Bilinga is a favourite with holidaymakers due to its proximity to Coolangatta and the Gold Coast Airport. The north-facing orientation of Bilinga Beach also means it offers smaller and safer surf conditions than its neighbouring beaches.

 

Nearby beaches: Tugun-Kirra (0.7km), Tugun (0.9km), North Kirra (0.9km), Flat Rock (1.1km), Currumbin (1.6km). 
Coastal highlight: enjoy a run, walk and/or bike ride along the one kilometre Coastal path which runs from Bilinga to Tugun Beach. 
 

Facilities: Public and disabled toilets/ showers/ park/ barbecue/ picnic huts/ parking/ buses. Dogs allowed outside flagged areas.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Bilinga Surf Lifesaving Club.
Surfing: there are beach breaks along most of the beach, which are typically sheltered from strong south-east winds.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Whether you’re visiting the state’s only surf museum, taking a dip in the postcard perfect Currumbin Creek Estuary, or getting up close and personal with Mother Nature at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, there’s never a dull moment when it comes to this delightful coastal jewel voted Queensland’s cleanest beach in 2013.

 

Nearby beaches: Currumbin Inlet (0.2km), Flat Rock (0.4km), Tugun (0.7km), Palm Beach (1.3km), Bilinga (1.6km).
Coastal highlight: walk, run and/or cycle north past the Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club and Elephant Rock, down to the Currumbin Alley; keep following the path all the way around Currumbin Creek to Palm Beach.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ parking/ nearby bus service/ dogs allowed at Currumbin Inlet outside of flagged areas.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club.

The twin towns of Coolangatta and Tweed Heads have long offered locals and visitors the best of both worlds when it comes to natural attractions. Greenmount Point is a coastal headland which separates Rainbow Bay to the south and Coolangatta Beach to the north, while Greenmount Beach is the name of the south eastern end of Coolangatta Beach.

 

Nearby beaches: Rainbow Bay (0.4km), Kirra (0.5km), Snapper Rocks (0.6km).
Coastal highlight: Greenmount Hill for spectacular whale-spotting views north; Coolangatta Beach for a beautiful oceanside picnic and/or take a walk around the stunning Kirra Point.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ lookout/ picnic shelters.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes (two).
Food and drink: Greenmount Surf Lifesaving Club, Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: Greenmount is a slower paced section of the famed southern point break and is better suited to beginner and intermediate boardriders.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Kirra is the spiritual home of surfing on the Gold Coast; and Kirra Point, separating Kirra Beach to the north and Coolangatta Beach to the south, is considered one of the world's premier surf breaks. Three times men’s World Surf League Champion, Mick Fanning, is the marquee star of the famed Kirra Surfriders Club.

 

Nearby beaches: Greenmount (0.5km), Coolangatta-greenmount (0.5km), Coolangatta (0.5km), Rainbow Bay (0.9km), Snapper Rocks (1.1km) .
Coastal highlight: Visit the plaque located at Big Groyne, Kirra, that’s dedicated to the late Michael Peterson; the “King of Kirra” is indelibly remembered for his phenomenal tube-riding skills and still regarded by the global surf community to be the most technically innovative surfer during the early-to-mid 1970s. Walk around Kirra Point past the heritage-listed Kirra Pavilion, and be sure to venture to the top of Kirra Hill and share the beautiful panoramic view with the iron eagle - an arresting sculpture that stands sentinel over Kirra’s world-famous waves.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ lookout/ park/ BBQ/ picnic shelters/ buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Kirra and North Kirra Surf Life Saving Clubs.
Surfing: Kirra Point is for strictly for experienced boardriders only when big swells are running, but the break further north is suitable for intermediate boardriders.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Palm Beach is a four kilometre, north-east facing beach that runs north from Currumbin Alley to Tallebudgera Creek. Palm Beach (south); Pacific (north Palm Beach) and Tallebudgera form the trio of surf clubs that patrol this beautiful stretch of sand, which is garnished with multi-million dollar beach homes.

 

Nearby beaches: Currumbin Inlet (1.5km), Currumbin (1.7km), Flat Rock (2.1km), Tugun (2.4km), Burleigh Beach (2.4km).
Coastal highlight: walk, run and/or cycle north from Currumbin Beach, around the Currumbin Estuary inlet, past the Pirate Park and north along Jefferson Lane, before heading for Tallebudgera Creek and Tallebudgera Recreation Camp. Take a stroll out across the seawall, looking north over the creek mouth, or walk back along the creek towards Neptune Surf Life Saving Club on Tallebudgera Creek; continue to the Tallebudgera Creek Bridge, before turning north and intercepting Burleigh Headland National Park.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ dressing sheds/ showers/ parks/ barbecue/ picnic shelters/ playgrounds/ parking/ seawalls/ bus stops.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, Tallebudgera Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: there are excellent beach breaks along most of the beach, but beware of the Tallebudgera Creek mouth and fast moving tidal surges.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Situated north of Point Danger, Rainbow Bay is a favourite with families and holidaymakers and the gateway to Snapper Rocks. The famed right hand sand-bottom point break commonly referred to as “The Superbank” is home to world-surfing champions, Stephanie Gilmore and Joel Parkinson, and the annual Gold Coast Quiksilver Pro World Surf League event.

