Things to do in Byron Bay
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Byron Bay
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer is hottest, wettest, busiest and most expensive, with the best water and afternoon storms.
Autumn is the connoisseur season with warm sea, dropping humidity and crowds gone after Easter.
Winter is dry and clear with whales daily, the best surf and Byron at its most local.
Spring warms up with wildflowers and good surf. Best months overall are September to October, then April to May.
What's on
- Schoolies late November to early December
School leaver groups fill central Byron for about three weeks across state cohorts.
- Australia Day 26 January
A capacity weekend in peak summer.
- Byron Writers Festival typically August
Literary festival that books out Bangalow and Byron accommodation for its weekend.
- Byron Bay International Film Festival typically October
Spring film festival fixture, with the Surf Festival also in spring.
Best things to do in Byron Bay
Cape Byron Walking Track
A 3.7 km loop to the easternmost lighthouse with dolphins, turtles and the first sunrise in Australia.
Main Beach
Patrolled town beach that is easiest for a quick swim and best for sunset with buskers and families.
Clarkes Beach
Calmer and less crowded than Main Beach, and the learn to surf and longboard stretch of the bay arc.
The Pass
Famous long peeling right hander over sand that is superb on a good swell and crowded on weekends.
Wategos Beach
Beautiful sheltered cove under the headland at the eastern end of the bay arc.
Julian Rocks Marine Reserve
Snorkel or dive where tropical and temperate seas meet, with turtles, leopard sharks and rays.
Byron Bay Farmers Market
Producers only Thursday market where chefs and locals shop for macadamias, cheese, prawns and coffee.
Byron Bay Community Market
First Sunday market that is distinct from the farmers market and the tourist gift stalls.
Where to stay in Byron Bay
Clarkes Beach / Lighthouse Road
first trip, all round base
Walk to town and The Pass, quieter at night than Jonson Street, on the lighthouse walk.
Town centre / Jonson Street
short stay, no car, nightlife
Steps to everything with no car needed, but ask for a rear or courtyard room away from noise.
Wategos Beach
honeymoon, splurge, seclusion
A single beautiful cove under the headland where seclusion beats convenience and cost.
Belongil Beach
longer stay, self catering
Quieter beach and small cafes with a flat walk into town by day and a taxi back at night.
Suffolk Park
families with a car, golfers, week plus stays
A real suburb with shops, pub and golf, at half the price pressure of central Byron.
Hinterland (Ewingsdale, Bangalow, Federal)
a different trip, two base split
Luxury farm stays and pavilion houses in green hills, with the beach as a day trip.
Think twice about
- Jonson Street / Lawson Street late night block
Not a safety issue by day, but noise and late crowds on weekends make it a poor base for light sleepers and young kids.
- Arts & Industry Estate as a base
Great by day but deserted and unlit at night, with no footpath friendly walk back to town after dark.
- Unpatrolled southern beaches as a base (Tallow / Broken Head)
Isolation, rip risk and no phone signal in pockets make it a poor base for families who assume beaches are patrolled.
- Central Byron apartments during Schoolies
School leaver groups concentrate in central apartments and caravan parks in late November to early December.
Best restaurants in Byron Bay
Raes Dining Room
Modern Australian dining over Wategos Beach, Byron special occasion splurge for seafood and pasta.
Light Years Byron Bay
Modern Asian share plates and a banquet that is the group dinner answer in Byron.
Bar Heather
Tiny natural wine bar with serious share plates, the date night and wine nerd pick.
Pixie Food & Wine
Chef led Italian room that locals push for a refined central dinner.
Dorsia
32 seat chef led room with produce driven set menus, a standout for a special occasion.
Feu
Tasting journey cooked over local timber fire in a beachfront setting at The Belongil.
Byron Bay Oyster Bar
Seafood specialist inside Hotel Marvell with a dedicated oyster tank and raw bar.
