A Sun Lover’s Guide To Every Geelong Beach Worth Exploring

Find idyllic stretches of surf and sand with our guide to every unmissable Bellarine Peninsula and Geelong beach.

As a Gold Coaster, my bar is set mighty high when it comes to good beaches. But there’s something (well, several things) about Geelong and its next-door neighbour, the Bellarine Peninsula, that consistently dazzle. While the coastal stretch lacks the column inches of its flashier eastern cousin, the Mornington Peninsula, there are excellent surf conditions, surprising (again, I’m a Queenslander) soft sand, smudgy tangerine sunsets, and a chilled beach culture to fall in love with.

Below, I’ve rounded up every standout Bellarine Peninsula and Geelong beach for your next sun-soaked session.

In short

If you only visit one Geelong beach, make it Eastern Beach Reserve. It’ll be crowded but the bayside buzz creates instant memories and there are multiple waters (including a children’s wading pool) to dip into.

1. Ocean Grove Main Beach, Ocean Grove

a surfer on Ocean Grove Main Beach — Chase the waves at Ocean Grove. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Before I get to the central Geelong stars, let’s talk Ocean Grove Main Beach down near Barwon Heads. A two-kilometre stretch that goes from Point Lonsdale to the mouth of the Barwon River, it’s a wildly beautiful, rugged surf beach that stole my heart upon discovery. Sitting on the sand, facing the horizon, bushy dunes and jagged rocks flanked both sides of my perspective as the curving coastline rolled all the way to Point Lonsdale Lighthouse. The beach is untamed and forever windswept, and I love the upgraded timber viewing platform (they only unveiled it in April 2025), at the end of the Wedge St beach access path, for elevated gazing. Active surf patrolling makes Ocean Grove super family-friendly and you’ll spot surfers chasing waves even when conditions aren’t perfect.

2. Eastern Beach Reserve, Geelong

the Eastern Beach Reserve in the heart of Geelong — Geelong’s Eastern Beach offers a dream escape for families on Corio Bay. (Image: Visit Victoria)

If you’ve visited Geelong, you’ve likely been to Eastern Beach Reserve , located right in the thick of the port city. While it’s always tourist-heavy, I adore its easy-access amenities and year-round buzz, especially during summer when the Children’s Pool, circled with glass and dotted with in-ground umbrellas, opens. To the side, a shark-netted swimming enclosure has water slides and diving platforms, while a small patch of sand right at the end of the boardwalk offers yet another opportunity for relaxed swims. When you’re not cooling down, there are sheltered picnic tables, barbecues, and a playground to get stuck into. A standout spot to bring the whole family on a sunny day.

3. Raffs Beach, Barwon Heads

Another lesser-known beauty near the Barwon River mouth, Raffs Beach is blissfully quiet, and feels almost untouched. It runs from the western end of Ocean Grove Main Beach, so tack a tiptoe over to Raffs’ golden sand if you’re already exploring that way. North-west to westerly winds attract surfers, but only cautious swimming as strong currents frequent the river mouth. Despite the tougher conditions, this Geelong beach is such a local’s secret, and I love its year-round lowkey vibes as grassy dunes keep the scene entirely wild. Park your wheels in the car park before taking one of several access paths to the sand.

4. Thirteenth Beach, Barwon Heads

the Thirteenth Beach, Barwon Heads — Grab your swimmers and explore this 4.5 kilometre stretch of picturesque coastline.

Have board, keen to rip it? Thirteenth Beach is Geelong’s ultimate wave machine. You won’t find many people on the sand along this beach’s 4.5 kilometres – it’s an untouched swathe of silica backed by dunes and scrub for most of its length. Lapped by brilliant turquoise seas, Thirteenth offers a variety of conditions to suit both beginner and pro surfers: The Beacon (in front of the shipping beacon) is one of the most frequented hot spots for all talent levels. This Geelong beach is also a good spot for beach fishing, with waters known to harbour gummy, snapper and mulloway. While it’s safe to swim, rips are common so dip in only when the flags are out.

5. Santa Casa Beach, Queenscliff

an aerial view of Point Lonsdale pier — Point Lonsdale has long enticed Victorians for a weekend getaway.

