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, Port Macquarie beaches 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 Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie beach guide, I have included some useful information on where to stay in Port Macquarie, the best time to visit Port Macquarie and other points of interest on Australia’s east coast.
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Contents
WHERE IS PORT MACQUARIE & HOW TO GET THERE
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 exact location on Google Maps.
It’s best to have your own vehicle to visit Port Macquarie NSW as public transportation options are scarce.
Search All → Car Rentals in Gold Coast
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Another great option for traveling along the east coast of Australia is to rent a campervan that comes fully equipped with a double bed, fridge, gas cooker, kitchen utensils, lots of storage and many more great features. It’s a recipe for a good time and from my own personal experience, I highly recommend renting a campervan with Travellers Auto Barn, one of the most reputable and top-rated campervan rental companies in Australia!
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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:
- Town Beach
- Oxley Beach
- Rocky Beach
- Flynns Beach
- Nobbys Beach
- Shelly Beach
- Lighthouse Beach
#1 TOWN BEACH PORT MACQUARIE
Town Beach is the most northern Port Macquarie beach 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, outdoor gym, beach-side 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 this beautiful Port Macquarie 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 – Port Macquarie Beaches
Colorful break wall at Town Beach Port Macquarie
Town Beach Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie beaches 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.
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Oxley Beach – Port Macquarie Beaches
#3 ROCKY BEACH
Rocky Beach is another awesome spot worth adding to your list of Port Macquarie beaches to visit.
Heading along the coastal walkway, Rocky Beach Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie beaches to the north and south.
Rocky Beach – Port Macquarie Beaches
Rocky Beach Lookout
The view from Rocky Beach Lookout
#4 FLYNNS BEACH PORT MACQUARIE
Flynns Beach is the most popular Port Macquarie beach and for a good reason! Featuring a 500-meter long stretch of glistening white sands, azure blue waters, rideable waves and grassy picnic areas. Flynns Beach is pretty hard to beat and not to be missed on your list of Port Macquarie beaches to visit.
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 Port Macquarie beach.
Flynns Beach Port Macquarie – 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 this Port Macquarie beach is John Downes Park which boasts elevated views of Nobbys Beach from the lookout.
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Sunset at Nobbys Beach – Photo: @meraki.pho
Nobbys Beach – Photo: @meraki.pho
View of Nobby Head – Port Macquarie Beaches
#6 SHELLY BEACH
Shelly Beach is my personal favorite Port Macquarie beach which 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.
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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 Port Macquarie beach from above.
Shelly Beach – Port Macquarie Beaches
The beautiful Shelly Beach Port Macquarie
Harry’s Lookout at Shelly Beach
View of Shelly Beach – Port Macquarie Beaches
#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 Beaches
The stairs to Lighthouse Beach Port Macquarie
Lighthouse Beach
Tacking Point Lighthouse
Viewing deck at Lighthouse Beach – Port Macquarie Beaches
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 AGODA OR SEARCH ON BOOKING.COM
BEST TIME TO VISIT PORT MACQUARIE
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, Spring) which is most ideal for beach bumming, nature walks and water sports.
Summer in Port Macquarie is between December and February which sees hot temperatures and rainfall.
MAP OF PORT MACQUARIE BEACHES
MORE AUSTRALIA TRAVEL GUIDES
The coastline and hinterland areas along the east coast of Australia boast countless beaches, lakes, waterfalls, hikes and many more fun-fuelled adventures waiting to be had!
This is what Australia is all about and what I love to share with you in my detailed destination guides.
Click on the links below to see more related posts:
- Crescent Head: 9 Things To Do In Crescent Head
- Byron Bay: Things To Do In Byron Bay
- Gold Coast: 3 Day Gold Coast Itinerary
- Springbrook: Springbrook Waterfalls
- Brisbane: Things To Do In Brisbane
- Fraser Island: Fraser Island Day Trip
- Sydney: Things To Do In Sydney
- Melbourne: Things To Do In Melbourne
LONELY PLANET – AUSTRALIA
One of the best books to take on your trip is the Lonely Planet Australia Travel Guide!
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AIRBNB PORT MACQUARIE
Another option for accommodation near Port Macquarie beaches is to stay in an Airbnb, which generally has some great deals in the area!
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JOIN MY FACEBOOK TRAVEL TRIBE
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MY SHOP
Before you go from this Port Macquarie Beaches post, don’t forget to check out My Online Shop!
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FINAL THOUGHTS OF PORT MACQUARIE BEACHES
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions about Port Macquarie Beaches, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as I can!
Happy Adventuring!