Soak up sparkling surf, safe swimming conditions and photo-ready rock pools at every standout Forster beach.

While Forster on the NSW North Coast is awash with trendy eateries and treasure-filled boutiques, I love it most for its sensational stretches of sand. Whether I’m keen to get my snorkel on, slip slowly into a natural rock pool, wrestle waves without bumping into others, or let the kids get their sillies out safely, there’s always a Forster beach with my name on it. Here, I round up the hot spots and precisely who they’re perfect for.

If you only visit one Forster beach, make it Pebbly Beach for its safe-entry rock pools (a railing takes you down a short, paved pathway), expansive coastal views and a mainly local atmosphere.

1. Forster Main Beach

Best for: Families looking for proximity to the centre of town

I wander up an easy hill to Forster Main Beach from bustling Wharf Street within a few short minutes and my breath settles quickly. Then it slows entirely. Standing out the front of Forster Surf Life Saving Club (which opens its balcony overlooking the surf for ‘Friday Sips’ from 4pm to 7pm weekly), the view is hypnotic. Reaching 563 metres from Forster Breakwall to the Forster Ocean Baths, known locally as The Bull Ring, this Forster beach offers a wide patch of white sand and protection from big swells, so I immediately bookmark it for an easy family beach day with the kids. The Bull Ring is a star attraction, adjacent to the southern end of the beach, which is cleaned monthly to ensure non-grimy swims. Amenities include public toilets and change rooms.

2. Pebbly Beach

Best for: Surfers, snorkelling, families and Instagram gratification

Pebbly Beach’s wild beauty – think super-sized black rocks, grassy headlands and frothy waves – makes it one of my favourite Forster beach picks, and that’s before I jump into its natural rock formation, The Tanks, and its rock pools. A railed concrete pathway snakes from the Bicentennial Walk, one of the best Forster walks, off Head Street, down to The Tanks’ glorious, protected waters and my children immediately race down it to plunge themselves in. While there’s not enough sand down there to pop a cabana up (especially at high tide when it fills to beyond full-body dunk levels), setting up on the grass at the top of the path will allow you to keep an eye on things – that is when you’re not lapping up this magical spot in there with them. Amenities along the wider beach include a playground, picnic shelters, barbecues and bathrooms.

3. One Mile Beach

Best for: Surfers and sand sledding

Grabbing my son’s boogie board, I succumb to One Mile Beach’s giant sand dunes at the northern end and love every second of it. Sure, the walk back up to my very amused family takes some muscle – and I eat sand a little while sailing down the end – but why should the kids have all the fun? I also discover that jumping into the patrolled waters of this Forster Beach is the perfect post-sled remedy. Amenities include toilets (but they’re at the middle of the beach and the southern end, so factor that into your kids’ tactile wee planning) and a kiosk run by the Cape Hawke Surf Club. Surfers should also note that side currents and persistent rips are common, so stay cautious.

4. Burgess Beach

Best for: Sunsets and family-friendly rock-hopping

I find a practically spiritual family moment at Burgess Beach one late afternoon as the sun sinks over a cluster of rocks and rock caves while waves oscillate, tickling toes. As my little ones searched for crabs and attempted to catch tiny fish with their fists, I was floored by the quiet calm of this Forster beach, which is reachable via a pathway off Burgess Road. I highly recommend visiting this spot, right near Booti Booti National Park, to create your own holiday memories. Unsurprisingly, it’s a popular spot for newlywed photos and there’s a viewing platform to fall in love with, too.

5. Seven Mile Beach

Best for: Surfers and fishing

The team at my Forster accommodation tell me about Seven Mile Beach’s secret fishing spot (technically it’s around the corner from the Forster beach) so I’m excited to tackle a dirt track at the southern end to get my angler on. When I reach Janies Corner, where I’m told bream and whiting frequent, it feels like a deserted island; a reward to satisfy my outdoorsy side before I even throw a line in. Keen surfers hit the waves beyond me, but they should be warned that this spot must only be navigated by experienced board riders due to permanent rips. Additionally, fishing should be attempted with serious caution. As for the beach itself, it’s wide and spectacular, but unpatrolled.

6. McBrides Beach

Best for: Selfies and swimming

I’d seen photos of McBrides Beach prior to descending down its hefty 600-metre foot track from Cape Hawke in Booti Booti National Park, but truly, they had nothing on seeing this Forster beach up close. While it’s unpatrolled, dipping in its fairy pool is often on the to-do list as glassy turquoise water, encircled by huge, rugged rocks, create the backdrop of Instagram dreams. To reach the showstopper, park at the McBrides Beach carpark off Cape Hawke Drive where the track begins.

7. Nine Mile Beach

Best for: 4WDing, fishing, surfing, dogs, families

A beautiful stretch of sand that’s often referred to as Tuncurry beach, Nine Mile Beach is about 12 kilometres long so there’s plenty of room to set an umbrella up. It’s a magnet for surfing, spitting out consistently long breaks, and if you’ve got a permit, 4WDing on the sand is also plenty irresistible. If you’re a fur parent, there’s a sizable off-leash area north of the Beach Street entry. Amenities include a playground, barbecues and bathrooms.

8. Tuncurry Rock Pool

Best for: Dolphin spotting, families, swimming

I land my first dolphin sighting at Tuncurry Rock Pool (I tallied three individual occasions during my February 2026 visit), where a little guy was cruising from the breakwall at the Coolongolook River mouth towards Nine Mile Beach. The rock pool is situated at the southern end of Nine Mile, where the bustling Rockpool Beach Cafe – one of the best Forster cafes, in my book – provided a convenient morning coffee before I caught more of the show from a park bench by the water. A safety net with buoys bought me more time as my kids swam happily, as did the nearby playground (less than two minutes’ walk away), cementing it as my favourite family-friendly Forster beach.

9. Little Street Baths

Best for: Families

Just around the corner (well, about 500 metres) from the centre of town, Forster’s Little Street Baths offers enclosed swimming in Wallis Lake. My kids spent plenty of time attempting to snorkel (there’s fish and other marine life in there) while large trees on the grass behind the sand provided ample shade for my husband and I to kick back.

Tip: Bring your rod as you’ll spy families fishing off the nearby jetty and pontoon throughout the day – and the FOMO gets really real.