine bottle to heart, and set off the next day with a vague idea of where we were going. The beach blew us away entirely once we got there. Edged by some of the most desirable real estate in the region, Bunker Bay is the epitome of paradise and at the higher end of the Margaret River beaches. It even has a small cafe/bar open during the day.
We spent a whole morning here just soaking up the rays, and again only saw a handful of people. It’s right next door to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, so we’d imagine it could get busier in high season. There is a lot of parking though, as well as very clean toilets. On the way back, why not swing into Clancy’s Fish Pub? Try the seafood platter – we did and it was the BEST.
3. Rivermouth
GPS COORDINATES
Latitude: -33.971712 | Longitude: 114.987277
Rivermouth was one of the first of the Margaret River beaches that we were taken too. It was also the first true Aussie beach we had seen. Needless to say, we were impressed. Huge waves crash upon the sand, and at high tide the sea meets the river (hence the name, Rivermouth).
Local kids learn to surf here, and you can enjoy a whole host of outdoor activities. You can even paddleboard and kayak up the river to explore further inland. At sunset, the locals congregate at neighbouring Surfer’s Point to watch the sun go down and eat from food trucks. You don’t want to miss that either. It’s a very mellow affair, with everyone chilling out on blankets and drinking a cold brew. As such, it was right up our street.
4. Hamelin Bay
GPS COORDINATES
Latitude: -34.21964 | Longitude: 115.030928
One of the more southerly of the Margaret River beaches, Hamelin Bay is an absolute must-see for those looking for a once in a lifetime wildlife experience. This beach is famous for its resident giant (and we mean GIANT) stingrays, who hang out in the shallows.
To get the stingrays close to you, simply wade into the sea and paddle about. As you kick up clouds of sand, they can then swoop in and suck up any dislodged tasty morsels. We won’t lie, we were a bit scared at first; one of them was literally the size of the dining table we had when we first moved out. We soon got over that though, and it was awesome to see such a spectacular creature in its natural habitat.
The rays sometimes hang out by the old dock, which is by the boat ramp and the car park, but if they aren’t there do what we did and walk back down the beach. Because the bay is long and shallow, they are often found at random spots along the beach.
5. Prevally
GPS COORDINATES
Latitude: -33.9825 | Longitude: 114.992222
Prevally is the next-door neighbour to Surfer’s Point and Rivermouth, and there is a nice walk along the dunes at the back of the beach, which takes you to the White Elephant Cafe. You can sit here with a drink and some food and watch the sun sink into the sea. Make sure you climb the steps up to the lookout too, as you can sometimes spot migratory whales!
Set back a bit from the beach is one of our favourite places to go for brunch, The SeaGarden Cafe. They do the best milkshakes and Nasi Goreng, and it’s a sheltered, dog-friendly space with beautiful sea views.
So that’s our round-up of the Top 5 Margaret River beaches! The whole area is stunning, and there are so many other beaches we couldn’t include or didn’t even get round to visiting. You’ll have to go for yourself to see! Where are some of your all-time favourite beaches?
Wow, what a great article! Thank you for reminding us of the excitement of getting out of our comfort zones and showing us such a different place. I’ve really enjoyed reading it throughout. Thanks
You are so welcome, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Beautiful article written, glad to read this article. I hope you continue to have such quality articles to share with everyone! I believe there will be many people who share my views when they read this article from you. Those who come to read your article will find lots of helpful and informative tips
Definitely adding these destinations to my bucket list!
Ahh that’s so great to hear!