 

Nearby beaches: Coolangatta (0.4km), Coolangatta-Greenmount (0.4km), Kirra (0.9km).
Coastal highlight: Walk approximately 0.7 to one kilometre north to the beautiful Point Danger, the Queensland and New South Wales border indicator.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ lookout/ kiosk/ café/ parks/ barbecues/ picnic shelters/ playground/ parking.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Rainbow Bay Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: this surf break is part of the “Superbank” and the top of the wave at Snapper Rocks is fast paced and generally attracts experienced boardriders.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

It’s believed that Tugun derived its name from an Indigenous word of unknown dialect meaning “breaking waves”. Surf up a storm along the expansive beach breaks, walk the dog on leash outside of flagged areas, or just sit back and enjoy the stunning view looking north to the Surfers Paradise skyline.

 

Nearby beaches: Flat Rock (0.4km), Currumbin (0.7km), Bilinga (0.9km), Currumbin Inlet (0.9km), Tugun-Kirra (1.6km).
Coastal highlight: run, walk, or cycle north to Flat Rock, or Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin Alley point break and Currumbin Estuary.
 

Facilities: Public and disabled toilets/ showers/ park/ playground/ barbecue/ picnic huts/ parking/ buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Tugun Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: there are beach breaks along most of the beach.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

In 1934, the South Coast Bulletin Newspaper announced Broadbeach as a new seaside township which boasted 70 surveyed allotments. The foreshore was mined for its mineral sands which were exported overseas, but mining ceased in the mid-1950s and the sand dunes were rehabilitated with grass and trees. Today, Broadbeach is a vibrant business and family-friendly entertainment precinct.

 

Nearby beaches: Northcliffe (0.7km), The Spit-Miami (0.9km), Kurrawa (0.9km), Surfers Paradise (1.4km), Mermaid Beach (2.2km).
Coastal highlight: check out the Lantern Market held every Friday night between September and July, or perhaps stray off the beaten track and try your hand at surfing.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ park/ playground/ duck pond/ barbecues/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

This two kilometre stretch of sand starts where the basalt boulders of Burleigh Headland fall into the sea and ends at North Burleigh Headland. Burleigh Boardriders is the longest running boardriders club on the Gold Coast, where the iconic Burleigh barrel was made legendary during the 1977 Stubbies surf competition; the first ever contest to use the man-on-man format which is still used on today’s professional World Surfing League Championship Tour.

 

Nearby beaches: Miami Beach (1km), Tallebudgera Creek (1.3km), Pacific (1.5km), Tallebudgera (1.5km), Nobby Beach (1.6km).
Coastal highlight: Walk, run, or cycle along the Coastal path that parallels between the Burleigh Esplanade and the beach from Burleigh Headland to North Burleigh Headland. Throw on your active wear and enjoy the many fitness stations located along the foreshore.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ parks/ barbecues/ picnic shelters/ playgrounds/ parking/ seawall/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Mowbray Park Surf Life Saving Club, North Burleigh Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: Burleigh Headland is for experienced boardriders only, but the open beach breaks offer an excellent variety of conditions.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Mermaid Beach did not get its name from the mythical half-human sea creature, but rather from the cutter HMS Mermaid that explorer, John Oxley, sailed aboard in 1823 when he discovered the Brisbane and Tweed Rivers. This enchanting seaside village is the perfect juxtaposition to its much bigger Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise neighbours.

 

Nearby beaches: Nobby Beach (0.7km), Kurrawa (1.3km), Miami Beach (1.4km), North Burleigh (1.4km), Burleigh Heads (2.2km).
Coastal highlight: take a break from exploring ‘Millionaire’s Row’ and post up at the Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Club which was founded by United States Army personnel stationed here during World War II.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ kiosk/ café/ parking/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Mermaid Beach has an eclectic dining scene that caters to every budget and opulent tastebud.
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach and conditions are best on a moderate swell and offshore winds.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Miami Beach occupies the southern one kilometre beach between North and South Nobby. Founded in 1946, the Miami Beach Surf Life Saving Club was once known as the Ipswich Railway Surf Life Saving Club and John Farnham's 1988 music video for the top 10 hit, "Two Strong Hearts", was filmed outside the old Miami Ice factory on the Gold Coast Highway.

