Beaches in Noosa – The Best Spots to Throw Down a Towel

There are so many beaches in Noosa to choose from! This post will give you a rundown of the best spots to throw down a towel and go for a dip.

This article may contain affiliate / compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here.

Beaches in Noosa

Noosa is known for its beautiful beaches, and for good reason! Often thought to have some of the best beaches on the Sunshine Coast, and even all of Australia! Life in Noosa revolves around the beach. And no matter what time of day you visit there will always be people surfing, swimming and SUP’ing. From the calm waters of Noosa Main Beach to the crashing waves of Sunshine Beach, there are a ton of beaches to choose from, each suitable for different tastes. In this post I will run through some of the most popular beaches in Noosa, to help you decide where to lay down your towel for a sunny afternoon!

🏝️ Heading to Noosa? Check out our ultimate Noosa Travel Guide, which includes everything you need to know for a trip to Noosa!

Noosa Main Beach

Without a doubt the most popular beach in Noosa, Noosa Main Beach is where most holidaymakers will choose to find a patch of sand. Situated on the tourist epicentre of Hastings Street, this beach is within walking distance from the most popular places in Noosa. Main Beach has all the conveniences you need, like toilets, showers, and restaurants and cafes right along the beach. The Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club offers the best view in town for a drink, and Bistro C makes a great brunch or lunch spot. There are also a few vendors selling drinks, snacks and ice creams, so you don’t need to leave the beach at all if you’re hungry!

The waves here are usually quite gentle, making it a great spot for swimming and playing in the shallows. Main Beach is patrolled by surf lifesavers year round so it is a safe spot for swimming with kids or less experienced swimmers. Plus, the views of the headland and national park here are beautiful.

The downside of Main Beach is that it can get very busy in summer, on weekends and in the holidays. Getting a park around the area can be near impossible. And finding an inch of sand in amongst the sea of striped beach cabanas can be just as tough!

Pros:

• Convenient location
• Amenities and food and drinks just off the beach
• Patrolled year round
• Gentle waves

Cons:

• Can be incredibly busy in peak periods
• Parking is a challenge
• Not very peaceful or relaxing
• Not dog friendly (a pro or a con!)

Little Cove

Head away from Main Beach towards the national park, and Little Cove Beach is the next beach along. We absolutely love this beach. Enclosed by a small rocky headland on either side, it feels much quieter and more secluded than the expansive Main Beach. There is one apartment block elevated above the beach, but beyond that, there is no development here. But no development means no amenities like toilets, or food and drinks. There is a shower to rinse off in though.

A go-to spot for new surfers, there are gentle waves that usually break further offshore. This makes it a great spot for swimming too. However, this beach is not patrolled by surf lifesavers. Be sure to check the conditions and assess your own abilities. There is also no car park at Little Cove, so you either need to walk up from Hastings Street or try your luck on the surrounding streets like Alderly Terrace.

Being a little further round the coast, Little Cove is a great spot for sunset. You can actually see the sun dropping down behind the surrounding mountains (not a common thing on the east coast!). We usually climb up the rocks at the southern end of the beach (towards the national park) for a good sunset vantage point.

Pros:

• More quiet and peaceful than Main Beach
• Great spot for sunset
• Gentle waves, good for new surfers and swimming

Cons:

• Not patrolled
• No amenities or parking at the beach
• Not dog friendly

Noosa Spit

Also referred to as the Noosa River Mouth or River Entrance Beach, the Noosa Spit is the area where the Noosa River flows out into Laguna Bay. The Spit is our favourite place to head for a swim because there usually aren’t any waves. Technically you are swimming in the Noosa River, so it is much calmer. At the turn of the tide, the current can be strong, but it’s really fun to jump in at one point, float around towards the ocean and jump out and do it all over again! On a sunny day, the water here is so clear and blue it could be mistaken for the Whitsundays. This is also the perfect spot to watch the sunset in Noosa.

There is a car park right in front of the beach, but it does fill up on a busy day. But the entire length of Claude Batten Drive (the road that leads to The Spit) has parking, so it’s usually not too difficult to find a spot. There aren’t any toilets right at The Spit, but further back towards Hastings Street there is a toilet block in the Noosa Woods. Just recently a food truck, The Spit Van, has set up and serves coffee, ice cream and toasties right beside the beach. They are open all weekends, holidays and some weekdays. Check their Facebook page for more details. This just makes The Spit even better in our eyes!

Pros:

• No waves and clear, sparkly blue water
• Good food on-site
• Best spot to see the sunset in Noosa
• Dog friendly

Cons:

• Toilet is a bit of a walk away
• Parking can sometimes be hard in peak periods
• Currents can be strong
• Beach not patrolled by surf lifesavers

Tea Tree Bay

Nestled inside the Noosa National Park, this stunning bay is probably the most scenic and beautiful beach in all of Noosa. Tea Tree Bay is the first beach you encounter on the popular Coastal Walk. And it takes around 20 minutes to get here from the national park entrance and car park. But this short journey means you are much more likely to have the beach to yourself, only sharing with the dedicated surfers who make the trek in daily. Fringed by Pandanus trees, when the sun is shining and the water is sparkly blue it looks like a Noosa postcard.

🏝️ Top tip: there are other beaches inside the Noosa National Park, but be aware that the southern end of Alexandria Bay (the last beach in the national park) is an unofficial nudist beach. You may see some things you don’t want to see if you’re not careful!

The beach itself is a popular spot for experienced surfers, who hang around the point. But swimming is also possible here too. Just be aware the beach is not patrolled by surf lifesavers and there are rocks hidden in the water. There is a toilet just behind the beach, but no other facilities here. So pack a picnic, and enjoy an afternoon in quiet paradise!

