The Gold Coast of Australia is one of the most popular destinations in Australia. With a population around 680,000 it is the second largest city in Queensland after its capital, Brisbane. Originally named South Coast as it spreads almost 70 kms south of Brisbane, on the border of the state. The area was discovered by James Cook in 1770 but only in the 20th century developed into the trendy tourist destination as it is today.
City of Gold Coast has subtropical climate and lots of sunshine as it is located in the 'Sunshine State'. Very famous for its world-class surfing beaches, exciting theme parks, vibrant night life and lush hinterland. It is also a beloved movie shooting location and hosted major events like the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
As Gold Coast consists of 70 kms of coastline, there are plenty of unique and stunning beaches from South Stradbroke Island to Rainbow Bay. Which one should you see? During his 3 years of living in GC, Chris tried all of the beaches out (from snorkeling and surfing to family picnics). We listed the most famous and our top pics here starting from North.
South Stradbroke is the Northernmost beach of the Cold Coast and there are absolutely no crowd due to the difficult access - you can only paddle over on your board or take a boat ride. Also, the shark nets are do not reach this shore, making this beach the most dangerous of all the beaches here!
The Spit
The Southport Spit, or just Spit is a well-liked surf spot in the North because of the pointbreak of the jetty. It is a dog-friendly beach too with no crowd and a big parking lot which makes this place easily accessible. This area is also home to the Sea World and some luxurious resorts like Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, Palazzo Versace (with its 6 stars!) or the Marina Mirage lounge.
LOCAL'S TIP: Here's the best and cheapest place for seafood lovers - Peters Fish Market offers the best quality seafood, straight from the morning catch!
Main Beach
Main Beach got its name from the fact that in the past it was the main beach but today it's an overlooked shore. Yet, there are nice restaurants and cafes nearby, and the quiet neighbourhood is perfect for families with kids.
Surfers Paradise Beach
Surfers is the busiest and most famous beach on the Gold Coast. It's located in the city centre very close to the main attractions, theme parks, most of the accommodations, restaurants as well as shopping malls. Surfers is also the heart of the nightlife making the area very touristy. Though the beach is nice and taking a photo of the Surfers Sign is a must, locals don't really come here - it is crowded and despite the name, the surfing conditions are not the best. However, there are some fun things to do here like the award-winning arcade, the Timezone or the Beachfront Market on Fridays (check the details here).
LOCAL'S TIP: Have a pint at House of Brews from the 32 available crafted beers straight from the tap or share Straya's biggest platter (the Magyar Medieval Platter) with 9 of your friends!
Broadbeach
Broadbeach is an elegant suburb with fancy restaurants, high rise resorts and apartments and home to facilities like the 'Pacfair' (the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Australia's fifth largest shopping centre), the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and The Star Casino and Hotel. The beach here is packed with playgrounds, BBQ and picnic areas making it a family-friendly option. Mermaid beach is another great beach for families.
LOCAL'S TIP: If you wanna have a night out, we highly recommend going on a Tuesday night to the Casino as you can have basic spirits super cheap, just for 5 AUD!
Burleigh Heads Beach
The locally called Burleigh is a renowned surf spot and attracts participants and spectators as well. The Quicksilver Pro professional surfing contest is often held here if the conditions are not suitable at other beaches such as Kirra. Burleigh Beach is gorgeous and its scenic park is a great place for barbies (BBQ) and picnics. The Burleigh Farmers Market is open every Saturday and offers fresh food products from local farmers. South from the beach there's the Burleigh Head National Park - head for the Tomgun Lookout for a breathtaking view to the Gold Coast skyline and Tallebudgera Creek!
LOCAL'S TIP: The Burleigh Heads Hotel (actually a pub) is an awesome place to have a brewsky with your mates.
Palm Beach
Palm Beach is a suburb with the cleanest beaches in whole Queensland! They are not so different from other beaches of the Gold Coast, except they are the least crowded and most relaxing. The surrounding area is less developed than its northern counterparts yet the beaches are popular among bodyboarders, and the playgrounds, picnic tables and parks attract families and dog walkers.
