DISTANCE: 35km (22 miles)
TIME: A full day
START: South Beach, Fremantle
END: Hillary’s Boat Harbour/Mullaloo
POINTS TO NOTE: You can visit South Beach by CAT bus, and Cottesloe by train, but the best way to explore the whole Sunset Coast is to hire a car. Directions are easy: keep the ocean on your left. It’s possible to drive from Fremantle to Mullaloo in under an hour. But don’t. Stop to swim, and sit, and sip and see. For calm conditions, choose a day when there’s an easterly breeze. Many beaches are exposed, with little shade or shelter – dress accordingly. Unless you really know what you’re doing, stick to swimming on patrolled beaches and stay between the flags.
Perth might not be on the coast, but 20-minutes’ drive from the CBD lies the spectacular Sunset Coast, where 20 idyllic Indian-Ocean beaches link sandy hands for 50km (30 miles) north of the Swan.
On sun-spattered weekend mornings the entire city seems to tip towards the ocean. Trendy Cottesloe, surfy Scarborough and family friendly Hillary’s can get hectic, but you can always find a secluded spot somewhere along Sunset. Busier beaches have amenities (toilets, changing rooms, picnic and barbecue areas), and sand-side restaurants, cafés and bars – many serving well into the evening.
A beautiful summer day at Leighton Beach
Shutterstock
From Freo
The Sunset Coast officially kicks off at Cottesloe, but we start at South Beach 1 [map] – oft overlooked because of its proximity to Fremantle (handily close, actually, to Cappuccino Strip). An outlying reef here means no surf, but there are views of Fremantle Marina and a grassy area punctuated with Norfolk pines. Several barbecue stations and an adventure playground make this popular with local families.
Port Beach 2 [map] is long and sandy, but its backdrop is Fremantle’s docks. Strong winds discourage sunbathing, and signs warn swimmers of strong currents and submerged rocks. Neighbouring Leighton Beach 3 [map], home of Fremantle Surf Life Saving Club, is popular with wind- and kitesurfers. There’s a small car park and a kiosk here.
Mosman Beach 4 [map] marks the start of Cottesloe Reef Fish Habitat Protection Area, which shields rare species by imposing restrictions (on jet skis and spearfishing for example) and extends to North Street. There are no facilities beyond benches, and beach access is tricky for people with disabilities or young children.
Cottesloe
South Cottesloe Beach 5 [map] has a playground on a grassed area set back from the beach, but otherwise lacks amenities, which means it’s often quiet (but close to Cottesloe’s facilities).
Cosmopolitan Cottesloe 6 [map] is this coast’s main hub, popular with visitors and locals alike. Trains run between Cottesloe and the city, parking is plentiful and free (for 3 hours) – if Marine Parade is full try nearby Napier Street. Bars and cafés along Marine Parade enjoy great ocean views and fling their windows open on hot summer’s days, floating the lively atmosphere into the street. Enjoy the view from C Blu (see 1 [map]).
Sunset on Swanbourne Beach
iStock
The town permanently displays 15 sculptures from previous Sculpture by the Sea exhibitions, held every March (www.sculpturebythesea.com/cottesloe). Lifeguards keep a watchful eye on the beach action from in front of the iconic Indiana restaurant building. Swimming conditions are generally good. An artificial reef on the far side of the groyne was created to reduce the number of surfers jostling for position on the main beach. It still gets busy, though.
Landscaped lawns rise up behind the beach, lined with Norfolk pines which provide much-needed shade. Lots of families come here as there are toilets, picnic benches, barbecues, a playground and plenty of room for children to run around. At night, make the most of the floodlit beach and enjoy fish and chips on the sand.
North Cottesloe Beach 7 [map] is far quieter, and only a minute’s drive along Marine Parade, or a short walk along the beach. There are no facilities, limited roadside parking, and the beach is not patrolled.
Sculpture by the Sea
Shutterstock
Swanbourne and city
Best-known for being clothing-optional, Swanbourne Beach 8 [map] is next to a military base and accessed by a no-through road, so has plenty of privacy, but swimming conditions can be rough. There are toilets and lots of parking. Following the road around the back of the army barracks takes you to the start of the West Coast Highway, leading to several beautiful beaches.
First is award-winning City Beach 9 [map]. A large grassy area slopes gently down to a wide stretch of sand overlooked by the Surf Life Saving Club. Toilets, a kiosk and barbecue facilities mean you can comfortably spend entire days here. There are also volleyball nets on the sand and a playground. Parking is plentiful. Duck into the Hamptons City Beach (see 2 [map]) for a cold craft beer.
Expansive and attractive Floreat Beach ) [map], in the affluent suburb of the same name, is popular with locals. It’s patrolled part-time (look for red-and-yellow flags). There’s a good range of amenities, including toilets, parking, free public volleyball courts, café, kiosk and large playground set under brightly coloured shades on a grassed picnic area.
Brighton Beach ! [map] is another good-sized stretch of sand, framed by attractively landscaped picnic and playground areas. Access is a short walk from the large car park through the dunes. Lifeguards patrol, surfers have their own designated area and there’s a kiosk. It’s a good option for those wishing to be near the attractions and amenities of Scarborough without the crowds.
Scarborough has a popular beachfront running track
iStock
Scarborough
Perhaps the premier coastal beach destination in suburban Perth, Scarborough @ [map] is undoubtedly the largest and most developed. Offering a wide range of waterfront accommodation, it’s popular with visitors who prefer to be outside the city centre and with local surfers. The beach is patrolled, and regular surf life-saving competitions and displays are held.
