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.

Slow down and find your rhythm on a Murray River journey through time and place.

Trust is a funny thing. It seems not that long ago that my mother was insisting on pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, because she didn’t trust me not to slosh it over the table, and yet here I am on the Murray River at Mildura in far north-west Victoria, being handed the keys to a very new and very expensive luxury houseboat.

After a crash course in how not to crash, I’m at the wheel of the good ship Elevate – pride of the All Seasons fleet – guiding her upstream past red-ochre cliffs as pelicans glide above the rippled river and kookaburras call from reedy banks. There’s a brief moment of breath-holding while I negotiate a hairpin turn around a jagged reef of skeletal, submerged gum trees, before a cheer rings out and calm descends as the timeless river unfurls in front of us.

The Murray River winding through Yarrawonga. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Setting sail from Mildura

Murray River birds — Home to a large number of bird species, including pelicans. (Image: The Precint Studios)

A journey along the Murray River is never less than magical, and launching from Mildura makes perfect sense. Up here the river is wide and largely empty, giving novice skippers like myself the confidence to nudge the 60-tonne houseboat up to the riverbank where we tie up for the night, without fear of shattering the glass elevator (the boat is fully wheelchair accessible) or spilling our Champagne.

My friends and I spend three days on the water, swimming and fishing, sitting around campfires onshore at night, and basking in air so warm you’d swear you were in the tropics. The simplicity of river life reveals an interesting dichotomy: we feel disconnected from the world but at the same time connected to Country, privileged to be part of something so ancient and special.

Stop one: Echuca

19th-century paddlesteamers — A historic 19th-century paddlesteamer cruises along the Murray River. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The six-hour drive from Melbourne to Mildura (or four hours and 20 minutes from Adelaide) is more than worth it, but you don’t have to travel that far to find fun on the river. Once Australia’s largest inland port, Echuca is the closest point on the Murray to Melbourne (two hours 45 minutes), and you’ll still find a plethora of paddlesteamers tethered to the historic timber wharf, a throwback to the thriving river trade days of the 19th century. The PS Adelaide, built in 1866 and the oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer operating in the world, departs daily for one-hour cruises, while a brand-new paddlesteamer, the PS Australian Star , is launching luxury seven-night voyages in December through APT Touring.

The town is also a hot food and wine destination. St Anne’s Winery at the historic Port of Echuca precinct has an incredibly photogenic cellar door, set inside an old carriage builders’ workshop on the wharf and filled with huge, 3000-litre port barrels. The Mill, meanwhile, is a cosy winter spot to sample regional produce as an open fire warms the red-brick walls of this former flour mill.

Stop two: Barmah National Park

Just half-an-hour upstream, Barmah National Park is flourishing, its river red gum landscape (the largest in the world) rebounding magnificently after the recent removal of more than 700 feral horses. The internationally significant Ramsar-listed wetland sits in the heart of Yorta Yorta Country, with Traditional Owners managing the environment in close partnership with Parks Victoria. Walkways weave through the forest, crossing creeks lined with rare or threatened plants, passing remnants of Yorta Yorta oven mounds and numerous scar trees, where the bark was removed to build canoes, containers or shields.

The Dharnya Centre (open weekdays until 3pm) is the cultural hub for the Yorta Yorta. Visitors can learn about the ecological significance of the Barmah Lakes on a 90-minute river cruise, led by a First Nations guide, or take a one-hour, guided cultural walking tour along the Yamyabuc Trail.

Stop three: Cobram

Continue east to Cobram to find the southern hemisphere’s largest inland beach. Swarming with sun-seekers in summer, the white sand of Thompson’s Beach is shaded by majestic river red gums and dotted with hundreds of beach umbrellas, as beachgoers launch all manner of water craft and set up stumps for beach cricket. But the beach is at its most captivating at sunset, when the crowds thin out, the glassy river mirrors the purple sky, and the canopies of the gum trees glow fiery orange.

The region is also home to some fine resorts and indulgent retreats. Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort has two riverside championship golf courses, luxury apartments and self-contained villas. While not strictly on the Murray, the historic wine town of Rutherglen is rife with boutique (and unique) accommodation, including an exquisitely renovated red-brick tower in a French provincial-style castle at Mount Ophir Estate. Fans of fortified wines can unravel the mystery of Rutherglen’s ‘Muscat Mile’, meeting the vignerons and master-blenders whose artistry has put the town on the global map for this rich and complex wine style.

Stop four: Albury-Wodonga

First Nations YindyamarraSculpture Walk — First Nations Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk is part of the Wagirra Trail. (Image: Carmen Zammit)

Follow the river far enough upstream and you’ll arrive at the twin border cities of Albury-Wodonga. The Hume Highway thunders through, but serenity can be found along the five-kilometre Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk – part of the Wagirra Trail that meanders through river wetlands just west of Albury in Wiradjuri country. Fifteen sculptures by local First Nations artists line the trail, conveying stories of reconciliation, enduring connection to culture, local Milawa lore and traditional practices. It feels a long way from Mildura, and it is, but the pelicans and kookaburras remind us that it’s the same river, the great conduit that connects our country.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

New Mildura motel Kar-rama. (Image: Iain Bond Photo)

Kar-Rama is a brand-new boutique, retro-styled motel in Mildura, with a butterfly-shaped pool and a tropical, Palm Springs vibe. Echuca Holiday Homes has a range of high-end accommodation options, both on the riverfront and in town.

Playing there

BruceMunro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura — Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights in Mildura. (Image: Imogen Eveson)

Artist Bruce Munro’s Trail of Lights installation, comprising more than 12,000 illuminated ‘fireflies’, is currently lighting up Mildura’s Lock Island in the middle of the Murray. Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA) is a hub for contemporary art, with a rotating roster of exhibitions, and is a major outlet for young and First Nations artists.

Eating there

Mildura’s diverse demographic means it’s a fantastic place to eat. Andy’s Kitchen is a local favourite, serving up delicious pan-Asian dishes and creative cocktails in a Balinese-style garden setting. Call in to Spoons Riverside in Swan Hill to enjoy locally sourced, seasonal produce in a tranquil setting overlooking the river.

Every breathtaking Geelong beach to uncover this summer