The Sunset Coast: Your Guide to The Best Beaches in Perth

My decision to begin my year in Australia in Perth, WA was completely spur of the moment. I didn’t know much about Western Australia in general and nothing about Perth other than it being the most isolated city in the country. One thing I had heard from people who had made the effort to see WA was that they believed it to be one of the most beautiful parts of Australia and that I wouldn’t regret it. So, off I went, once again, to a place I never thought I would see.

Turns out, Perth has some of the most stunning natural beaches in Australia and I have had a field day taking every opportunity to explore them. From the Fremantle beaches in the South all the way up to Mullaloo in the North, you can go to any beach in Perth and not be disappointed. Every one of these beaches have toilet and change-room facilities. Plus, keep an eye out for some of my favorite places to watch the sunset.

COTTESLOE

Perth’s sunset coast begins at Cottesloe, named one of Perth’s most iconic beaches and known for white sand and calm water perfect for swimming. Behind the beach boasts a tiered, grassy area where you’ll find people lounging on blankets or playing frisbee. Cottesloe is home to a number of small shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels ideal for turning a lunchtime swim into an afternoon wander into an evening beer beneath a string of twinkly lights in a corner restaurant.

CITY BEACH + FLOREAT BEACH

City Beach turns into Floreat Beach as you walk north, either on the sand or on the boardwalk, but either one is a fantastic spot to catch the sunset, sunbathe and go for a swim. If you’re looking for a breakfast beach spot, check out The Kiosk at Floreat Beach. For dinner with a killer view and live music, Clancy’s Fish Bar overlooks City Beach.

SCARBOROUGH BEACH

If you don’t have a car of your own and are relying on public transport, Scarborough Beach is a good option and one of my favorite beaches in Perth. The boardwalk along Scarborough is currently undergoing some construction, making things look a little ugly from that point of view but once the construction is done I imagine the views from the restaurants and cafes are impeccable. Don’t worry about construction though, once you’re on the beach you won’t even notice it’s there!

Scarborough is home to a massive stretch of wide, sandy beach scattered with a smattering of some of the shiniest little seashells I have ever seen. If you’re looking for some healthy vegan food for a mid-day snack, hit up Health Freak Cafe for some seriously good health food.

SOUTH TRIGG + NORTH TRIGG BEACH

Trigg Beach has become my local beach here in Perth and less than a 10 minute drive from my house so I find myself coming here all the time – in the day for a paddle or many evenings to sit in the sand and watch the sun go down.

The coast up at Trigg feels a bit wilder to me than it does down south. South Trigg has consistent waves that attract a lot of surfers and body surfers. You can swim here but the water is usually full of surfers, so your best bet for swimming is to walk up to North Trigg.

North Trigg Beach begins once you hit Trigg Island – a limestone rock formation jutting out from the sand. From there, the water is calm and perfect for swimming, snorkeling and floating about. It’s also a great spot to go if you have kids.

If you’re keen for a drink or some food, The Canteen and Island Market are both right off South Trigg Beach and have everything from fish and chips to salad plates.

Just up the road from North Trigg and across the street from Bennion Dog Beach is a beachy, dog-friendly, surfer-esque cafe called Yelo. A bit on the expensive side for a cafe but chill vibes and good coffee.

BENNION BEACH + BENNION DOG BEACH

If you walk up to the boardwalk just past North Trigg you’ll find a pathway taking you down into a small and secluded section of Bennion Beach. Since I love having an entire beach to myself, I found myself in this little bay tons of times and every time was either totally alone or only a couple of others on the beach!

Bennion Beach goes on for a stretch, into North Bennion and the Bennion Dog Beach – perfect if you have a fur baby that you want to bring with you.

METTAMS POOL

Mettams Pool is a family-friendly beach and part of Marmion Marine Park. You’ll find people snorkeling, sunbathing and swimming thanks to it’s calm, reef-protected water. The color of the water at Mettams is beautiful – shfiting from clear light blue to deeper turquoise with the shadows of the reef below.

MULLALOO

Mullaloo, where the sand is soft and fluffy and the water is a swirl of aquamarine. This may have become my favorite beach spot in Perth, with free parking, a big grassy area filled with people sunbathing + kids playing and a wide open beach that is beautifully quiet on the weekdays and buzzing with activity on the weekends. Across the road from Mullaloo is the Mullaloo Beach Hotel – the perfect place to end a beach day with a cocktail up on the terrace for a killer sunset view.

SORRENTO

With it’s beach protected by a shark net, Sorrento is the perfect beach option in Perth if, like me, you can’t get ankle deep before vividly imagining yourself being swallowed up by a great white. Despite the gnawing ethical concerns of shark nets, I have to admit that I had the best swim of my entire time in Perth while at Sorrento. I was able to swim out as far as I liked, the water was calm enough to swim ocean laps in the morning hours before noon and the beach was quiet.

From Sorrento you can take a quick walk over to Hillary’s boat harbour for some shopping or you can pull up a seat at the tables at Sorrento’s little outdoor coffee shop.

HILLARY’S BOAT HARBOUR

Hillary’s has a little bit of everything, for everyone. You can take a stroll around the Sorrento Quay Boardwalk, browsing through the many shops or grabbing a bite at one of the restaurants. You can bring your beach bags to the little beach in the harbour that has perfectly still water.

If you’ve got kids (or are an au pair and need a fun place to bring the kids), there’s a big playground just off the beach. And if you still haven’t gotten tired of watching sunsets (because how could you ever get bored of a good sunset), you can pull up a table at Breakwater and grab a cocktail and some appiez.

Perth has loads more beaches to discover, but these are some of the prettiest (and most popular) ones along the sunset coast and I reckon they are some of the best beaches in Perth. If you happen to know of an awesome “secret” beach spot, let me know!