13 Of The Gold Coast’s Best Coastal Walks For Ocean Views
Danielle Read
Contributor | Urban List
When it comes to summer on the Gold Coast, nothing beats sea breezes and epic views with a side of getting physical. So there’s been no better time to lace up the joggers, gather your mates and explore the most iconic Gold Coast coastal walks right here on home turf.
Over the years, I've lived in near beachfront shacks in Miami, down the back streets of Nobby Beach, the esplanade of Broadbeach and up in Labrador. Watefront walks were a blissful part of living in these neighbourhoods. Now in my suburbs era, these are the coastal walks that continuously pull me back to our dazzling coastline.
Whether it's a dawdle down at the marina, a hike atop rolling hills or a wistful waterway walk featuring chats galore, we at Urban List love all of the Gold Coast's coastal walks. Explore the great outdoors and soak up a healthy dose of vitamin D at 13 of the best coastal walks on and around the Gold Coast/Kombumerri Country.
Prettiest Coast Walks At A Glance
Short Walks
Norries Headland Loop
Cabarita Beach NSW 2488
Donning a new pair of adventure-ready sneakers and want to go on a coastal walk that makes you question if this is real life? Then this one is for you. Opt to walk Cabarita’s emerald green headland which is oddly often quiet, and features a maintained stairway to literal heaven.
Then, loop around Norries Cove where its adorable beach welcomes you openly. Wander with silky soft sand between your toes along the beach right through to Cabarita Beach Surf Life Saving Club for chippies ans sippies before heading back to the car. It's one of my favourite ways to spend a Saturday. Channel your inner walking weapon alter-ego for a day that’ll make peeling your eyes off Netflix well worth it.
THE DETAILS
Leave From: Cabarita Beach Whale Lookout, Cabarita Beach NSW 2488
Distance: Various tracks; 2km return
Time: 30 minutes return
Grade: Moderate to hard
Facilities: Toilets
Highlights: This adorable, tiny headland
What to do: Punctuate your drive home with a bite to eat at No. 35 Kitchen and Bar
Beree Badalla Reserve
Tarrabora Reserve, 945 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221
Believe me when I say this coastal walk is enjoyable for even the most foot-mode-of-transport-phobe. If you don’t love it for its secret Tarrabora Reserve entrance beside a literal lagoon, then you’ll definitely get swept up in its mangrove-framed boardwalk.
Depending on the tide, you’ll be privy to tiny crabs scurrying for cover or feel like you’re floating on water with baby waves lapping just below your toes at high tide. Take the Currumbin Creek trail bridge built in 1903 and restored in the ‘90s then treat yourselves to fresh paninis, pastries and lattes at Aperitivo to mark halfway on this Gold Coast coastal walk.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: Tarrabora Reserve, 945 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221
Distance: 3 km return
Time: 40 minutes
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Nil, BYO Supplies
Highlights: Easy parking at Currumbin Creek Northside Beach
What to do: Hugo Spritz sipping at Aperitivo
Fingal Tiny Lighthouse Walk
Lighthouse Pde, Fingal Head nsw 2487
Dates, mates, or a solo trip to somewhere breathtakingly beautiful. You don’t have to be a fitness junkie to give this track a crack. Venture below the border and hit the pavement for one of the best coastal walks near the Gold Coast. The carpark's miniscule, but I am genuinely surprised how often I've gotten a carpark here on first lap.
Once you’re parked up, make your way into the bush, weave along the sand-lined walkway that's about 500m, up a few stairs and get a high fived in the face by Fingal’s majestic panoramic ocean views.
Set atop conserved land, you’ll be privy to wildflowers, lush fauna and Australiana flora at your fingertips. Take the scenic route around the cliff’s edge or check out the tiny lighthouse in all its glory. Yes, it’s just as adorable as it sounds. FYI there are cliff-faces a-plenty, so if you're exploring with little kids, perhaps sit this one out.
THE DETAILS
Start From: Lighthouse Pde, Fingal Head, NSW 2487
Distance: 2 km
Time: 45 minutes return
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Nil, BYO supplies
Highlights: Beach access down many paths from the bushland
What to do: Pack a picnic and snack while gazing out at the ocean and its diving birdlife
Currumbin to Elephant Rock
Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Life Saving Club, 741 Pacific Pde, Currumbin QLD 4223
Sure, you could travel this route by car. But why would you when there’s fresh air, sunshine and footsteps to be had? Turn off the Gold Coast Highway, where idyllic ocean shores greet your sea spray hungry spirit. Snag a park to the side of the main drag or duck into the residential areas for a quick pull-in.
