The Sunshine Coast is has more than 30 beautiful beaches, between the main towns of Caloundra, Maroochydore and Noosa, making it the perfect beach holiday hotspot in southeast Queensland. In this guide to the best beaches on the Sunshine Coast, I’ve rounded up the best beaches for swimming, surfing and dog-friendly spots, to help you find the perfect beach for your next day or holiday on the Sunshine Coast. From Noosa Beach to Mooloolaba Beach, there’s a wide range of beaches to choose from on the Sunshine Coast!

Got the beach bug? Check out my guide to the 12 Best Beaches in Australia for some more beach inspo!

Map of the Best Beaches on the Sunshine Coast

Safety at Sunshine Coast Beaches

Australian beaches are beautiful, but can be dangerous. Always swim at Patrolled Beaches, while lifeguards are on duty, even if you’re a strong swimmer. Rips and fast moving currents are very powerful but difficult to spot. There are plenty of patrolled beaches on the Sunshine Coast, so when the conditions are good, you’ll have no shortage of beaches to choose from. Support the local Surf Life Saving Club by having lunch at the club after your swim. Always swim between the flags, and pay attention to the conditions and advice of the local Surf Life Savers.

To avoid getting a full body sunburn, wear SPF 50+ sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and if you’re at the beach in the middle of the day, a shirt. The best time to hit the beach in Australia to avoid the worst of the heat is early, before 10am or after 3pm (before before dusk – never swim at dusk or dawn, which has a greater risk of sharks). I’m a big fan of a 6:00am ocean swim when I’m on Queensland time!

Read More: The 10 Best Beaches in Queensland

Best Beaches for Swimming (Patrolled Beaches)

Noosa Main Beach

The most famous of all of the Sunshine Coast beaches, Noosa Main Beach is a beautiful beach and cove, backed by a boardwalk, cafes and bars of Hastings Street, and the stunning Noosa National Park. I wish Noosa wasn’t quite so over developed, but thankfully Noosa National Park preserves a pocket of calm.

I’d visit Noosa Beach early in the morning, before it gets really crowded. Noosa, like Byron Bay, is a small town that swells with interstate & international tourists year-round these days, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for some peace and quiet. However, it’s still one of the Sunshine Coast’s most beautiful beaches.

Mooloolaba Beach

Mooloolaba Beach is the safest beach on the Sunshine Coast, and as a result it’s also one of the most popular. Mooloolaba Beach is home to a surf life saving club, caravan park and lots of holiday apartments, and a developed strip of shops, cafes and restaurants. Mooloolaba Beach is a beautiful spot, with views of the Glasshouse Mountains in the distance and a deep, sandy beach.

Finding a car park in Mooloolaba in summer is difficult and frustrating, so prepare to arrive early or spend a little bit of time circling around, and parking further away from the beach.

Kings Beach, Caloundra

Kings Beach is Caloundra’s main surfing beach and home to the Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches in Caloundra, and when we visited was busy with surfers and families. There’s an oceanfront saltwater pool and rock pools at Kings Beach too, which makes it a popular family holiday destination.

After your swim, have lunch on the deck at the recently renovated King’s Beach Tavern.

Dicky Beach, Caloundra

Dicky Beach is a beautiful Sunshine Coast beach past the Caloundra Headland, patrolled by the Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club. It’s a lot quieter than Kings Beach and tends to be used more by locals than tourists. It’s such a beautiful spot!

It can have rips and wilder swimming conditions, so make sure to swim only when the beach is patrolled, and within the flags near the Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Peregian Beach

Peregian Beach is a quiet village with a patrolled beach. Peregian Beach village has a number of shops, cafes and apartment residences, with a nice low key vibe, making it a quieter alternative to bustling Noosa.

Best Surf Beaches

Moffat Beach, Caloundra

Moffat Beach in Caloundra flies under the radar, and doesn’t get the tourist crowds of the patrolled Sunshine Coast beaches. It’s known for having a perfect point break, which makes it popular with surfers. Moffat Beach isn’t patrolled, so if you’re planning to swim it’s better to head around the corner to Kings Beach.

We had coffee & brunch at The Pocket Espresso Bar, which is a beautiful, lively cafe with a shaded back garden. The food & coffee was great!

Coolum Beach

Coolum Beach is a popular surf spot, and is a great place to learn to surf. Book a lesson with professional, local surfers at Coolum Surf School, and land your first wave! Coolum Beach is also patrolled, making it a popular spot for families and swimmers – I grew up swimming at Coolum Beach, on family holidays with my grandparents, who themselves grew up on the Sunshine Coast.

Sunshine Beach, Noosa

Sunshine Beach is a popular spot with experienced surfers, with 15km of open beaches and wave breaks. Beyond surfing, it is a beautiful spot to relax on the sand, enjoy the view from the coastal path, or soaking in the million-dollar views from the Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving Club – even if the vibe inside feels more like Sydney than the Sunshine Coast.

Dog-Friendly Beaches

Yaroomba Beach

The view over Yaroomba Beach is one of the best beach views on the Sunshine Coast. Best of all, the Yaroomba Reserve and beach is dog-friendly, so you can bring your bestie with you to the beach. Head to Point Arkwright on Google Maps to find the picnic area.

Yaroomba Beach is not safe for swimming, because it has permanent dangerous rips. Great for a walk with your dog on the beach, rather than a swim!

Ballinger Beach

Flowing from Dicky Beach, Ballinger Beach Park is a pretty beach that backs onto some parkland, near Currimundi. It is not patrolled, so is not ideal for swimming, but you can bring your dog!

Planning a trip to Australia? Check out the Most Beautiful Beaches in Australia

What’s your favourite beach in the world? Have you been to any of these Sunshine Coast beaches?

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