If you’re all about that crystal-clear water-frolicking life, get familiar with Santa Casa Beach . The little-known slice of heaven, wedged between Shortland Bluff and the township of Point Lonsdale, is best known for having the cleanest sea water around. It’s a south-east-facing, three-kilometre stretch with small waves, but while things may sound calm, it’s kid central as it ticks so many family-friendly boxes. Additionally, picnic areas freckle the beach reserve just behind, and a walking track threads through much of this beach’s beauty.

6. St Leonards Beach, Bellarine Peninsula

Another hit with families is St Leonards Beach , right next to Indented Head at the eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula. It’s the shady foreshore reserve that won me over, perfect for kicking a ball around between splashes in its sheltered waters. Low-slung conditions also mean surfers stay away so this spot really is for mellowed beach hangs. Anglers, however, do tend to converge at the rocks near Indented Head, plus the ones at the St Leonards Pier which looms at the southern end. They’re a magnet for fishing, offering ultra-deep water to encourage decent bites.

7. Jan Juc Beach, Torquay

the cliffs at Jan Juc Beach, Torquay — Jan Juc is the place for in-the-know swimmers.

Though it’s not strictly the Bellarine Peninsula, Jan Juc Beach ’s exposed crescent of sand merits a mention while we’re combing this neck of the woods. Located on the Great Ocean Road, just beyond Torquay, 1.2 kilometres of golden sand flows into crystalline waters and in the height of summer, this place is routinely packed with in-the-know beachgoers. Copping waves that average some 1.4 metres, the surf is best suited to surfers, strong swimmers, bodyboarding enthusiasts, or anybody looking for a Vitamin D hit while stretched across the sand. It’s patrolled over the weekend in summer, hence dialled up crowds. Once you’re keen to look around, there are clifftop walks and lookout points to uncover, too. Love your fishing? Head up to the northern end to rub shoulders with locals also trying their luck.

The charm of Mildura is hidden in plain sight along the Sturt Highway. The capital of Tropical North Victoria is in a league of its own.

From the moment you arrive in Mildura , the warm air and palm trees invite you to slow down. While most Australians might drive right past it, Mildura is full of surprises. Here you’ll spend one day witnessing over 50,000 years of First Nations history in a UNESCO-listed National Park, and the next dining in a hatted restaurant after wandering through 12,500 fireflies as the outback sunset bursts to life above. From roadside fruit stalls and family-run wineries to houseboats and galleries, it’s time to explore Mildura.

Feast Street, at the heart of Langtree Avenue in Mildura. — Taste, wander and be surprised in Mildura.

Taste Mildura’s produce

It makes sense to start your trip by addressing the most important question: where to eat. In the beating heart of Australia’s food bowl, sample the local produce directly from the source. And then, of course, experience it through the menu of a hatted chef. Or sandwiched between pillowy slices of Nonna’s ciabatta.

Rows of orchards and olive groves invite you to spend the day traipsing from farm to farm. Taste olives propagated from Calabrian trees brought over in the 40s, oranges picked right from the tree and squeezed into juice and spoons full of honey . Bring the holiday back to your kitchen by stocking your pantry at roadside produce stalls, or calling into the ‘silver shed ’ (Sunraysia’s gourmand Mecca).

Thanks to the warm, balmy air and fertile soils, the wineries dotted along these hills produce award-winning local wines. Like Chalmers , a family-run, innovative winery dedicated to making their wines as sustainable as possible. And picturesque Trentham Estate offers views of the snaking Murray River as you sample their vintages.

Venture beyond the gnarled shadows of olive groves and fragrant rows of blossoming fruit trees and you’ll find an otherworldly side to Mildura. With Discover Mildura as your guide, visit Murray River Salt’s Mars-like stacks. The naturally pink salt is formed from an ancient inland sea and evaporated entirely by the sun to create one of the region’s most iconic exports.

Start your day with just-squeezed sunshine.

