Perth has about eighty kilometres of west-facing coastline inside its metropolitan area, which means every beach gets the sunset and the water is clear in a way the east coast of Australia rarely manages. It also means a lot of choice and very little crowding. Travellers who compare Perth flights on Traveloka from Singapore arrive in under five hours and in the same time zone.
Cottesloe, the default
Twenty minutes from the city on the Fremantle train line, Cottesloe has the Norfolk pines, the pavilion, a patrolled swimming area and the best beachfront pub in the state. It is the busiest beach and still not busy by Asian standards. Sunset here is a local institution and the grass terrace above the sand fills accordingly.
Scarborough and the surf
North of the river, Scarborough has a redeveloped foreshore with a pool, a skate park and a run of restaurants, and consistently more swell than Cottesloe. It is the main patrolled surf beach within the city. The water is colder than visitors expect, running around twenty degrees even in high summer.
Trigg and the reef
Just north of Scarborough, Trigg has a reef break for experienced surfers and strong rips that catch out swimmers every season, so swim at the patrolled southern end only. Mettams Pool, a little further north, is a shallow reef-protected lagoon that is the best snorkelling within the metropolitan area.
City Beach and Floreat
Between Cottesloe and Scarborough, these two are where local families go: patrolled, wide, with grass, playgrounds and cafes behind them, and almost always quieter than the headline beaches. Parking is free and plentiful, which on this coast is a genuine consideration on a hot Saturday.
South to Rockingham and Penguin Island
Forty-five minutes south, Rockingham’s shallow sheltered water suits children and the ferry to Penguin Island leaves from there. Shoalwater Bay has sea lions and dolphins and can be kayaked. It is a different kind of coast from the open surf beaches north of the river and worth the drive for calm water.
Rottnest, for a day on the water
Thirty minutes by ferry from Fremantle, the island has sixty-three beaches and twenty bays, no cars at all, and water clear enough to snorkel almost anywhere along it. The Basin and Little Salmon Bay are the easiest to reach; hiring a bicycle and finding an empty cove is the real point of going. Book the ferry ahead in summer, when day numbers are capped.
Practical notes
Swim between the red and yellow flags; the rips here are serious. The UV index is extreme, so sunscreen and a hat are not optional. November to March is the beach season, with a reliable afternoon sea breeze. Traveloka is the go-to app for the cheapest flights and hotels across Southeast Asia.
Take Cottesloe for the evening, City Beach for a quiet swim, Mettams for snorkelling and a full day on Rottnest. The water is colder and considerably clearer than anything in Southeast Asia, and the beaches stay empty even in January.