Pros:

• One of the most picturesque beaches in Noosa
• Enjoy part of the popular Coastal Walk to get here
• Much more quiet, and less busy than Main Beach
• Public toilet close to the beach

Cons:

• Waves and current can be strong here
• Not patrolled
• Need to pack all your own food and drink
• Not dog friendly

Noosa River Foreshore

Technically not the ocean, but a beach nonetheless! The Noosa River is a great spot for a swim, and there are plenty of different ‘beaches’ along Gympie Terrace in Noosaville. Being the river, there are no waves, but the water is still clean and clear close to the river mouth. There are no surf lifesavers patrolling the river, but it is a safe and calm spot for swimming for all ages.

You can pretty much choose anywhere to enter the river in Noosaville. There are a few sandy beaches, but the entire stretch of Gympie Terrace and the river foreshore is grassy parkland. There is no shortage of shady trees to lay down your towel. As well as chairs and tables, sheltered areas, BBQs and toilets. You won’t be short on food or drink options either, with so many restaurants, cafes and bars to choose from. Both on the riverfront, and just across the road.

You can also rent basically any kind of watercraft here too! If you’ve had enough of swimming, you can go for a stand-up paddleboard or kayak, rent a jet ski or a boat (some without a boat license!). There are rental places lining the river, but we recommend heading for Noosa Stand Up Paddle, O Boat or U-Drive.

Pros:

• Safe swimming for all ages
• Plenty of amenities and food and drink outlets
• Sit on the grass, not sand (we can’t be the only ones who hate sand!)
• Dog friendly

Cons:

• Not technically the ocean
• Not patrolled by surf lifesavers
• The water can be busy with boats, jet skis, kayaks etc.
• Parking can be difficult in peak periods (as with all places in Noosa!)

Sunshine Beach

A popular town in the Noosa area, Sunshine Beach is also a beautiful spot for a swim or surf. This beach is an ‘open beach’, so it is not protected by any headland or points. This means the surf and swells here can be pretty large, and it’s definitely not a relaxing spot to float around. But the beach is patrolled daily throughout the warmer months, and swimming and splashing around in the shallows is possible. The sand stretches on for miles in both directions, so there are plenty of spots to lay down your towel and build sandcastles.

The patrolled area is just in front of the town, so there are tons of options for food and drink close by. The Sunshine Beach Surf Club is a great spot for a meal or a drink, with stunning ocean views. There are also amenities like toilets, tables and chairs, sheltered areas and BBQs.

We love the northern end of Sunshine Beach, which meets up with the end of the Noosa National Park. The swell here against the rocky point is very strong, but the towering headland and steep hill behind it give this beach a wild feel, and it’s very scenic. This part of the beach is an off-leash dog area, so Stanley loves coming here for a run around with his furry friends.

Pros:

• Patrolled most of the year
• Amenities and food options close by
• Northern end of the beach is dog friendly

Cons:

• Strong swell and currents
• Not the safest or most relaxing swimming spot
• Swimming not advised at the northern end of the beach

Castaways Beach

Of all the eastern beaches, Castaways Beach is the one we come to regularly. And it has earnt a place as one of the best spots in Noosa for us. This beach is really just a beach. There are no buildings, developments or vendors. Just pristine, open beach as far as the eye can see. The beach is lined with a thick strip of vegetation, so it is quiet and secluded from the road. There are some small dunes you can sit on for a nice picnic, or to watch the sunrise.

Again, being an ‘open’ beach, there are pretty decent waves no matter the conditions. We swim here often, but you need to be conscious of the rips and currents as the beach is not patrolled. There is a car park here with a public toilet. And being a dog-friendly beach, there is a hose for rinsing sandy doggos. We come to Castaways Beach most days for a run along the beach at low tide, and a swim to cool off. Stanley can come with us and run wild, playing with lots of other dogs along the way.

Pros:

• Dog friendly
• Very natural, quiet and secluded
• Perfect spot to watch the sunrise

Cons:

• Strong waves and swell
• Not patrolled
• No food or drink outlets close by

Peregian Beach

Further south of Castaways Beach, you will find Peregian Beach. A very similar type of beach, but the main differences are that the beach is right in front of the town of Peregian Beach, and it is patrolled. The beach itself is still natural and pristine, but you are a stone’s throw from cafes, restaurants and amenities like tables and chairs, sheltered areas and BBQs. Make sure you allow some time to explore the lovely Peregian Beach Village, which has a very local feel compared to some of the busier parts of Noosa.

Being patrolled, if you swim between the flags you can safely enjoy the waves and swell. The beach is expansive and has views down to the neighbouring suburb of Coolum. Dogs are allowed on some parts of the beach here, but they must be on the lead.

Pros:

• Patrolled beach
• Close to Peregian Beach town and amenities
• Expansive beach with lots of room for everyone

Cons:

• Can have large waves and swell
• A little busier than neighbouring Castaways Beach
• Quite a distance from Noosa Heads

BONUS: Noosa Fairy Pools

Okay, so this is not a beach. BUT it is a beautiful spot for a swim in Noosa and a must-visit in the area. Read all about the Noosa Fairy Pools in my guide here.

Planning a trip to Noosa

Beaches in Noosa guide

As you can probably tell, there are all kinds of beaches in Noosa! Beaches for swimming, for surfing, for sunrises, for sunsets. And with all this choice, even on a hot, summers day when every man and his dog (literally!) flocks to the water, you should be able to find your own patch of sand. Living in Noosa, it’s unusual for us to go longer than a day without going to the beach, and I’m sure you will find the same on your holiday here.

🏝️ Beached out and looking for other things to do in Noosa? Check out this post, sharing 30 things to do and places to visit around the Noosa area