Being situated at the head of Port Phillip Bay, the beaches of suburban Melbourne are all bay beaches. As the bay is a large, deeply indented and almost landlocked expanse of water extending northward from Bass Strait, the beaches are calm, the sand is clean and the water rarely polluted thanks to tidal movements in the bay.
If surf beaches are more to your liking, there are plenty of good ones up and down the coast beyond the outskirts of Melbourne. These beaches are found on the ocean sides of the two peninsulas that surround the southern waters of the bay - the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas.

OCEAN BEACHES

Mornington Peninsula

Gunnamatta Beach
Ocean surf beach within the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Care should be taken because rips can make this beach unsafe for swimming. Gunnamatta Surf Life Saving Club and professional lifeguards patrol the beach from the end of November to Easter (daily from December 26-January 26. Weekends and public holidays at other times).

Gunnamatta Beach

Portsea Surf Beach
Popular surf beach. Part of the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Can be treacherous at times and care should be taken. Patrolled from the end of November to Easter by Portsea Surf Life Saving Club and professional lifeguards (daily from December 26-January 26. Weekends and public holidays at other times).  

Rye Ocean Beach
Surf beach within Mornington Peninsula National Park. Walking track to beach. Care should be taken because rips can make the beach unsafe for swimming.    

Sorrento Ocean Beach
Popular surf beach. Part of the Mornington Peninsula National Park. Picnic and barbecue areas. Kiosk, tearooms. Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club and professional lifeguards patrol from the end of November to Easter (daily from December 26-January 26. Weekends and public holidays at other times).

---

Western Port

Flinders Beach

Flinders Ocean Beach
Protected sandy beach. Excellent picnic, barbecue and play facilities in foreshore reserve. Boat ramp. Flinders ocean beach, part of Mornington Peninsula National Park, is off Golf Links Road.  

Balnarring Beach
Popular Westernport beaches with well-vegetated sand dunes. Views to Flinders and Phillip Island. Camping, caravan parks. Foreshore reserve with picnic, barbecue and play facilities.  

Merricks Beach
Safe sandy beach. Walking tracks through wide foreshore reserve to beach.  

Point Leo Surf Beach
Popular surf beach with swells rolling in from Bass Strait. Extensive foreshore reserve with picnic, barbecue and play facilities. Kiosk, camping area. Pt. Leo Surf Life Saving Club and professional lifeguards patrol the beach from the end of November to Easter (daily from December 26-January 26. Weekends and public holidays at other times).  

Shoreham Beach
Steep, sandy, pine-tree framed beaches around the mouth of Stony Creek. Rocky platforms and reefs popular for family exploration. Foreshore reserve has picnic and barbecue facilities.  

Somers Beach
Popular sandy beach on Westernport. Picnic and barbecue facilities within wide foreshore reserve.  

---

Bellarine Peninsula

Point Lonsdale

Ocean Grove
Excellent ocean swimming and surfing beach. Cafe, kiosk and parking. Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club and professional lifeguards patrol from the end of November to Easter (daily from December 26-January 26. Weekends and public holidays at other times). Other surf beach at nearby RAAFs.  

Point Lonsdale
Ocean and bay beaches at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. Safe, protected bay beach ideal for families. Wide grassed and treed foreshore reserves. Lighthouse, Rip View lookout are other attractions. Surf beach patrolled by lifesavers during summer.

BAY BEACHES  (cont'd)

Port Melbourne Beach and Station Pier

Sandridge
Sandy swimming beach located between Webb Dock and Princes Pier on Hobsons Bay. Patrolled by Sandridge Life Saving Club. Nearby reserves offer picnic and barbecue facilities.  

Sandringham Beach

Sandringham
Long, safe sandy bay beach. Excellent boating and marina facilities. Extensive foreshore reserve areas for picnics. Walking/cycling path. Sandringham Life Saving Club patrols.  

