Beach Bliss: Best Sunshine Coast Beaches You Can’t Miss…
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Any region in Australia that incorporates the word “coast” in its name, is a region you want to make a note of.
The Sunshine Coast, just two hours north of Brisbane, has 100km of coastal bliss – think swaying palm trees, turquoise waters, and powdery white sand so soft you’ll want to bag it up and take it home to use as a mattress.
But with so much coast to explore, you might be wondering what are the best beaches on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
Whether you’re looking for surfing spots, snorkeling havens, or just a secluded beach to lay a towel on and get lost in a good book, these are the best beaches between Caloundra and Noosa Heads, otherwise known as the Sunshine Coast.
Mooloolaba Region, Sunshine Coast
Let’s start with our old home town, situated in the middle of the Sunshine Coast region.
Mooloolaba is teaming with chic cafes and restaurants and plenty of water activities.
It’s famous for Mooloolaba Beach, but this is not the only beach in this region worth checking out.
Behind the town is the Parrearra Channel where you’ll find the residential Minyama and Mooloolah Islands (I imagine an amazing place to live if you have the moolah!).
Mooloolaba Beach
Mooloolaba Beach made the Top 10 Safest Beaches in Queensland list and there’s a beautiful shaded BBQ grassed area to relax and escape the hustle and bustle, right next to the kids’ playground, and across the road from many restaurants and cafes.
It’s patrolled seven days a week, so is the most popular spot for families with young kids. You can go swimming, or meet with friends and family for coffee, picnic or BBQ on the grassy area behind the beach.
The Mooloolaba Surf Club sits right on the sands of the beach. It’s one of our favourite surf clubs in Australia, especially when sitting on the deck on a warm Saturday afternoon, with the windows open, the breeze blowing, the sun setting and some acoustic music playing!
Alexandra Headland Beach
Alex Headland is just north of Mooloolaba Beach and is known for its surfing break right on the headland.
I feel Mooloolaba Beach is better for kids and swimming, but Alexandrea Headland Beach is the spot for surfers. However, if you did want to swim, the beach is patrolled by the Alexandra Headland Surf Club.
There’s also a skate park and playground here, and you can rent surf boards or sign up for surf lessons from here too.
It also has washrooms and showers, and a few restaurants and cafes nearby.
Cotton Tree Beach
You can also stroll along the path from around Alexandria Bay towards the leafy suburb of Cotton Tree, you will find a beautiful beach at the Southern end of Maroochydore beside the Maroochy River.
The twisted branches and large round leaves of the native cotton trees provide plenty of shade along the Maroochy River – the perfect, calm place for water sports. It’s a popular spot for kite surfing as it’s quite windy in the channel.
Despite the winds, the bay is sheltered, which means no waves, making it the perfect place to go swimming with children and toddlers.
The town of Cotton Tree has a cool, relaxed local vibe with lots of quirky coffee shops and boutique stores.
Point Cartwright Beach
There is a stunning coastal walk from Alex Headland to Point Cartwright which takes about 90 minutes return – it was my daily morning walk with Kalyra when she was a baby.
Start from surfers point and walk along the headland (great for picnics and panoramic views) into Mooloolaba and alongside The Esplanade, which is known as one of Queensland’s best for al fresco dining or café bumming with stunning views of the ocean.
A short boardwalk takes you through the dune forest to Point Cartwright Beach, where you can relax on the windswept beach and unspoiled beauty.
Branches overhang, wild turkeys heckle past looking for food and other animals can be heard scurrying through the bushes. Behind the beach, there is a grassy area with plenty of chairs to sit and rest and access tracks down to the beach for a swim.
During low tide, there are rock pools which kids love to play in and look for crabs, starfish, and other sea critters. There are also BBQ areas and public toilets.
The Spit
Just near the end of the walk is the Spit, also known as Mooloolaba Spit Park, which has a large grassed area with picnic tables, and a paved path leading to a viewpoint overlooking the bay.
This area is my preferred place for swimming, especially with kids – although it’s not patrolled.
