10 Prettiest Rottnest Island Beaches and Bays

Here are the best beaches to enjoy while visiting Wadjemup/Rottnest Island.

Fancy a snorkel? Want to skirt Wadjemup/Rottnest Island in a kayak or SUP? Grab your hat and sunscreen and while away the hours listening to the waves lap the shore while relaxing on Rottnest Island, located just 19 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle. Make the most of the beaches and bays on Rottnest Island by using our guide to determine which stretch of sand is right for you.

1. The Basin

Give the new stretch of the bike path at The Basin a whirl and then find a shaded seating area to draw breath before donning snorkel and mask to explore this pretty-as-a-postcard pool, which is popular with families who converge here to paddle and snorkel in the clear, calm waters. The Basin is just 10 minutes from the main settlement and one of the top things to do on Rottnest Island is to congregate on the silky sand, play a game of beach cricket and watch the yachts tacking to and fro.

The Basin Rottnest Island — The simple pleasures of The Basin. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Little Salmon Bay

This beautiful bay is sheltered from the wind, making it an excellent spot for swimming or snorkelling. The bay is easy to get to, as it’s a designated stop on the Rottnest Island bus route, and only seven kilometres by bicycle from Thomson Bay. Under a cloudless blue sky, the turquoise waters beckon. Pick up a picnic from one of the nearby eateries, and enjoy Little Salmon Bay to the fullest.

Little Salmon Bay Rottnest Island — Little Salmon Bay is located at one of the southernmost tips of the island. (Image: Rottnest Island Authority)

3. The West End

The ride to the westernmost point of Rottnest Island is an easy 10 kilometres on a flat bitumen road from Thomson Bay Settlement. If you’d prefer a coastal hike, the West End (known as Koorinup to the Whadjuk Noongar First Nations people) connects with the Wadjemup Bidi Trail where you will find interpretive artwork, signage and audio yarns. The West End is a bit wild and woolly; if you’re looking for a place to swim, this isn’t it.

The West End Rottnest Island — This is the West End – Rottnest Island’s most western point. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

4. Parakeet Bay

Parakeet Bay is always teeming with a variety of sea birds and is an extremely photogenic crescent of sand that is book-ended by rocky outcrops jutting out into the ocean. The pristine waters and powder-soft sands are paradise for sun worshippers and swimmers thanks to the shallow, calm waters. The bay has a sister beach, Little Parakeet Bay, and both epitomise the island idyll.

5. Pinky Beach

Pinky Beach has a little bit of something for everyone. Aerial shots of the beach, located across the dunes from the Discovery Parks Rottnest Island, one of the best places to stay on Rottnest Island, shows it off to best effect: there’s Bathurst Lighthouse at one end of the beach, which is usually bustling during the summer months, and protected spots to beat the heat for a swim, kayak, SUP or snorkel. After a day on the beach, head to Pinky’s Beach Club for cocktails.

Pinky Beach Bathurst Lighthouse Rottnest Island — The Bathurst Lighthouse provides postcard-worthy views. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Rocky Bay

This lesser-known unpatrolled beach, which is protected in a southerly, curves for about 600 metres on the western side of the island. A set of stairs at the western end of the beach is right near to the bus stop and allows you to explore the beach with ease. The sand is stubbled with native grasses, which looks like unkempt facial hair, and sandwiched between the shoulders of two calcarenite headlands.

7. Cathedral Rocks

Visitors to Rottnest Island can now safely admire the seal colony luxuriating in the sunshine on the rock shelf below and spot humpback whales during the migration season. Roar past Cathedral Rocks onboard the Rottnest Express adventure boat or enjoy the amenity of the new viewing platform which juts out like an open drawer over the rock shelf. Warning: do not try to climb down to the beach; it’s too dangerous.

Cathedral Bay Rottnest Island — View the resident long-nosed Fur Seal colony from the viewing platform. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Geordie Bay

As you watch the sunset, drink in hand at Geordie Bay, you’ll understand why Perth locals have such a fondness for Rotto. It’s not just nostalgia; this relaxed slice of the West Coast of Australia has evolved into a place that inspires a packed itinerary. There are self-contained cabins dotted along the shores of Geordie Bay, which is one of the most popular sandy beaches on the island for a multitude of reasons, including the fact you are likely to get the quintessential quokka selfie.

Geordie Bay Rottnest Island — Geordie is one of the most popular sandy beaches on the island. (Image: Rottnest Island Authority)

9. Thomson Bay

Thomson Bay has a roped-off swimming area, making it very popular with young families. After building sandcastles and dipping in and out of the cerulean seas all day, secure a day bed and kick back at Samphire Rottnest’s beach-style villas, which will transport you to Bali minus the airfare and the jetlag. Catch the ferry from Freo and you will find yourself clinking glasses with good-looking people from WA within about half an hour.

Thomson Bay Rottnest Island — Boat traffic at Thomson Bay. (Image: Rottnest Island Authority)

10. Fays Bay

There are affordable holiday units located at Fays Bay that are conveniently located near Rottnest Island’s beautiful beaches where the water is warmer than on Perth beaches thanks to the Leeuwin Current, a body of warm, tropical water that originates around Indonesia. Rotto is only 11 kilometres long and 4.8 kilometres at its widest, but there are plenty of beaches and patches of sand to choose from. Fays Bay is between Geordie Bay and The Basin, but is often less crowded.

Fays Bay Rottnest Island — Fays Bay is a more secluded beach near Geordie Bay. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

The Rottnest Island Authority respects the Whadjuk people as the traditional custodians of Wadjemup/Rottnest Island.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

10 of the prettiest Rottnest Island beaches