South Melbourne
Popular sandy bay swimming beach. One of a series of favourite "Top of the Bay" beaches, close to central Melbourne. South Melbourne Life Saving Club patrols. Bicycle and walking track. Playground.

St Kilda Beach

St Kilda
One of the most popular of the Port Phillip Bay beaches. Wide, sandy beach suitable for swimming and a host of other activities. St Kilda pier is a favourite for promenading. Kiosk/café, excellent city skyline views and fabulous sunsets. Ferry service to Williamstown, Southbank. Marina, extensive boating facilities, including ramps. Nearby reserves with picnic, barbecue and play facilities. Bicycle, walking, blading path. St Kilda Life Saving Club patrols.    

Werribee South
Popular for boating, with all-weather, all-tide, multi-lane launch ramp, jetty. Nearby power ski ramp and zone. Playground, reserve and barbecue facilities.    

Williamstown
Expansive bay swimming beach next to a series of excellent reserves. Patrolled by Williamstown Life Saving Club. Opportunities for other water-based leisure activities. Nearby barbecue and playground facilities.

---

Mornington Peninsula

Blairgowrie
Sandy bay beach. Barbecue and picnic facilities in foreshore reserve. Boat ramp suitable for small craft. Walking/cycling track.  

Dromana
Long sweep of sandy beach from Safety Beach to Anthonys Nose. Excellent foreshore reserves. Picnic shelters, barbecues and playgrounds set among foreshore lawns. Popular camping area.  

Frankston
Long, wide, safe sandy beaches for swimming and other watersports, including snorkelling, diving, sail-boarding and yachting. Popular for boating, excellent launch facilities. Excellent foreshore reserves, ideal for picnics, barbecues. Playground. Frankston Life Saving Club patrols.   

Mornington
There are a number of safe, sandy swimming beaches around this picturesque harbour and nearby areas. They include: Mills, Scout, Shire Hall, Mothers, Royal and Fishermans beaches. Extensive foreshore reserves with picnic and barbecue facilities. Boardwalk and lookouts around Schnapper Point. Excellent yacht and motor boating facilities. Mornington Life Saving Club patrols.  

Shire Hall Beach, Mornington

Mt. Eliza
A number of small, sandy bay beaches between Mt. Eliza and Mornington. Includes Daveys Bay, Canadian and Half Moon bays, Ranelagh and Sunnyside beaches.  

Mt. Martha
A series of safe, sandy bay beaches. Yacht and boating facilities. Foreshore reserves with picnic, barbecue facilities. Coastal walking path. Mt. Martha Life Saving Club patrols.  

Portsea bayside

Portsea Front Beach
Popular bay beach holiday destination. Last in the string of Port Phillip Bay beaches. Wide foreshore reserves with picnic, barbecue and play facilities. Queenscliff passenger ferry leaves from Portsea pier.  

Rosebud
Popular family swimming beach, protected by offshore sandbars. Extensive shaded foreshore reserves with picnic, barbecue and play facilities. Rosebud Life Saving Club patrols beach.  

Rye
Wide, sandy bay beach with large grassed foreshore reserve. Long jetty. Excellent picnic and barbecue facilities. Children's playground. Extensive boat launching, washing and parking facilities. Cycling/walking track. 

Safety Beach (right)
Calm, sandy bay swimming beach. Also popular for boating. Foreshore reserve with playgrounds.  

Seaford
Long, sandy bay beach. Tracks through foreshore reserve allow access at various points along Nepean Highway. Seaford Life Saving Club patrols.

Sorrento Front Beach
Extremely popular bay beach and holiday destination. Excellent foreshore reserves with extensive picnic and barbecue facilities. Children's playground. Terminal for Queenscliff-Sorrento car/passenger ferry at Sorrento Pier. Modern boat launching and yachting facilities. Cycling/walking track.  

Search This Website

search tips advanced search

search engine by freefind

---

---

---

---

---