17 Things To Do In Palm Beach, Queensland

Bordered by Tallebudgera Creek, here’s how to spend a day in and around Palm Beach.

Sitting on the Gold Coast’s southern border with Burleigh Heads to its north, Palm Beach was once a sleepy seaside town with no real reason to stop in. Well, gone are those days. Over the last few years, ‘Palmy’ (as it’s affectionately known by the locals) has shaken off its middle child persona and majorly dialled up its coastal character.

Today, there are some very cool things to do in Palm Beach – so many, in fact, that you’ll be hard-pressed to fit everything into a day. We absolutely recommend driving by and seeing Palm Beach for yourself. Start with these local haunts and see how you go.

Beach and water activities in Palm Beach

Of course, it’s not a beach-town visit if you don’t do what it says on the tin. Work these leisurely outdoor activities into your plans.

1. Palm Beach

Awarded as the cleanest beach in Queensland three times, Palm Beach (the actual white sandy beach) is the ideal spot to sit down with your blanket, ice coffee, and book. While the current can be a little strong for swimmers, it’s a great spot for surfers.

On the southern side of the beach, there’s also a dog off-leash area so your four-legged friends can enjoy a paddle too.

Palm Beach with surfers paradise in the background — Palm Beach is the ideal spot relax. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

2. Tallebudgera Creek

For a real family-friendly spot ideal for swimming and water sports, head to the sparkling Tallebudgera Creek. Framed by the Burleigh Heads National Park on one side and Palm Beach on the other, a visit here is a must-do. If you walk across the bridge, it takes you to the beautiful Burleigh Heads National Park.

people kayaking and paddle boarding along the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek — Ride a kayak or simply laze on the beach. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

3. Tarrabora Reserve

Located between the Palm Beach Parklands and Currumbin Creek, Tarrabora Reserve is a peaceful nature spot, perfect for swimming and enjoying some quiet time. For an additional adventure, follow the winding path to the neighbouring reserve Beree-Badalla, which runs adjacent to the creek.

Currumbin Creek gold coast — Find Tarrabora Reserve around the corner from Currumbin Creek. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

On-land activities in Palm Beach

Palm Beach also has plenty to offer away from the beach, including the following activities.

4. Action Outdoor Hire

Leave your recreational gear at home and instead, hire whatever you need from Action Outdoor Hire . From bikes and stand-up paddleboards to kayaks, skateboards, and scooters, they’ve got whatever you need to get around Palm Beach in style.

Gold Coast Bike Ride — Hire bikes from Action Outdoor Hire. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

5. Palm Beach Parklands

Known for its iconic pirate ship playground, the Palm Beach Parklands (next to the beach) is a go-to spot for families on the Gold Coast. There’s plenty of space for walking, cycling, a BBQ with friends, or a communal game of cricket. Dune Cafe is also located within the parklands offering breakfast and lunch from 6am.

6. Laguna Park

Surrounding a beautiful lake and home to a huge array of interactive and fun equipment to suit kids of all ages, Laguna Park is considered to be one of the Gold Coast’s best playgrounds. It’s completely fenced off and has plenty of shade, several BBQs and undercover picnic areas, and a new toilet block.

7. Ronnie Long Park

Another awesome playground is Ronnie Long Park close to Tallebudgera Creek. This fun beach-theme playground lets kids pretend to be lifesavers and look out from the top of the tower, or there’s a large red plane to climb and drive.

8. Pinot & Picasso Palm Beach

If you’re looking for a way to spend time with friends, enjoy some nibbles, and sip on some wine, then you should definitely look into Palm Beach’s Pinot & Picasso paint and sip sessions. Offering a unique combination of art events each month, there’s something appropriate for every level of painting skill. Bring your own wine, drinks, and snacks.

Find the best Palm Beach restaurants and cafes

Beach time, water sports, and playground adventures work up quite the appetite, and lucky for visitors to Palm Beach, there are a few foodie gems to satisfy the craving.

