Best Beaches in Noosa: Main Beach, National Park and the Surrounding Coast
Noosa is one of those places where the reputation mostly matches the reality, which is rarer than it sounds. The beaches are good, the national park is excellent, and the surrounding coastline has some of the Sunshine Coast's best lesser-known spots within a short drive. Here's what you need to know about each one.
Noosa Heads Main Beach
Noosa Heads Main Beach rates 4.7 stars across 5,228 reviews on BeachCheck. It's a north-facing beach in a bay, which gives it a few advantages over most east-coast beaches: the surf is usually calmer, and the water is warm and accessible for a wider range of swimmers.
The beach runs along the base of the national park headland and is backed by Hastings Street, which has cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. On a summer weekend it gets busy. On a weekday morning in March or April it's excellent.
The surf is generally mellow by Sunshine Coast standards, which makes it good for beginner surfers and kids. Local surf schools operate here. The patrolled area between the flags is well-managed.
Parking on Hastings Street is limited. Noosa has park-and-ride options off Noosa Drive that take some pressure off. If you're staying nearby, walking or cycling to the beach is more practical than driving.
Noosa National Park
Noosa National Park rates 4.8 stars across 6,648 reviews and is one of the most reviewed coastal areas in Queensland on BeachCheck. The national park occupies the headland to the east of Noosa Heads Main Beach and has a network of walking tracks that connect several beaches along the headland.
The main coastal track runs from the car park at the end of Park Road (Noosa Heads) around to Tea Tree Bay, Granite Bay, and Alexandria Bay. The full circuit takes about two to three hours depending on how many stops you make.
Tea Tree Bay is a sheltered cove partway along the track with a reef break that gets longboarders on the right days. The water is clear and it's less exposed than the main beach.
Alexandria Bay is clothing-optional and tends to attract a crowd that values the privacy of the walk required to get there. It's a long, open beach at the far end of the headland with good swimming in calm conditions.
The walking track through the national park is on packed earth and sandstone, and sections can be slippery after rain. Wear shoes with some grip if you're going in wet conditions. Water is not available on the trail, so carry enough.
Koalas are regularly spotted in the national park, particularly along the coastal track between the car park and Tea Tree Bay. They tend to be in the she-oaks and eucalypts along the track. Don't approach them.
Marcus Beach
Marcus Beach is about 15 kilometres south of Noosa Heads, between Peregian and Sunshine Beach. It's a long ocean beach with off-leash dog access, which makes it a regular destination for Sunshine Coast locals with dogs.
The beach is exposed to the open ocean, so the surf is more variable and stronger than Noosa Main Beach. It's a good surf beach when conditions cooperate, and the off-leash section means you can bring a dog without the restrictions that apply to most of the Sunshine Coast's patrolled beaches.
Access is off Marcus Beach Road. Parking is available at the northern end of the beach. It's generally much quieter than the Noosa beaches, even in peak summer.
Sunshine Beach
Sunshine Beach is a suburb just south of Noosa Heads and has a quality surf beach. The surf here is more powerful than Noosa Main Beach given the south-facing exposure, and it's popular with experienced surfers. The beach is patrolled and has a surf life saving club.
The beach village itself is low-key: a few cafes, a small supermarket, a pub. If the Hastings Street scene isn't your thing, Sunshine Beach has a different, quieter character.
Peregian Beach
Peregian is further south again and is one of the Sunshine Coast's less-developed beach villages. The beach is long and open, with consistent surf. The town centre is small but has enough for a day trip. It's about 25 minutes south of Noosa by car.
Peregian is where you go when Noosa feels too busy and you want a surf beach without the cafe strip. It's also close to Doggy Beach, the designated off-leash section at Peregian, which is covered in the dog friendly beaches guide.
Cooloola and Noosa North Shore
North of Noosa, across the river, the Noosa North Shore leads to the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park. This is four-wheel-drive territory: the beach is 40 kilometres of open sand and the only way through is via beach driving at low tide or the inland sand tracks. A permit and a capable 4WD are required.
The beaches here are remote, uncrowded, and good. If you have the vehicle and the setup, it's worth the effort. If you don't, it's not the kind of place you can access in a regular car.
Getting Around the Noosa Area
The Noosa area is compact enough to use a bike for most of it. The bikeway from Noosaville along the river to Noosa Heads is flat, well-surfaced and drops you near the beach. Hiring a bike for a day is a practical option.
For the national park and Marcus Beach, a car is more useful. The park-and-ride on Noosa Drive reduces the parking pressure in summer, and buses run a circuit through the area.
For a full list of rated beaches in the Noosa and Sunshine Coast area, check BeachCheck's Queensland directory. There are 249 beaches listed across Queensland with reviews, ratings and filter options.