It’s calm, quiet and clear and you’re bound to see lots of fish swimming around you so bring your snorkels! Locals love to do laps up here early in the morning and it’s a great spot for kayaking.
At the end of the walk is Mooloolaba Point. Hang around for sunset and watch the fishing trawlers come in with their fresh catches of the day and then have some for dinner in one of the seafood restaurants in the wharf area – they are famous for freshness.
Mooloolaba Fisheries on the Spit has some of the best calamari I’ve ever had. The Mooloolaba Fish Market is popular for fresh seafood and take away. You can also eat at The Deck on Parkyn restaurant upstairs.
The point is a fantastic place to watch the sunset of an evening over Mooloolaba and a fabulous place to photograph the Mooloolaba cityscape of a morning when the light is soft.
If you’re a fisherman, find a spare rock and enjoy a peaceful day of angling.
Mooloolaba Wharf
Mooloolaba Wharf looks out over Parrearra Channel and the wealthy homes on Minyama Island.
It’s not a beach per say, but it’s a great spot to hire a jet ski and ride around the calm waters of the channel, or sit and admire the houses over a few drinks from the deck of the Wharf Tavern.
There are a few restaurants and cafes, shops and ice cream parlours in the vicinity.
You can get even closer to the homes and the canals on the fantastic Mooloolaba Canal Tour. We did this when we lived on the Sunshine Coast and loved it. There are different cruises you can take, the popular one being a sunset cruise.
Check out the following tours in Moolooaba:
Sea Life Mooloolaba (Underwater World)
It’s not just about playing in the water, but seeing what lives underneath it, so while you’re on the hunt for the best beaches in the Sunshine Coast, be sure to learn about the marine life and animals that call them home.
Sea Life at Mooloolaba in the wharf area went under a major $6.5 million renovation in 2016 to provide an interactive and engaging experience with the underwater world.
Sea Life is home to thousands of animals, including sharks, seals, turtles, stingrays, and tropical fish. It also is home to Australia’s largest collection of jellyfish!
And our kids loved the Octonauts themed room that was playful and educational.
The good news is you can play in the water here – with seals! A definite highlight of my visit to the Sunshine Coast was to spend 20 minutes swimming with seals Groucho, Bella, and Tico.
They are so playful, inquisitive and cute – even when they do grunt at you! I was so close to their adorable faces I was tempted to plant a kiss on their whiskers!
If swimming with seals is not your thing, you can still have an in-depth experience with a seal encounter and sit beside them for a photo and the chance to learn more about them while stroking their fur and shaking flippers.
There’s also a twice daily seal show, which the girls enjoyed watching. For the brave, and scuba fit, you can even dive with sharks.
Where to Stay in Mooloolaba
There are plenty of holiday apartments and resorts along the Esplanade in Mooloolaba to choose from.
However, we stayed at…
Mantra Mooloolaba
We loved the views from the Mantra Apartments at Mooloolaba – overlooking the hinterland and the ocean.
Perfect for any time of day. It’s located in the northern part of Mooloolaba Beach and closer to Alex Headland, which I love.
Noosa Region, Sunshine Coast
Noosa is one of the most well-known and popular holiday places on the Sunshine Coast and known for a bit of sparkle and uptown flavour.
What elevates Noosa to this status for me is the Noosa Heads National Park situated right on the edge of town.
Surrounded by river, beach, hinterland, and national park the Noosa region is quite an incredible place to play. It’s also the start of the Great Beach Drive up to Rainbow Beach and Fraser Island – one of our favourite scenic drives in Australia.
Here are the best beaches in the Noosa region of the Sunshine Coast…
Noosa Heads National Park
Head out for an early morning walk along the coastal track within the National Park from the surf club to Tea Tree Bay. It’s a stunning walk!
Enjoy a dip at Tea Tree Bay Beach, one of this national park’s many hidden beaches with only the odd dedicated surfer carrying in their boards.
If you have the stamina, you can make it all the way to Sunshine Beach (5.4km one-way), which is another local’s favourite.
