From patrolled beaches to rolling surf breaks and stunning rock pools, here’s our inside guide to Yamba’s best beaches.

The main drawcard of Yamba, located in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, is its stunning range of beaches. The surfie scene is also alive and well thanks to locals who came for the surf and never left, as well as visitors who scramble out of bed at dawn to jostle for a position in the line-up. Here, the sea is the colour of faded denim and everyone is keen to spend time by the ocean. Here’s how to go with the flow.

Best for surfers

Angourie Back Beach

The beach breaks around Yamba can be savage and wild, and Angourie Back Beach is no exception. This is the kind of break where that local bloke dubbed Big Wave Dave paddles out and eats the waves for breakfast. Get a surf report from Magic Seaweed before heading out, as the weather has a big impact on the waves here.

Angourie Point

Angourie Point is the most popular place for local surfers in Yamba so if you make the call to paddle out, be sure to adhere to surf etiquette and wait your turn for a wave. Angourie Point is one of the few protected Surfing Reserves in Australia and the waves, which curve around the rocky headland, break near a 150-metre-long rock shelf known as ‘life or death’, which can get gnarly. Not a beginner’s wave.

Turners Beach

Turners may well be named after the head-swivelling that ensues when there’s a swell running and skilled surfers are riding the breaks that bracket the beach. It’s not, but it might as well be. The beach is a popular patrolled spot come summer, but if you’re not keen to hit the waves, take the steps from the beach up to Yamba Lighthouse and read the Dreamtime story of the giant eel that travelled through the Clarence Valley.

Best for families

Main Beach

Yamba’s Main Beach is fantastic for families, with a large saltwater rock pool especially perfect for little ones. This pretty swathe of sand is also patrolled by lifeguards, so everyone can have a paddle. After a refreshing morning dip, pop into one of Yamba’s local cafes for coffee and a bit to eat.

Whiting Beach

Those who are a bit wussy about waves love Whiting Beach, a calm, protected river beach and a great spot to cool off in summer. Whiting is popular with fishos and families and fisho families. If you don’t manage to hook a big one, order fish and chips from the local takeaway and stake out a claim on a square of sand.

Convent Beach

Pray for a sunny day before packing a picnic and padding down to the quietude of Convent Beach, which is tucked in between Yamba Point and picturesque Pippi Beach. At sunrise, the sea is a divine backdrop for a spot of meditation or yoga. Forget the in-your-face hipness of Byron Bay; Yamba is way more low-key.

Best for beach (and bush) walks

Pippi Beach

Enjoy a few hours of oneness with the ocean as you listen to its soaring soundtrack while walking along the tranquil Pippi Beach. Pippis is on the bay-side and can be off limits when there’s a south swell running. But when it’s low tide and the winds are favourable, Pippi is paradise, and as much about socialising for dog owners as it is about burning off a few calories. Pippi Beach is only patrolled over summer.

Spooky Beach

Despite its sinister name, Spooky Beach is mostly a picture of calm. Swaddled by palm trees, strewn with small boulders and blessed with a (mostly) gentle shore break that suits older wave warriors, you can follow a track down to the sand, where there’s also has a huge natural rock pool that fills with ocean water.

Bluff Beach

Enjoy an aerial view of the Bundjalung region from the whale-watching platform at Iluka Bluff before making your way down to family-friendly Bluff Beach. The sheltered beach is patrolled during the summer holidays and has a 2.5-kilometre walking track that leads through the largest remaining stand of littoral rainforest in NSW. The beach is located north of Yamba and is also popular for surfing.