With ocean air in your lungs, snake along Currumbin Creek’s coastal track to the very edges of Currumbin point, then all the way ‘round to Elephant Rock. Duck into Backbone for dumplings and bao buns to celebrate a walk well done.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: 741 Pacific Pde, Currumbin QLD 4223
Distance: 3 km return
Time: 50 minute return
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Drinking water
Highlights: The path is parallel to local boutiques and hosts Swell Sculpture Festival each September
What to do: Take a dip in Currumbin creek and carb-load break at Tommy's Italian
Burleigh Headland Circuit
Burleigh Heads National Park, QLD 4220
Image Credit: Burleigh Hill | Brooke Darling Photography
Beyond the order-and-go Justin Lane pizzas, pop-up picnics and sneaky pocket flasks, Burleigh Hill and its adjoining National Park offer a pristine rainforest-lined corridor to one side and wild ocean space on the other.
From the top of Burleigh Hill, take the left path for a relaxed coastal stroll, or up the ante and weave between towering trees via the incline to the right. Round up your mates, bundle up the picnic rug and make a stop halfway at Tallebudgera Creek for an idyllic dip before finishing up the one-hour round trip home. With multiple tracks throughout the park,
THE DETAILS
Leave from: Carpark at the top of Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Distance: 3.1km return
Time: 1 hour return
Grade: Moderate
Facilities: Shelter and drinking water at Burleigh Hill
Highlights: Keep an eye out for wildlife like lizards, snakes, brush turkeys and curious kookaburras
What to do: Post-walk bev and bite at Burleigh Pavillion
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Nobby Beach to North Burleigh Lookout
North Burleigh Lookout, Miami QLD 4220
Image Credit: North Burleigh Lookout | Kaitlin Maree Photography
Unsure if a coastal walk’s your jam? Start small with a wander atop North Burleigh Hill. Nestled between Mermaid Beach and Burleigh, this coastal walk has two adventure options. Either a stroll to the right, down Burleigh’s shady path, or a wander on the left to Broadbeach’s sun-drenched walkway.
Climb the rainbow stairs and reach your front row seat to a birds eye view of the Gold Coast’s beach-meets-cityscape lookout. Then venture up into the scrub for a viewing platform frequented by dolphins and if you’re lucky, even whales. From here you can wander down in the direction of Broadbeach to grab a cuppa from BSKT, along the McMansion-framed road.
THE DETAILS
Leave From: Park up just below at Don Mcsween Park, where there's shade, BBQs and drinking water
Distance: 5 km return
Time: 1 hour
Grade: Moderate
Facilities: Drinking water throughout walk, toilets next to Miami Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Highlights: Wander through the scrub of North Burleigh Hill for a prime whale-watching locale
What to do: Oakberry Acai Bowls at BSKT
Tweed River Walk
John Follent Park, Tweed Heads NSW 2485
If you’re hunting for a relaxing hideaway tucked away from the main drag, I know just the place. Channel your inner David Attenborough and keep an eye out for frill neck lizards, jumping fish and the occasional dolphin that frequents these waterways.
Park up at John Follent Park and make your way left up the coastline of the Tweed River Walk. This coastal walk is an easy meander right up until you reach Coolangatta Beach, if you’ve got a hunger that only a high step count can satisfy.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: John Follent Park, Tweed Heads NSW 2485
Distance: 5 km return
Time: 1 hour
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Picnic tables
Highlights: Front row seat to Tweed River (and its epic breezes)
What to do: Apres-walk feast at Eddie's Grubhouse
Kingscliff Waters to Cudgen Creek Beach
Shop 1/61 Marine Pde, Kingscluff NSW 2487
Tucked away from the roaring surf, this coastal walk is one of the finest near the Gold Coast. Explore from inland waterways right through to where the creek meets the sea. Ogle pristine, clear waters and scoff to each other that this must be some type of heaven. Take a dip or laze beneath the trees. This is the type of leasurely coastal walk that'll leave you scrolling through real estate in the area. Because we can all dream.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: Kingscliff Surf Life Saving Club, Shop 1/61 Marine Pde, Kingscluff NSW 2487
Distance: 4 km return
Time: 1 hour
Grade: Easy
Facilities: BBQ, picnic facilities, toilets
Highlights: Walk up the seawall at Kingscliff Beach
What to do: Venture to nearby Kalm Springs for a bathhouse escape
Kirra To Point Danger
6 McLean St, Coolangatta QLD 4225
Image Credit: Gold Coast beachfront | Brooke Darling Photography
Surrender to the tourist hotspots and the novelty that is straddling the border and standing one foot in New South Wales and the other in Queensland. Start at Kirra’s impressive lookout before working up a sweat on your wander to Coolangatta’s seawall.