Talle
Tallebudgera Creek, or 'Talle' as the locals call it, is our personal favourite! It lays between Burleigh Heads and the Palm Beach. The water is amazingly turquoise and clear and the lack of waves in the creek makes it the perfect snorkeling spot in GC! The calm water is safe for children and good for paddle boarding too.
Currumbin Beach and Creek
Currumbin beach is the beach for everyone! From surfing and snorkeling to sandcastle-building with the kids or having a picnic in the park. This beach is also a great place to try surfing as many surf schools are operating here and offer lessons on the spot. Just hop on a paddle board (you can hire one on the shore) and explore the versatile area! Unfortunately, it can be quite crowded, as it is surfable in almost any conditions and due to its popularity the parking lot is always full!
LOCAL'S TIP: After an exhausting day in the water, have a lunch at Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club - try the Chicken Parmy and admire the view from the terrace. Also, if the parking lot is full, look for a parking spot on Duringan Street, along the creek.
Tugun and Bilinga Beach
These are the beaches that no one knows about except the locals. Nice cozy cafés and bars around the area as it sits right next to the Gold Coast Highway. For some people these beaches are considered to be dodgy which is of course is not true. It is as pristine as other beaches, but this is considerably the least crowded of all.
North Kirra and Kirra Beach
Kirra is the surfing centre of all Queensland. It has some of the best and most diverse surfing conditions. Multiple surfing competitions, World Championships - both professional and amateur - are held here, famous gold medalists are surfing this area as well. But don't be afraid, the smaller waves are ideal for beginners and swimmers as well. There are heaps of surf shops, board hires, surf schools and convenience stores that sell boards (it has to be one of the most Australian things I’ve seen in 3 years of living there).
Coolangatta
Coolangatta (or as locally called Cooly) is a really laidback area with plenty of cafés, pubs, surfclubs, nice lookouts, and many options for shopping. Cooly has a vibrant social life as most of GC's big concerts and parties are held here (in Coolangatta Hotel). The two main beaches are Coolangatta Beach and Greenmount Beach in Rainbow Bay and they are the only north-facing beaches in whole GC - making them perfect for swimming. Rainbow Bay is great for surfing as well - that’s where I surfed first in my whole life with a hired board. It has awesome conditions and lots of friendly and helpful surfers ride here.
Then there's Snapper Rocks - a rock formation and another great spot for surfing due to the great breaking point and huge swells. But be careful, it can be very dangerous for newbies (because it's really rocky)! On the other side of Snapper Rocks there's Frogy’s Beach – it's not even a beach really but a small hidden bay area with a huge rock sitting in the middle that has been graffitied to resemble a frog – that’s why locals started calling it Froggy’s.
LOCAL'S TIP: Stroll along the scenic walkways to Point Danger where you can overlook to Duranbah. In the cooler months, this is the point where you can see whales passing by.
+1 Duranbah beach
A plus one because it is not officially part of GC - it is part of Tweed Heads, the twin city of Gold Coast and a city on the other side of the state border - but no one cares, Gold Coasters call it their own anyways! Duranbah (or just D-Bah as it is called here) is one of the world's best known surfing beaches! It has great conditions for surfing but can be super harsh and dangerous for newbies. It's the place where pro surfers practice and they do not like newbies who are stealing the waves and figuring out how to stand on board... So if you look for a place to swim or learning how to surf, you'll find many other beaches to do so.
As Gold Coast has a huge network of waterways - the 860 km navigable tidal waterways are made of 5 main rivers, numerous creeks, lakes and canals - there are some pretty inland beaches (though they are not as popular as the creeks). Just to mention a few: Southport, Budds Beach, Marine Stadium, Currumbin Alley, Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake.
About beach safety
The Gold Coast has Australia's third largest professional surf lifesaving service to protect people on the beaches and to promote surf safety. Besides that, there is the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) that aims to protect swimmers from sharks with nets and patrols. So your only concern is to follow the guidelines and swim between the flags!
Find the mentioned beaches on the map and read more about the beaches and safety guides here.
Save it for later and check out the other post about Straya!
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