12 of the Most Beautiful Beaches in Australia

Sydney’s Manly Beach may not be as internationally famous as its local rival Bondi Beach, but we’re making a bold call: it’s better. Generally less crowded than Bondi (unless you visit during a public holiday weekend in summer), Manly Beach is a beautiful 1.2-mile (2-kilometer) stretch of golden sand flanked by towering Norfolk Island pines.

You’ll find ocean baths at either end, and the sea here is especially good for surfing. And if you take a walk along Marine Parade, you'll find the more sheltered cove of Shelly Beach, too. Other great things about the Manly neighborhood? The art deco architecture is a treat for the design-minded, and the ferry ride or cruise to Manly through Sydney Harbour is an attraction in itself.

With colorful fish and coral this amazing, you'd be forgiven for mistaking Ned's Beach for the Great Barrier Reef—though its volcanic peaks are more than a little reminiscent of Bora Bora. However, Ned’s Beach is actually on Lord Howe Island, a tiny volcanic island in the Tasman Sea off NSW’s Port Macquarie.

Here, snorkel at the offshore fringing reef, which you can walk to from the beach; go diving; or hand-feed the mullet, wrasse, spangled emperors, kingfish, and other marine species. An extra-special feature of Ned’s Beach is that it’s usually crowd-free, as visitor numbers to Lord Howe Island are capped at 400 at a time.

Not all beaches were made for lazy lounging. The Stockton Sand Dunes, just north of Newcastle, are ideal for more adventurous beach pursuits. The dunes stretch on for 20 miles (32 kilometers) and are the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere.

People come to the Stockton Dunes—part of the Worimi Conservation Lands—to go sandboarding, quad biking, camel and horse riding, fishing, or camping at remote beach campsites, as well as to learn about the Worimi Aboriginal Nation. If you’d rather take it easy, the 130-foot (40-meter) high dunes are an impressive sight in themselves.

Whitehaven Beach in Queensland is 4.3 miles (7 kilometers) long and is located on the largest of the 74 Whitsunday Islands, Whitsunday Island itself. The whole place is picturesque, but this beach is a particular standout, featuring on most island tours.

Once you're there, after swimming and lounging on the silica sands, you should take a walk through the native bush to lookout points over the island, such as Hill Inlet at the northern end of the beach, where the swirls of turquoise water and white sand meet.

Insider tip: You can stay on Whitsunday Island or visit on a day trip from Airlie Beach.

Exploring the beaches of Northern Queensland’s Cape Tribulation is probably the closest you’ll ever get to experiencing what the Earth—or, parts of it—were like 100 million years ago. Cape Tribulation is part of the Daintree Rainforest and the Daintree National Park, one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world.

To get there, consider taking a day tour from Port Douglas or Cairns. Then, once you're there, you can lay a towel on Cape Tribulation Beach (or beaches, as there are a few) for a great way to get a front-row view of this region's incredible natural beauty. (Just avoid swimming as there are saltwater crocs and jellyfish in the area.)

Part of Western Australia’s Cape Range National Park, this beach is an ideal spot for water sports enthusiasts who don’t want to work too hard—you can step right into the offshore drift current at Turquoise Bay, which makes exploring the Ningaloo Marine Park a breeze.

Snorkelers will also find a lot to love here, from thick coral gardens and reef sharks to stingrays, turtles, and more. (Not to mention that the water is warm and the sand is soft-soft-soft.) In short, Turquoise Bay is one of Australia’s most pristine beach locations, perfect for visitors of all ages and only about a 45-minute-drive from Exmouth.

Searching for hidden gems on Australian shores? In Western Australia, a state known for its remote spots, the beach at Cape Leveque is one of the most remote. Located on the northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region, Cape Leveque is 124 miles (200 kilometers) north of Broome along mostly unpaved roads (or a short flight away!).

Getting there is rather a rugged adventure and a 4WD vehicle is necessary, but the sight of bright orange sandstone cliffs tumbling into the tropical ocean makes this a worthwhile trip for the intrepid beach seeker. When you're there, you can also snorkel, take a glass-bottomed boat cruise, or watch humpback whales between July and October.

Many overlook the southern state of Victoria when searching for top beach destinations in Australia, but they shouldn’t. Especially because the beautiful Squeaky Beach is located on the western coast of Wilsons Promontory, just a few hours by car from Melbourne.

This gorgeous shoreline has crashing surf, white sand, and large boulders, especially at its northern end, which create a maze of passages that are fun to explore. However, you can just as easily spend the day lounging on the sand, too.

Did you know?: The unusual name comes from its fine quartz sand that makes a squeaking sound underfoot when it’s dry.

Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay (pronounced Jarvis) is the only entrant here from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) because the territory is mostly landlocked. The nation’s capital, Canberra, is actually set on a lake 90 miles (150 kilometers) inland from the South Coast in New South Wales South Coast, completely surrounded by New South Wales.

But coastal Jervis Bay is rather an anomaly, as it's administratively part of the ACT ... though somewhat removed from it, geographically. And it’s perhaps no wonder that Canberra doesn’t want to give it up—it has some of the whitest sand in Australia, making it the optimal destination for lazy beach lounging, as well as the perfect spot for dolphin watching and sea kayaking.

Another contender for the contentious title of beach with the whitest sand in Australia? Almonta Beach on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, an 8-hour drive from the state capital Adelaide, and an hour from Port Lincoln. In fact, most of the peninsula offers dazzling white sands, making this one of the must-visit coastal spots in Australia, but Almonta Beach checks a laundry list of boxes.

Part of the Coffin Bay National Park, this bushland that meets the sea is full of wildlife, from emus to kangaroos, so it’s a must-visit for nature lovers as well as beach bums. You can also snorkel in a lagoon that forms at low tide, and seafood fans won’t want to miss the offshore oyster farms, either.

North-eastern Tasmania’s Bay of Fires was named after an 18th-century English navigator who saw fires burning along the coast while sailing past. But it’s also the perfect name for a bay that’s dotted with large boulders covered in flame-colored lichen.

The combination of hues here is dazzling—particularly dreamy for budding photographers—and elevated coastal campgrounds make great bases for beach adventures and bird- and dolphin-watching excursion. Plus, the Bay of Fires is only a few hours away by car from Launceston and Hobart, meaning that it's not too tricky to get to.

Darwin’s Mindil Beach is a popular local hangout, thanks to its lively Sunset Market on Thursdays and Sundays from April to October. But shopping aside, it’s the tropical sunsets framed by coconut palms that make this a memorably beautiful Australian beach. When in town, you'll want to grab some freshly prepared food at the market and watch the sun set over Fannie Bay.

However, keep in mind that it’s best to swim at Mindil Beach between June and September, when lifeguards patrol the beach and deem it safe from deadly box jellyfish. Or, head to the walled-off Darwin Waterfront for a stinger and croc-free swim in the city at any time of year.