9. Palm Beach Surf Club

For a relaxed beachfront bar and restaurant, head to Palm Beach Surf Club and dine on the al fresco deck with a view. Here you’ll find the usual burgers, schnitzel, and seafood dishes available as well as special themed food days, such as kids eat free on Mondays, oyster Tuesday, steak Wednesday and parmi night Thursday.

10. The Collective

A foodie and cocktail lovers’ playground, The Collective is a genius establishment. Taking the concept of street markets and food trucks and amping them up with one joint menu and table service, it allows you to conveniently choose what you want to eat from five kitchens.

Offering the best of Mexican, Greek, Asian, American, and Italian cuisines, take your pick from pizzas, tacos to baos, and chicken ‘n’ waffles to margaritas and jugs of Pimm’s. This two-level space heaves on weekends so arrive early if you’re in a group.

food on table at The Collective gold coast — Find the best food and drink at The Collective. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

11. Dune Cafe

Situated in the Palm Beach Parklands overlooking the Currumbin Lagoon, Dune Cafe has it all — a relaxed atmosphere, a view you wouldn’t say no to, and top-quality local produce. Take your pick of breakfast items, burgers, and light meal options on the menu including blueberry pancakes, the Dune Big Brekkie, a chilli scrambled egg bowl, or a Korean chicken burger.

interior of Dune Cafe in Palm Beach — Drop by Dune Cafe for your brunch fix. (Image: Dune Cafe)

12. Suga

You can even find a decent espresso martini in Palm Beach at the cocktail bar Suga . Described as the bar with no sign, you may have to look hard to find it (not really, it’s centrally located on Gold Coast Highway), but the reward is skilfully created cocktails – perfect for after-dinner drinks.

cocktail drinks at Suga bar, Palm Beach — Head to Suga bar for a quick buzz. (Image: Suga)

13. Tallebudgera Surf Club

As far as restaurants go, it doesn’t get any more beachfront than Tallebudgera Surf Club . Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, expect to find casual but tasty eats from risotto to a classic chicken parmi, all using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.

14. Burleigh Gelato Co. (Palm Beach)

Craving a taste of authentic artisan Italian gelato? Burleigh Gelato’s Palm Beach store is open until 9pm and will sort you out. Searching the world to find the most unique flavours; good luck choosing between mango, wild berry, cake batter, and chocolate and snickers.

two women holding two cones of gelato at Burleigh Gelato Co — A scoop of gelato will instantly put you in a good mood. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

15. Custard Canteen

Just a few sandy steps away from the iconic Tallebudgera Creek is Custard Canteen , a well-known eatery for its amazing location, cute exterior, and tasty menu. Do yourself a favour and get a Portuguese tart or classic strawberry puff tart with their epic vanilla custard – they do it well! And if you’re lying by the creek and don’t want to line up, it’s easy to order takeaway.

different flavours of puff tart in a box at Custard Canteen — Drool over classic pastries from Custard Canteen.

Shopping in Palm Beach

Indulge in a little retail time as you wander the local stores and markets of Palm Beach.

16. Palm Beach Farmers Market

Operating every Saturday morning from six to 11 am, rain hail, or shine, the Palm Beach Farmers Market is a long-standing thriving hub of food and local culture. With between 75 and 80 stallholders attending each week, you’ll find a huge range of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, dairy products, fresh pasta and sauces, baked goods, artisan bread, smallgoods, and health foods, with plenty of options to take away or enjoy fresh at the markets. We also have a guide to more markets on the Gold Coast, because one market is never enough.

17. Strange Days Store

For all things rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of Western soul, pop into Strange Days Store and browse the selection of vintage and up-cycled clothing and retro goods. Everything has been carefully and sustainably curated to pay homage to the 60s through to the 90s. Go in open-minded and come out with a treasure!

funky boots inside Strange Days Store, Palm Beach — Sprinkle some funkiness on your wardrobe with these cool boots. (Image: Strange Days Store)

Explore more of the Gold Coast’s beachside towns.

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.

17 things to do in Palm Beach, Queensland