Various water sports are possible, or you can kick back and watch the action from the grassed picnic area behind the dunes. The beachfront jogging track is well used, and the Scarborough to Trigg Heritage Walk (three short loop options, which can be combined to make a 7km/4.5-mile trek) is worth exploring. There’s a good choice of bars, cafés and restaurants, and a supermarket, all a short walk from the beach. On Sunday afternoons, the bars get pretty rowdy as the legendary ‘Sunday session’ kicks off.
Trigg and Marmion Marine Park
South Trigg Beach has toilets and a grassed picnic area, but not much else, so most people carry on to Trigg Beach £ [map], another popular spot with surfers. The beach is patrolled, but strong rips can make swimming dangerous. Pop into The Wild Fig (see 3 [map]) for a feed, or BYO picnic or barbecue basics and hit Clarko Reserve, a big grassy area back from the beach with a playground.
From Trigg to Burns Rock (north of Mullaloo) lies the Marmion Marine Park $ [map], established in 1987 to protect the reefs, lagoons and small offshore islands that run for some 5km (3 miles) along this coast. A haven for fish, dolphins, sea lions and birdlife, the park – the first of its kind in WA – offers great diving and snorkelling.
Dive boats depart from Hillary’s Boat Harbour, but you can snorkel from the beaches, which are dramatically different from others along this stretch of coast. Gone are the dunes of Scarborough and Brighton and the wide expanses of sand at Floreat and Cottesloe; instead you’ll find rocky outcrops jutting out of relatively narrow sections of sand.
Hamptons City Beach
Alamy
Watermans Beach % [map] boasts a good stretch of sand and interesting rock pools to explore. The water is calm in the shallows, making it good for children and inexperienced swimmers, and there’s a beachside playground under shade-giving Norfolk pines. Marmion Beach has a small car park, but little sand.
With plenty of accommodation – and Hillary’s Boat Harbour’s shops, cafés and attractions right next door – Sorrento Beach ^ [map] is a good place to come for the day. Sorrento itself has a beachside kiosk and toilets, and is patrolled by lifesavers, as winds sometimes make conditions rough.
Fremantle Doctor & Sunday Sessions
Even in the sweaty grasp of high summer, when WA’s temperatures regularly head somewhere north of 31°C (87°F), Perth’s suburban beaches receive some blessed relief from a phenomenon known as the ‘Fremantle Doctor’. This is the affectionate term given to the famous sea breeze that floats across Freo and the beaches of the Sunset Coast from the southwest each afternoon, cooling the foreshore down beautifully. It’s caused by the difference in temperature between the water and the air, so the warmer the weather, the more reliable the Doctor’s appointment becomes. In the dying hours of summer weekends, celebrating the arrival of the Doctor with a few cold beers in bars overlooking the ocean during in the mid-afternoon has become a tradition known as the ‘Sunday Session’.
Hillary’s
The small, purpose-made beach at Hillary’s Boat Harbour & [map] is always busy with families. Boats are prohibited in parts of the marina, allowing safe swimming in calm water. There’s an adventure playground on the sand, while further back from the beach is a small funfair, waterslides, minigolf and trampolines. The beach is patrolled and the surrounding precinct is filled with boutiques, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, most of which line the timber boardwalk known as Sorrento Quay.
Behind is the excellent Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA; www.aqwa.com.au; daily 10am–5pm), which recreates WA’s five distinct coastal environments. The highlight is the walk-through aquarium representing the ‘Shipwreck Coast’, where sharks, loggerhead turtles and stingrays glide effortlessly over your head. There’s also a touch pool, saltwater crocodiles from the tropical north and a kaleidoscope of fish from Perth’s Coast. The aquarium offers mermaid classes (master a single fin) and the opportunity to swim with sharks.
Touch pool at the Aquarium of Western Australia
Shutterstock
To Mullaloo
Just north of Hillary’s lies Whitfords Nodes, a large park with picnic spaces, scenic lookouts, a children’s playground and a long beach, with plenty of parking off Whitfords Avenue. Pinnaroo Point is another rugged coastal beach with a small grassed area and children’s playground, while Whitfords Beach has parking (but little else). As in many places along this coast, these beaches are linked by a beachfront dual-use cycle/pedestrian path. Mullaloo Beach, towards the northern tip of the Sunset Coast, is a large, attractive spot, with picnic and barbecue facilities scattered across landscaped lawns overlooking the beach.
Food and drink
1 C Blu
140 Marine Parade, Cottesloe; tel: 08-9383 5414; www.obh.com.au; daily 7.30am–9.30pm; $$$
Mere metres from the white sands of Cottesloe Beach, offering a $10 all-day breakfast and lovely lunch and dinner options. The sound of the surf, the fresh sea air and the picture-perfect sunsets all appeal to visitors’ senses and complement the food.
2 Hamptons City Beach
179 Challenger Parade; City Beach; tel: 08-9385 9588; www.hamptonscitybeach.com.au; daily 7am–10pm; $$$
This beachside bar and restaurant has a great deck overlooking the white sand and rolling water of the Indian Ocean. Enjoy sunsets with craft beer, boutique wine and cocktails, or tuck into top food from a well-considered menu that celebrates the seasons and the locality (with wonderful seafood). Try the salt and pepper squid and cleanse your palate with a raspberry sorbet bombe.
3 The Wild Fig
190 The Esplanade, Scarborough; tel: 08-9245 2533; www.thewildfig.com.au; daily 6am–10pm; $$$
More amazing views from this classy coast-hugging restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Enjoy excellent coffee in the morning, or ocean-side drinks with complimentary tapas a little later, before tucking into a menu that makes the most of excellent local produce, with a little international flair (try the Spanish beef arancini).