It’s renowned for its beach, but Sawtell has a whole lot more to offer if you look a little closer.

Sawtell is a pretty resort town south of Coffs Harbour that has long been popular with road-trippers who want to break up their drive along NSW’s North Coast. The idyllic seaside village is bracketed by two rocky headlands that sit adjacent to Boambee Creek in the north and Bonville Creek in the south. And while the number one reason for passers-by to pull off the highway is to picnic, surf or paddleboard at the pretty beach that sits between the two promontories, Sawtell is also full of undiscovered gems to seek out – a compelling reason to ditch a longer NSW road trip and fly direct to embrace a deeper exploration of the region.

1. See Indigenous art at Yarrila Arts and Museum

Sawtell is known in the local language as Ganyjarr Ganyjarr, and the revival of Gumbaynggirr language is central to Indigenous culture in the region. Head to the Yarrila Arts and Museum in Coffs Harbour, just a 10-kilometre drive from Sawtell, to examine themes of place, community and belonging. Don’t miss the Yaamanga Around Here exhibition, which is on permanent display.

2. Visit Sawtell Art Gallery

Visit the dinky Sawtell Art Gallery for a snapshot of what inspires the local artists in the area. The gallery is one of Sawtell’s hidden secrets, with weekly classes on everything from painting and drawing techniques using ‘Anything but Watercolour’ to workshops revolving around the ideas of abstraction. The most recent exhibition, Beauty of Sawtell, included a lot of works featuring the wild, verdant landscapes of the Coffs Coast.

3. There are plenty of cafes and bars in Sawtell to satisfy

Sunny Sawtell is much-loved for its iconic main strip, which is lined with giant fig trees that help preserve the town’s charm. Although the town (population: 3788) is rather sleepy, it has plenty to offer on the foodie front. Plan a progressive feast that bounces between its best cafes and bars. Dine on the best local cuisine at Hilltop Store, The Spare Room, Bar Que Sera, The Athletic Club, Cafe Treeo, Split Cafe & Espresso Bar and Morty’s Joint. Fish and chips on the headland are also a thing.

4. Pretty swimming spots in Sawtell

There’s a lot of inspiration to be found in Sawtell for surfers who look out to sea in search of crashing waves. Sawtell Main Beach is a popular place to pull on a neoprene suit and paddle out, while Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool and Jetty Beach are sheltered spots for swimming.

Soak up the sun and walk against the tide at Boambee Creek Reserve before drifting back to the sand spit and doing it all over again. On-leash dogs are welcome.

5. Sawtell lookouts to spot whales and dolphins

Sawtell Headlands is a top spot to sit and stare out to sea at dusk and dawn in the hope of spotting whales and dolphins. Even if you don’t see any tail-slapping or dramatic breaches, there are worse ways to bookend your day. Sawtell Headland and Sealy Lookout are perfect viewpoints, and a pair of binoculars should reap rewards in the height of the season (between June and October). It’s one of the best things to do on the Coffs Coast.

6. Explore the watery world of Boambee

Fishos should also cast off near the Bonville Railway Bridge where mangrove jack, bream, trevally and flathead can be found. There’s great crabbing and fishing to be had when you venture from Boambee Creek Estuary into Newport’s Creek. Or head downstream to Boambee Creek Reserve, where you will see fishing platforms jutting out over the water. Buddy up with a Boambee local, and they might point out the local jewfish hole.

7. Golf, mountain bike, SUP or kayak in Sawtell

Sawtell Golf Club is just 500 metres from the boutique village of Sawtell, where golfers of all abilities can get in the swing. Bonville Golf Resort is another top spot to enjoy a round. Keen mountain bikers should also download the Coffs Coast Mountain Biking Map to help make sense of the trails that squiggle around the Cows with Guns trail in Pine Creek State Forest. Kayaking and SUPing are also popular: book an ecotour with C-Change Adventures.

8. Spot koalas in the wild at Bongil Bongil National Park

Your kids will declare bushwalking to be a ‘pretty cool’ pursuit when you steer them away from their devices and into the Eco Certified Bongil Bongil National Park. The park on Gumbaynggirr Country is a great day trip from Sawtell with one of NSW’s largest populations of koalas in the wild. Stay in Tuckers Rocks Cottage overnight so you can cover a lot of ground: there’s fishing, beach and rainforest hikes and mountain bike trails, too.

9. Spice things up at the annual Chilli Festival

Any guide to the secrets of Sawtell includes the annual winter Sawtell Chilli Festival. The festival ticks a lot of boxes for lovers of all things hot and spicy, luring more than 13,000 people for the annual event, held on the first Saturday in July. Don’t miss the chilli chicken wing eating challenge, and the chance to choose from a diverse range of chilli products such as the Alsa range of rubs, seasoning and spices, Mel’s Sweet Picnic chilli and condiments from The Chilli Factory.

10. Showtime at Sawtell Cinema

This Art Deco cinema in Sawtell is the regional theatre of your dreams. The two-screen Sawtell Cinema (formerly the Majestic) complex screens a range of funky arthouse films and foreign flicks, too. It also schedules the latest family and mainstream blockbusters and is fully licensed. Settle in with a choc top for the annual Sawtell Film Festival, which runs from April to May. Follow up your night at the movies with a wander down fig-lined First Avenue.

11. Take home treasures from Sawtell’s boutique shops

Find stores filled with antique furniture, clothing, books and more along the main tree-lined strip of Sawtell. Forget generic chains and malls. Sawtell is an oasis for shoppers who like people-watching and ease of access when weaving in and out of stylish boutiques and homeware stores along the high street. If you feel the need to recalibrate, bliss out at the Figtree Day Spa.

For more unexpected wonders of the Coffs Coast, read our guide to Coffs Harbour and beyond.