 

Nearby beaches: North Burleigh (0km), Nobby Beach (0.7km), Burleigh Heads (0.9km), Burleigh Beach (1km), Mermaid Beach (1.4km).
Coastal highlight: cool off with a swim, take a stroll, or simply relax under a Norfolk Pine with a good book. This gorgeous stretch of coastline has everything for the serious beach goer.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ lookout/ kiosk/ café/ parks/ BBQs/ picnic shelters/ playgrounds/ parking/ seawall/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Miami Beach Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: Miami is an open beach break with waves that suit all levels board riders.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

It’s documented that ‘the Nobbies’ was the late 19^th Century name for Little Burleigh Head; a local reference to Tallebudgera grazier Frederick Fowler’s head bullock, Nobby, who once went missing and was later found in said location.

 

Nearby beaches: Kurrawa (1.3km), Miami Beach (1.4km), North Burleigh (1.4km), Burleigh Heads (2.2km).
Coastal highlight: join the beautiful and athletic crowd for a tour of Hedges Avenue; this strip is regarded as Australia’s prestige beachfront property address and commonly referred to as 'Millionaires' Row’.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ lookout/ kiosk/ café/ parks/ barbecues/ picnic shelters/ playgrounds/ parking/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Nobby Beach and Mermaid Beach Surf Life Saving Clubs are hard to go past.   
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach and conditions are best on a moderate swell and offshore winds.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

Surfers Paradise’s sand, sun and surfing lifestyle is iconic. In 1959, the first high-rise building was constructed in Surfers; a historically significant moment that ignited what’s now considered to be a world-renowned skyline. “Surfers” as it’s colloquially referred to, is a premier international tourist and entertainment destination that hosts 20,000 visitors per day.

 

Nearby beaches: The Spit-Miami (0.5km), Northcliffe (0.7km), Broadbeach (1.4km), Southport (1.5km), Kurrawa (2.2km). 
Coastal highlight: cycle, walk, or run along the beautiful Surfers Paradise foreshore: a public space which hosts a plethora of events such as the beachfront markets; the hugely popular night markets and various other family-friendly events. 
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ kiosk/ shops/ park/ barbecues/ light rail/ buses
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club.
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

In 1920, the highway connecting Sydney to Brisbane was constructed at Narrowneck and (in 1921) it became necessary to build the Gold Coast’s first seawall out of timber. Nowadays, Narrowneck is the slender stretch of sand that separates the Nerang River from the southern end of Main Beach and the northern end of Surfers Paradise beach.

 

Nearby beaches: The Spit (0.5km), Surfers Paradise (3.5km), Northcliffe (4.2km).
Coastal highlight: watch the kite surfers sailing on the summer's northerly breezes, or suit up and take advantage of the perfect diving and longboarding conditions in winter.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/café/ parking/ regular buses.
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, Main Beach Surf Life Saving Club.  
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach and conditions are best on a moderate swell and offshore winds.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

The surf beach closest  to the city’s CBD of Southport, the aptly named Main Beach, is located to the north of Surfers Paradise and feeds into The Spit; a permanent sand structure that separates the Gold Coast Broadwater from the Pacific Ocean.

 

Nearby beaches: Surfers Paradise (3.5km), Northcliffe (4.2km).
Coastal highlight: visit the old bathing pavilion turned casual beach café, Pavilion 34, or divert off and stroll through the exclusive restaurants, bars and boutiques of Tedder Avenue. Doug Jennings Park is a must for a waterside picnic and the Federation Walk is a 3.5 kilometre pedestrian walkway starting at Sea World Tourist Park and finishing at the Gold Coast Seaway. 
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/ kiosk/ shops/ park/ barbecues/ buses
Patrolled lifeguard tower: yes.
Food and drink: Main Beach Surf Life Saving Club.  
Surfing: beach breaks extend the full length of the beach.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.

South Stradbroke Island is one of more than 360 islands within Moreton Bay; the southern end of South Stradbroke Island fronts the Broadwater and the tip marks the Gold Coast Seaway. The island has hundreds of wild wallabies that are well known for joining campers at their fires.

 

Nearby beaches: The Spit (0.5km).
Island highlight: The island is a tourism destination and there are numerous campsites, but if you’re of the ‘glamping’ persuasion, be sure to visit Couran Cove Island ecotourist resort which was established by the late and great City of Gold Coast Mayor, Ron Clarke AO MBE.
 

Facilities: public and disabled toilets/ showers/kiosk/ playground/ barbecue.
Food and drink:  there is a basic kiosk at Tipplers, however, this is camping territory, so be sure to take your own supplies.
Surfing: South Stradbroke offers one of the best open beach breaks along the Australian east coast. It is fast paced and attracts experienced boardriders.
Swim: between the red and yellow flags.