You can drive to Sunshine Beach if you prefer, and then walk in from the parking lot. There is a patrolled area outside Sunshine Beach Surf Club.
There’s a lookout here and when in season (June to November) it’s highly likely you’ll spot plenty of frolicking whales migrating.
Here’s the other magical thing about Noosa National Park – it’s home of the koala bear.
So crane your neck a little and you just might make a rare sighting of one of Australia’s favourite marsupials.
Noosa Main Beach
With its gentle waves and surf lifesavers, Main Beach is a great spot for the kids to learn to surf, or just for a beach play day.
It’s also only steps away from Hastings Beach if Mum (or Dad) want to sneak away for some shopping or coffee.
Head to Noosa River mouth at sunset with a few nibblies for an epic colour show!
Pelican Beach, Noosaville
It’s incredible to see how much the Noosaville area has grown since we first lived on the Sunshine Coast. Noosaville is now a bustling place with boutique shops and many multicultural restaurants.
It’s only five minutes from Noosa, but has a more casual feel.
There’s a lovely waterfront area alongside the tranquil Noosa River, and this is where you will find Pelican Beach. It’s not a beach you want to lie on, and it’s not pretty per say, but it’s where you will find a flock of pelicans wading in the waters here.
You can also rent stand up paddle boards, kayaks, and boats. You can cruise up and down the river to the Noosa Everglades either on boats and kayaks.
Perhaps stop at the private, lux, Makepeace Island, owned by Richard Branson (we’ve requested land rights, but the response so far has been silence! Psst…our last name is Makepeace, in case you didn’t know)
If you can swing a kid-free night, the Noosa Boathouse Restaurant on the river has stunning views and delicious food – you can bring the kids too if you want!
This is my HOT tip. Head to the Noosa Farmers Market on a Sunday morning and head straight to The Sunflower Hotel smoothie & juice bar. Their Mother Earth smoothie is the BEST I’ve ever had – and I have a lot of them – it’s a meal on its own. I can still taste it and would die for one now.
The Farmer’s Market has amazing fresh produce and foodie experiences.
Peregian Beach
To the South of Noosa is Peregian Beach, known for its rugged and wild Perigian Beach Park.
Peregian is another small town known for its niche boutique stores and coffee culture, and its small enough you can explore it on foot.
The beach itself is unspoiled and windswept, but still clean and usually really quiet. It’s almost like a private paradise for anyone who visits.
Coolum Beach
Just South of Peregian is Coolum Beach, roughly halfway between Noosa and Mooloolaba.
The beach here is long, but it’s quite narrow, and is usually completely engulfed by the tide during high tide.
However, it has epic surf breaks, so if you’re looking for a Sunshine Coast beach to surf from, this is a good place to go.
There is a patrolled area in front of the surf club.
Where to Stay in Noosa
Noosa is one of the most popular areas on the Sunshine Coast, so you can expect to find a lot of accommodation choices to choose from.
To help you out, here are some places we’ve personally stayed in Noosa.
Mantra on Hastings
Although the rooms were a little small, they’re beautifully styled and located on Hastings Street right near the entrance to the beautiful Noosa National Park.
The Mantra on Hastings (French Quarter) also has a great tropical pool area the kids will love.
Ivory Palms, Noosaville
Ivory Palms Resort at Noosaville is right near the foreshore and has a range of modern and comfortable accommodation types from villas to apartments.
The facilities for kids include a gated children’s playground, three swimming pools, games rooms, and tennis courts.
Caloundra Region, Sunshine Coast
Caloundra sits at the southern end of the Sunshine Coast and has come of age since we lived in the area.
We’ve stayed in Caloundra several times and have enjoyed it every time, especially what it offers for families and has plenty of beaches to enjoy. Choose your favourite!
Golden Beach
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a water activity we love to do as a family. Whilst Savannah hasn’t quite embraced it yet she loves to take photos of us doing it.
Kalyra is a natural and always keen to jump on a board and what better place to do it than watching the sun rise over Bribie Island and Caloundra on the calm and gentle waters of the Pumicestone Passage at Golden Beach.