Hatted dining & Italian history

Mildura is home to a proud community of Calabrians and Sicilians. This, paired with the exceptional local produce, means that you can find paninos on par with those in Italy. The Italian is a Paninoteca serving up made-to-order, hefty, authentic Sicilian paninos. Nonna Rosa’s pork meatballs, slowly cooked in tomato ragu and served in a crusty, fluffy roll topped with gratings of Grana Padano cheese and salsa verde, will call you back to Mildura for the rest of your days.

To find hatted dining in Mildura, simply follow the staircase down into the basement of the historic Mildura Grand Hotel to find Stefano’s . Following the muscle memory and instinct of his Italian roots, he delivers on the principle of ‘cucina povera’. That is, the Italian cooking ideology that turns simple, local ingredients into magic.

Things to do in Mildura include dining at the acclaimed Stefano’s, where simple local ingredients are transformed into Italian culinary magic beneath the historic Grand Hotel. — Bite into Mildura’s Italian heritage.

Discover a thriving culture scene

The city is alive with culture. Whether it’s painted on the town’s walls, told in ancient yarns, or waiting for you in a gallery.

The Mildura Arts Centre was Australia’s first regional art gallery. Behind the walls of Rio Vista Historic House, you’ll find a lineup of ever-changing exhibitions. The gallery’s wall space pays tribute to the art and songlines of local First Nations People, the region’s awe-inspiring landscapes and more. Outside, on the gallery’s lawn, find 12 contemporary sculptures in the Sculpture Park.

Mildura’s streetscapes are a punch of colour. Swirling strokes of paint blend the winding artery of the Murray River, red dirt and local characters into a story you can see with your own eyes, thanks to the Mildura City Heart’s Mural Art Project . Pick up a copy of the Murals of Mildura guide from the Visitor Information Centre.

Follow the border of NSW and Victoria on a map and you’ll see it hugs the curves of a tiny island on the Murray. That’s Lock Island, where, as the sun and moon trade places, the island comes alive as darkness falls. The island is dotted with 12,500 firefly lights that lead you on a meandering path through the outback sunset. The installation is known as Trail of Lights and was created by the same visionary who dreamt up Field of Light at Uluṟu, Bruce Munro.

Things to do in Mildura include exploring its rich cultural scene. From vibrant street art and ancient stories to exhibitions at the Mildura Arts Centre, Australia’s first regional gallery. — Find culture around every corner.

Wonder at ancient landscapes

The landscapes of Mildura feel almost transcendental. The skyline bursts to life with reds, pinks, and deep, sparkly night skies.

The nature will leave you in awe. See hues of pink water changing with the weather at Pink Lakes inside Victoria’s largest national park, Murray Sunset National Oark. Cast a line into Ouyen Lake. Watch the sunset against 70-metre tall red cliffs that reflect the setting sun. Or get the heart racing and sandboard down the Perry Sandhills dunes, formed 40,000 years ago at the end of an ice age.

Just don’t leave without following the twists and turns of the Murray. Stroll or ride along the Shared River Front Path, or jump onboard a boat for a scenic ride.

Your itinerary will be incomplete without a visit to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mungo National Park . Head out with an Indigenous ranger to witness ancient campsites and footprints, before standing in awe of ancient civilisation near the discovery site of Mungo Man—Australia’s oldest human skeleton at 42,000 years old.

Mungo National Park at night is a vast, silent landscape where ancient dunes glow under moonlight and stars blanket the sky in breathtaking clarity. — Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilisation.

Meet your home away from home

On equal par with planning your meals and adventures, is finding the perfect place to relax at the end of each day.

Sleep inside a Palm Springs postcard at Kar-Rama . A sleek boutique hotel complete with a butterfly shaped, sun-soaked pool. Here you’re staying right in the heart of Mildura but you’ll feel worlds away. Or if you really wish to connect with nature, a night glamping under the stars at Outback Almonds will have you spellbound.

When in Mildura it’s only right to stay on one of the Murray River’s iconic houseboats . Wake up each day to the calm waters of the Murray lapping outside your window. Enjoy days full of river swims, fishing and exploring. All boats are solar-powered and can be self-skippered or moored along the river.

A solar-powered houseboat on the Murray River in Mildura. — Stay and play on the Murray in a solar houseboat.

Start planning the perfect getaway at mildura.com .

Every breathtaking Geelong beach to uncover this summer