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.

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .

10 of the prettiest Rottnest Island beaches