Wide shared pathways along Coolangatta Beach make your stroll along Greenmount, past Rainbow Bay and up the hill past Snapper Rocks to Point Danger a cinch. With its diverse terrain, views and greenery, what a thrill this coastal walk on the Gold Coast is.
THE DETAILS
Start From: Kirra Hill Lookout, 6 McLean St, Coolangatta QLD 4225
Distance: 5km return
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Grade: Moderate to hard
Facilities: Drinking water stations throughout walk, toilet blocks
Highlights: Views of top surf spots on the Gold Coast
What to do: Headland feasting on oysters and handmade linguini drenched in tomato bisque at Pipi's
Long Walks
Marine Parade Foreshore
Charis Seafood, 37 Marine Pde, Labrador QLD 4215
Okay, maybe Labrador wasn’t on your hit list for a coastal walk on the Gold Coast, but hear me out. With its extra-wide path, dotted gym equipment and ample space to walk your pooches, I can see exactly why this coastal walk is a northern Gold Coast local favourite. And at one point, it was my top pick too.
While it's a decent two-hour return trip, the best part is, you can turn back any time and kiss away your blisters with a bevvie at the nearby pub or try your hand at pelican feeding at the Broadwater every day at 1:30pm.
THE DETAILS
Start From: Charis Seafood, 37 Marine Pde, Labrador QLD 4215
Distance: 7 km return
Time: 2 hours
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Drinking water throughout walk
Highlights: Tiny beaches to dip your toes in the water at along the way
What to do: Eyeball the pelican feeding frenzy out the front of Charis, daily at 1.30pm
Byron Bay Lighthouse Walk
Clarkes Beach Carpark, 2 Massinger Sr, Byron Bay NSW 2481
Image Credit: Byron Bay Lighthouse | Destination NSW
It’d be rude to not mention the most easterly point of Australia with its infamous lighthouse, jagged cliff faces and its must-do coastal walk. After all, the Walgun Cape Byron Walking Track is only a short road trip away. Mountain goats used to call this track home. Well, the cliff faces it borders. And I do wonder whatever happened to those scruffy cuties. Start at Clarkes Beach carpark and turn around once you reach Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club.
If you're tossing up whether the trip's worth the trek, make a weekend of it and stay at one of Byron Bay's top accommodation spots. With several walking trails close by you’ll be spoilt for choice. Think: Wategos Beach’s smooth beachfront, The Fisherman’s Lookout and Tallow Ridge Track.
I grew up just south of Byron and this track was always a favourite for our family to take visitors to. If you're game, start before sunset for an epic view.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: Clarkes Beach Carpark, 2 Massinger Sr, Byron Bay NSW 2481
Distance: 4 km loop
Time: 2 to 3 hours
Grade: Moderate
Facilities: Nil, BYO supplies
Highlights: The iconic Byron Bay lighthouse
What to do: You can kayak out to Julian Rocks and if you spot dolphins (common) it's seriously life-changing
Broadbeach to Main Beach
12 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach QLD 4218
This is my top pick for an easy coastal walk with flat terrain. AKA it's Broadbeach's answer to the perfect setting for a walk and chat right beside the ocean’s shores.
Venture through shady parks and up to Main Beach’s boat-lined waterways. As the best coastal walk on the Gold Coast for those who love variety, naturally this walk takes around 2.5 hours, but you’ll be tempted to make it more, what with the many eateries lining your track.
THE DETAILS
Leave From: Elk Espresso, 12 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Distance: 12 km return
Time: 3 hours
Grade: Easy
Facilities: Drinking water throughout the walk, toilet blocks
Highlights: Prime whale-watching views late May - early November
What to do: mid-way fuel up at 26 & Sunny at The Langham
Casuarina Coastal Trail
Cudgen Creek Estruary, Casuarina Way, Kingscliff NSW 2487
'80s lycra bodysuits do have a place. And it's on this serious coastal hike on the southern end of the Gold Coast's surrounding region. A whopping 25km return trip, get physical for hours as you explore the stretching shoreline between Casuarina and Kingscliff.
Featuring boardwalk sections and stairs to scale the ebbs and flows of rocky terrain, this one can take up to 8 hours return, so head out early for an all day outdoorsy adventure.
THE DETAILS
Leave from: Cudgen Creek Estruary, Casuarina Way, Kingscliff NSW 2487
Distance: 25 km return
Time: 8 hours
Grade: Moderate
Highlights: A genuinely picturesque beach walk
What to do: Stop off at Cubby Bakehouse for brie-stuffed baguettes with rocket and prosciutto
Looking for more? Check out:
- The Gold Coast's Best Whale Watching Spots
- Coolangatta's Best Restaurants
- Burleigh Heads' Best Restaurants