Harvest Newrybar
Hinterland long lunch in a village with deli, bakery and gardens, built for lunch not dinner.
Outdoor things to do in Byron Bay
Byron Bay Golf Club
Coastal 18 hole par 72 course with ocean views, narrow fairways and water in play.
Soul Surf School
Mobile surf school that scouts beaches from Byron to Lennox for the safest beginner waves.
Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay
Sea kayak paddle in the marine park with resident dolphins, turtles and seasonal whales.
Cape Byron Kayaks
Long running dolphin kayak tours using surf life saver qualified guides and double kayaks.
Brunswick River
Flat water kayak and paddleboard tours through mangroves with sea eagles and rays in the shallows.
Out of the Blue Adventures
Small group whale watching with marine biologist guides, best from June to October.
Premier Whale Watching Byron
Boat whale watching for the close breach view on the humpback highway from June to October.
Minyon Falls
Hinterland waterfall and lookout in Gondwana rainforest, best as a self drive day trip.
Best hotels in Byron Bay
Raes on Wategos
Seven suite Mediterranean style villa directly on Wategos Beach, Byron signature luxury hotel.
Elements of Byron
Large luxury resort of villas in coastal forest with lagoon pool, spa and beach frontage.
Crystalbrook Byron
Rainforest resort in 45 acres with suites, infinity pool, day spa and daily yoga.
The Bower Byron Bay
Boutique pavilion hotel in town with a beloved pool, in the smaller design luxury set.
Basq House
Moroccan inflected boutique luxury hotel in town, one of the smaller design led stays.
Hotel Marvell
Five star town hotel that is the best walk to everything luxury value midweek.
The Lord Byron
Reliable central boutique hotel with pool, spa, tennis and free bikes and surfboards.
Waves Byron Bay
Small smart apartment style hotel steps from Main Beach with kitchenettes and balconies.
Is Byron Bay expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$375 a person |
| Splurge | A$800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Julian Rocks Marine Reserve: a few days ahead
- Stone & Wood Brewery: a few days ahead
- Cape Byron Aboriginal Tours: weeks ahead
- Byron Bay Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Soul Surf School: a few days ahead
- Go Sea Kayak Byron Bay: a few days ahead
- Cape Byron Kayaks: a few days ahead
- Brunswick River: a few days ahead
- Accommodation for Christmas, Easter, festivals and school holidays books out months ahead.
- Dinners at Raes, Light Years, Bar Heather and Dorsia need days to weeks ahead, always for weekends.
- Book water and air activities early in the stay for weather rollover, 3 to 7 days ahead in season.
Is Byron Bay safe?
- Swim only at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags. Tallow, Broken Head and The Pass rocks have dangerous rips.
- Byron is shark habitat. Swim in groups, avoid murky water at dawn and dusk, and heed drone and lifeguard closures.
- Do not leave anything visible in cars at beach, lighthouse or waterfall car parks.
- Use SPF 50 and carry water on the lighthouse track, where heat exhaustion is a regular rescue call.
Byron Bay travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Driving to the lighthouse at midday and paying to park for 20 minutes instead of walking at dawn for free.
- Jonson Street souvenir shops where almost nothing is made in Byron and prices are tourist set.
- The Pass at midday on a weekend for a first surf, when it is crowded and competitive.
- Day tripping from the Gold Coast or Brisbane and only seeing the crowded midday hours.
Getting around Byron Bay: public transport and more
- Walk or bike in town and to Clarkes, The Pass and the lighthouse. Hire a car for one hinterland day.
- Ballina airport is 30 minutes south, Gold Coast is 1 hour north, Brisbane is 2 hours north.
- Paid parking fills by 10am in season and lighthouse parking is about 10 dollars per hour. Accommodation with included parking is worth real money.
- Local buses are infrequent and rideshare is thin late at night. Pre book taxis for airport and hinterland returns.
Who Byron Bay suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Byron Bay your trip
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