Port Macquarie beaches are among some of the best beaches along the east coast of Australia and are 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 exploring 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 at each one.
WHERE IS PORT MACQUARIE
Port Macquarie is approximately a 7-hour drive south of the Gold Coast and around 4.5 hour’s 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.
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BEST TIME TO VISIT PORT MACQUARIE BEACHES
Port Macquarie sees glorious sunshine almost all year round.
If you want the best of the best conditions weatherwise, I recommend visiting between May and October (Autumn, Winter, and Spring) which is ideal for beach bumming, nature walks, and water sports.
Summer in Port Macquarie is between December and February which sees hot temperatures and rainfall.
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:
- Town Beach
- Oxley Beach
- Rocky Beach
- Flynns Beach
- Nobbys Beach
- Shelly Beach
- Lighthouse Beach
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.
This is 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.
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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 at 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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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LIGHTHOUSE BEACH
Last but not least on this list of the 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.
WHERE TO STAY IN PORT MACQUARIE
There are countless accommodation options to choose from in Port Macquarie so I have narrowed it down to a few of the best places to stay to fit the needs of budget backpackers, luxury travelers, and everyone in between.
See below for a list of accommodations that I personally recommend:
Luxury: Flynns Beach Resort
Mid Range: Waters Edge Port Macquarie
Budget: Beachside Backpackers
FOR ALL OTHER PLACES TO STAY IN PORT MACQUARIE, SEARCH ON BOOKING.COM
WHAT TO PACK FOR PORT MACQUARIE
When visiting Port Macquarie, here is a list of items I highly recommend bringing with you:
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FINAL THOUGHTS – BEACHES IN PORT MACQUARIE
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions about Port Macquarie Beaches, please leave a comment below this post and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
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THANKS FOR READING
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