7 Best Port Macquarie Beaches – A Complete Guide

Port Macquarie beaches are among some of the best beaches along the east coast of Australia and not to be missed during your visit to this beautiful coastal town in New South Wales. Conveniently, the beaches in Port Macquarie can be explored via an easy scenic coastal walkway which takes 2 hours one way. 

Apart from the beaches, Port Macquarie is home to an abundance of wildlife and is known for having the highest koala population on the east coast of Australia!

I recommend spending anywhere between 2 days and 1 week to explore all the sights and, of course, the beautiful beaches.

In this guide, I have put together a complete list of the 7 Best Port Macquarie Beaches including where to find them and what to expect. 

Also, at the bottom of this guide, I have included some useful information on where to stay in Port Macquarie, the best time to visit, and other points of interest on Australia’s east coast. 

 

 

WHERE IS PORT MACQUARIE

Port Macquarie is approximately a 7-hour drive south of the Gold Coast and around 4.5-hours drive north of Sydney.

Click here to see the location on Google Maps.

 

HOW TO GET HERE

It’s best to have your own vehicle to visit Port Macquarie NSW as public transportation options are far and few between. 

Search All → Car Rentals in Gold Coast

Search All → Car Rentals in Sydney

View of Town Beach Port Macquarie

 

7 BEST PORT MACQUARIE BEACHES

Please see below for an overview of the 7 Best Beaches in Port Macquarie that you will find in this post:

1. Town Beach
2. Oxley Beach
3. Rocky Beach
4. Flynns Beach
5. Nobbys Beach
6. Shelly Beach
7. Lighthouse Beach

 

#1 TOWN BEACH PORT MACQUARIE

Town Beach is the most northern beach in Port Mac and the perfect place to start your adventures!

Located near the town center, Town Beach features a large sandy shoreline with azure waters, grassy picnic areas, a skatepark, an outdoor gym, a beachside kiosk, and bathroom amenities. 

At the northern end of Town Beach Port Macquarie, you can find the colorful break wall which has brightly painted rocks and artworks. A great spot to take some photos and enjoy the views of Town Beach. 

The south end of Town Beach is where you’ll find the trailhead for the Port Macquarie beaches coastal walkway. From this point, you can explore all of the beaches in Port Macquarie from north to south with the journey taking around 2 hours one-way to complete. 

Town Beach

Town Beach Port Macquarie

Enjoying the view

Port Macquarie coastal walk

 

#2 OXLEY BEACH

Next up on this list of best Port Macquarie beaches is Oxley Beach which can be found right around the headland to the south of Town Beach.

On the way, be sure to stop into Flagstaff Lookout for an awesome view of Oxley Beach before continuing along the coastal walkway to reach the sandy shoreline.

Oxley Beach is a common spot for surfers and beachgoers who come here to avoid the crowds on the more popular beaches in Port Macquarie.

Oxley Beach

 

#3 ROCKY BEACH

Rocky Beach is another awesome spot worth adding to your list of beaches to visit in Port Macquarie.

Heading along the coastal walkway, Rocky Beach is the next beach along from Oxley Beach, featuring a rocky shoreline with tidal rock pools, blue waters, and golden sands.

The Rocky Beach Lookout can also be found on top of the hillside which boasts panoramic views of the beaches to the north and south.

Rocky Beach

Rocky Beach Lookout

The view from Rocky Beach Lookout

 

#4 FLYNNS BEACH PORT MACQUARIE

Flynns Beach is the most popular beach in Port Mac and for a good reason! Featuring a 500-meter long stretch of glistening white sands, azure blue waters, rideable waves, and grassy picnic areas.

You could easily spend an entire day down on Flynns Beach Port Macquarie with plenty of things to do such as sunbaking along the shoreline, swimming between the red and yellow flags, learning to surf in the bay, grabbing a meal at the Surf Club, BBQing by the beach and exploring the rocky headlands.

There is a parking lot located right down on the beachfront at Flynns Beach making it easy to access and it’s suitable for people of all ages to come and enjoy this spectacular beach.

Flynns Beach – Photo: @meraki.pho

 

#5 NOBBYS BEACH

Next up on this list of best beaches in Port Macquarie is Nobbys Beach which is ideally located just a stone’s throw from Flynns Beach. 

The most unique feature of Nobbys Beach is Nobby Head, a rock formation covered in trees that sticks out into the ocean. Nobby Head is an iconic landmark in Port Macquarie which makes for an epic photo so be sure to have your camera at the ready. You can also hike to the top of Nobby Head to the Henry Gardiner monument and viewpoint.

Nobbys Beach is not patrolled but it’s still possible to go for a swim if the sea conditions are calm. Nobbys Beach is also dog-friendly making it a perfect spot to take a stroll with your dog along this short stretch of sandy shoreline. 

At the southern end of the beach is John Downes Park which boasts elevated views of Nobbys Beach from the lookout.

WANT TO SAVE $$$ ON AIRBNB? GET MY AIRBNB MONEY SAVING GUIDE

Sunset at Nobbys Beach – Photo: @meraki.pho

Nobbys Beach – Photo: @meraki.pho

View of Nobby Head

 

#6 SHELLY BEACH

Shelly Beach is my personal favorite and can be found on the southern side of Nobby Head. Just like Flynns Beach, there is a parking lot located along the shorefront making it very easy to access.

Surrounded by lush forest, Shelly Beach is a great place to go for relaxing in the sun, swimming in the tidal rock pools or simply perching up on one of the beach-side park benches and marveling at the ocean.

Shelly Beach boasts a long stretch of golden sands, perfect for a casual beach stroll. I also recommend taking the bush trail to Harry’s Lookout for extensive views of this epic beach from above. 

Shelly Beach in Port Macquarie

The beautiful Shelly Beach

Harry’s Lookout at Shelly Beach

View of Shelly Beach

 

#7 LIGHTHOUSE BEACH

Last but not least on this list of best Port Macquarie beaches is Lighthouse Beach.

Featuring a cement lighthouse on a grassy headland, a rocky cove on the north side and a long 9km stretch of golden sands on the south side, Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie is well worth the visit!

There are wooden stairwells on either side of the lighthouse which you can use to access both beaches. There is also a wooden viewing platform at Lighthouse Beach where you can spot humpback whales cruising along the coast.

If you can time your visit to Lighthouse Beach for sunrise, I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Lighthouse Beach Port Macquarie

The stairs to Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouse Beach

Tacking Point Lighthouse

Viewing deck at Lighthouse Beach