It sure beats the usual school morning rush hire in our household! These are the moments that affirm travelling with your kids is worth all the sacrifices.
Grab a board from the friendly folks at Golden Beach Hire who rent out kayaks as well.
Golden Beach is on the Pumicestone Passage and is sheltered from the wild ocean by the tip of Bribie Island making it lovely and calm – safe for swimming, fishing, boating, windsurfing & kite surfing.
Kings Beach
Named by SLS Queensland as the top beach in Queensland and the most family-friendly.
Based on various criteria Kings Beach certainly ticks all of those boxes; it’s patrolled 365 days of the year and also ranked extremely highly across other safety categories.
It’s a wonderful beach for a quick swim or a relaxing day trip with the family.
The highlight of Kings Beach for us was the tidal pools. The saltwater pool has great views looking out over the ocean was extraordinary and it gives you the warm, salty waters to swim in without the crashing waves.
Popular for all ages, and long enough for those wanting to fit a few laps in!
Bulcock Beach
Across the road from a strip of cafes and restaurants is Bulcock Beach, popular with families for the warm paddling pools at low tide.
There’s a lovely boardwalk along the coastline here and a grassy area at Happy Valley for ball games and has picnic areas.
Moffat Beach
Moffat Beach is not patrolled but does have a protected inlet with a beautiful swimming beach.
It’s a popular beach for surfers, and not as well known as the other Caloundra Beaches. When we lived on the Sunshine Coast, we’d come down here for fish and chips at sunset.
There’s also a spectacular coastal walk that leads from Moffat Beach right around to Kings Beach and Bulcock Beach.
An insider tip given to me by a local I was chatting to at Kings Pool is that Moffat has some of the best cafes in the Caloundra area.
Currimundi Lake
If you’re looking for a quiet beach retreat, away from the crowds yet still close to a bit of action, Currimundi is a small suburb only 5km north of Caloundra.
Craig and I rented an Airbnb property for a few days here to have a work retreat. It was the perfect place for it.
Currimundi Lake has plenty of sandy beaches and calm waters for stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, and safe swimming.
At low tide a sandy island forms in the middle for a bit of beach cricket. And the banks are full of shady trees.
Walk over the sand dunes and you’re on the beach. It’s a bit more open and wild but is patrolled on weekends and school holidays.
Even if you don’t feel like a sunrise paddle, it’s still worth getting up early with the sun in Caloundra to start your day with moments like this…
Where to Stay in Caloundra
Caloundra is mostly made up of vacation rentals and holiday resorts. Here are some places we’ve stayed at in Caloundra…
Monaco Apartments, Bulcock Beach
These modern self-contained apartments have the most beautiful views out over Pumicestone Passage, Bribie Island, Bulcock Beach and the river mouth.
You’ll be more than happy eating breakfast and sitting quietly with your cup of tea in the afternoon with these views. Monaco Apartments is a fantastic place to stay right in the centre of town with easy walking distance to most places.
Oaks Oasis Resort, Golden Beach
We didn’t stay at the Oaks Oasis Resort with our kids, we were on a couples getaway for a conference, but one look at the water park told us they’d love it.
It has a splash pool, waterslides and fountains and a giant tipping bucket. Pull up a sun lounge while the kids play!
They have hotel style rooms, apartments and villas and are an easy walk to Golden Beach, Bulcock Beach and the centre of town.
Final Thoughts
Whoa! After writing all that, I’m loving the Sunshine Coast even more now! It’s a fantastic coastal destination, especially with kids and offers so much opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature and her beautiful waterways.
But it’s not only golden sands and rolling whitewash that offer you a water wonderland on the Sunshine Coast; there are plenty of waterways and rivers to float your boat too!
We hope this guide helped you find some beaches to visit and also learned about why we love these Sunshine Coast beach towns.
Video: Family Adventures on the Sunshine Coast
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Are you planning to visit the Sunshine Coast in Queensland? Let us know which beach you’re most looking forward to seeing in the comments!
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