Perth's northern beaches: choosing a swim, reef stop or coastal walk

The coast north of central Perth offers several different days out. City Beach and Floreat combine sand with established picnic facilities. Mettams Pool brings reef close to shore. Mullaloo has a surf-club-centred beach precinct, while Burns Beach needs a current works check before you plan around its foreshore park.

This guide covers selected stops from City Beach north to Burns Beach, with Sorrento and Hillarys included as alternatives. It is a comparison for choosing a visit, not a claim to list every beach on Perth's northern coast.

City Beach for a mixed group

City Beach combines the swimming beach with picnic tables, barbecues, play equipment and places to eat. It suits a group in which some people want a swim and others want time on the foreshore.

The Town of Cambridge also documents beach wheelchair and rollator hire here, with matting usually installed over summer. Book the equipment you need and confirm seasonal access before travelling. The same arrangements should not be assumed at every neighbouring beach.

Check the patrol flags when choosing where to swim. The groynes are landmarks, not a complete swimming enclosure, and conditions beside them can be hazardous.

Floreat for the playground and picnic lawns

Floreat Beach is immediately north of City Beach. Its nature playground and lawns are useful if a long swim is unlikely to hold the children's attention for the whole visit. Bring a picnic rug and let the beach be one part of the outing.

The Town has a masterplan for future improvements, but proposed facilities are not the same as completed works. Use the current beach listing and project notices to decide what will be available.

Floreat's volunteer patrols are seasonal. Check the day you plan to visit rather than transferring City Beach's year-round lifeguard description to the entire precinct.

Mettams Pool for reef and marine life

Mettams Pool is at North Beach, north of Trigg, within Marmion Marine Park. The reef lagoon can offer a closer look at marine life when visibility and water conditions suit. It is not a controlled pool with a guaranteed depth or an assumed patrol.

DBCA warns of surge on the outer reef and hazards near the shore. If you are new to snorkelling, choose the conditions conservatively and stay within your ability. A shore visit is a reasonable alternative when the water does not look right.

The water access ramp has been replaced since earlier storm damage. If your visit depends on it, check the current route with the City of Stirling rather than using an old photograph as an access guide.

Sorrento and Hillarys are different beach choices

The City of Joondalup's beaches page lists Sorrento as an ocean swimming beach with surf lifesaving patrols, parking, toilets and food options. Check the active patrol area and conditions on the day, as you would at Mullaloo or City Beach.

Hillarys Marina Beach is inside Hillarys Boat Harbour. The harbour provides shelter from ocean waves, which makes it worth considering for a family wanting a different setting from an exposed ocean beach. Shelter is not a guarantee of safety, and children still need close supervision.

Use the actual beach name when meeting friends or planning transport. “Hillarys” can refer to a much wider precinct, and a destination at the boat harbour is not the same as an entrance at Sorrento's ocean beach.

Mullaloo for a beach day and a coastal walk

Mullaloo Beach has public toilets, accessible parking and food outlets around its main beach area. Tom Simpson Park provides another foreshore stop, and the shared coastal path offers a way to add a walk without moving the car.

Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club identifies a main patrol area near its clubhouse. Use the flags that are actually operating rather than assuming supervision along the whole shore. Its usual volunteer season is weekends and public holidays from October to April.

The City lists free beach mobility equipment, accessed through an MLAK key or PIN arrangement. Confirm access with the City in advance if you need it; matting is seasonal, and the approach has a slope that may matter to some visitors.

Burns Beach requires a works check

Burns Beach is a coastal walking option, but the published redevelopment programme changes how visitors should plan around the foreshore. The City's targets include a park reopening in winter 2027 and the new café/restaurant opening in autumn 2028.

Those dates are project targets, not current visitor facilities. Read the latest council update before travelling and follow the signed parking and path arrangements. If you need a dependable playground or specific accessible facility, confirm it directly rather than relying on proposed designs.

For a short trip, Burns and Mullaloo are alternatives to compare; there is no requirement to fit both into one outing.

How to choose without driving the whole coast

Start with the feature that matters most. A playground points towards Floreat. Documented beach equipment may make City Beach or Mullaloo a more practical choice. A reef-focused visit suggests Mettams, subject to conditions and swimming confidence.

Then check the forecast, SharkSmart and local beach advice. A swimming enclosure, harbour wall, reef and patrol each serve a different purpose. None is a reason to ignore weather, closures or the abilities of the people with you.

For public transport, enter the exact beach entrance into the Transperth JourneyPlanner and check the final walk and return trip. Coastal destinations may need a bus connection from rail rather than a simple walk from the train.

Choose one main beach and, if useful, a nearby alternative. Keeping the plan small gives you more time at the place you actually came to enjoy and makes it easier to change course if the beach, weather or access does not suit.

Visitor information checked 25 September 2026. Recheck patrols, beach access and Burns Beach works close to your visit.