The best beaches on the Coffs Coast

Stretching for around 60 kilometres from Red Rock in the north to Bonville in the south, the Coffs Coast boasts around 30 stunning beaches, each with its own personality and appeal.

Destination NSW

Dec 19 -

min read

Jetty Beach

Jetty Beach is a protected beach, home to the Coffs Harbour Jetty. It’s an accessible beach with a beach mat and beach wheelchairs and is patrolled in the summer holidays. Every Sunday, a market takes place nearby, with stalls selling local produce, clothes homewares and more, and you will find plenty of restaurants and cafes in the streets behind the beach. From Jetty Beach, it's an hour return walk to picturesque Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve.

Coffs Harbour Jetty, Coffs Harbour

Park Beach

Coffs Creek meets the ocean at Park Beach. A long stretch of sand close to the centre of Coffs Harbour. A popular spot for surfing, fishing, kayaking and swimming, you can also walk the full length of the beach and then along Macauleys Headland Walk. There are lots of beachside dining options and accommodation nearby, as well as the Twilight Food Markets on Fridays.

Park Beach, Coffs Harbour

Diggers Beach

Located right across the road from Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana, Diggers Beach is a wide and sheltered spot. Head north along the beach and you’ll find secluded Little Diggers Beach, an unofficial nudist beach. If you fancy a walk, the trail from Diggers Beach to Charlesworth Bay takes you through rainforest and past the Solitary Islands Aquarium.

Surfers enjoying the sunset before a morning surf at Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour

Moonee Beach

North of Coffs Harbour is Moonee Beach. This beautiful nature reserve is home to rare and threatened species with seaside caves, coastal rainforest and pandanus lining the sand. This area is the traditional homeland of the Gumbaynggirr people, and you can learn more about their Aboriginal heritage and culture on a Wajaana Yaam Gumbaynggirr Adventure Tour, paddling up Moonee Creek on a SUP or kayak.

Views of the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve from Look At Me Now Headland

Emerald Beach

Look At Me Now Headland at beautiful Emerald Beach is a fantastic place for spotting kangaroos, especially if you visit in the late afternoon. The beach is popular with both surfers and swimmers, and it's often quieter than other beaches along this coastline. With a picnic area and playground behind the beach, it’s a good family-friendly beach on the Coffs Coast.

Emerald Beach, Coffs Coast

Sawtell Main Beach

Waves lap onto sandy dunes at main beach in Sawtell, a popular spot with surfers. With cool cafes, restaurants and boutiques nearby it's also a great spot for those out of the water too. Head south and you will find Sailors Bay, sheltered by a small island which can be reached at low tide as well as rock pools and an ocean pool on the other side of Bonville Headland.

Sawtell Beach, Coffs Coast Visitor Services

Sawtell Main Beach, Sawtell - Credit: Coffs Coast Visitor Services

Arrawarra-Corindi Beach

A popular surf spot, Arrawarra-Corindi Beach has gentle waves, great for beginners and longboarders. Mojo Surf run the Spot X Surf Camp here, with accommodation and surf lessons. The beach has picnic tables, toilets, beach showers, barbecue facilities and a playground area. There are also great rock pools, and the beach is patrolled for the summer school holidays.

Arrawarra-Corindi Beach, Coffs Harbour

Woolgoolga Beach

This patrolled sandy beach is great for surfing, fishing, diving and snorkelling. Woolgoolga Beach also has tidal rock platforms, which are popular with kids. This is also a great spot to visit in winter, as Woolgoolga Headland is considered the best place in the region for whale watching between June and October.

Woolgoolga Beach, Woolgoolga

Nambucca Heads

There are several stunning beaches at Nambucca Heads, including Main Beach, Shelly Beach, Beilbys Beach and South Beach, which is in the Gaagal Wanggaan (South Beach) National Park. Shelly Beach is considered one of the best spots in the region for swimmers, as the headland creates a natural shelter. Main Beach is patrolled during the summer school holidays and at weekends from October to Easter.

Main Beach, Nambucca Heads

Bongil Bongil National Park

You can enjoy over 7kms of pristine beach in Bongil Bongil National Park. A fantastic spot to get away from the crowds, you can also drive your 4WD along the beaches here. There are trails through the forest, where you might spot a koala, as there is a large population of cute marsupials living in the national park.