Your guide to family-friendly beaches

Many world-class events are held here including fishing, surfing, swimming, triathlon and boating competitions. There are also some beautiful and unique places to go diving and snorkelling in the area.

And if it’s clear and calm family-friendly swimming beaches you’re after, you’re spoiled for choice there too.

Like anywhere in Australia, swimming safety and accessibility is weather dependent, so be sure to check the conditions on the day and stay informed with SLS Beachsafe.

Bunker Bay is a stunning piece of coastline just outside of Dunsborough.

The long stretch of beach is strikingly beautiful with pearly white sands and turquoise blue water framed by rugged green bushland.

Most of the time Bunker Bay is pretty shallow and calm, but it can get rough in certain conditions, so during the summer months there are surf life savers patrolling the beach.

One of the ultimate family-friendly destinations to go swimming is the Busselton Foreshore. During the warmer months the beach is shallow, clear and calm – almost like glass. For little ones who are afraid of even the smallest of waves, this is the place to go.

At the beach there’s a little jetty with ladders which people like to walk along or jump off, it’s on the left-hand side of the iconic Busselton Jetty. People come from all over the world to walk along the Busselton Jetty or ride the Jetty Train to the end to check out the awesome Underwater Observatory, which showcases one of Australia’s greatest artificial reefs.

Aquatastic, a big inflatable water playground, can often be found further up along the beach on the left-hand side of both jetties during summer school holidays.

The whole way along the foreshore there is a brilliant wide path, great for bikes, scooters, prams or a leisurely scenic walk. On the left-hand side there is a huge car park with stairs down to the beach, water fountains, BBQ facilities, landscaped gardens, sheltered tables and seating.

There’s also a large, sheltered playground and skate park with views of the ocean, seating and water fountains, so it’s easy to see why this is such a popular spot.

Nestled in the peaceful coastal community of Gracetown lies the tranquil Cowaramup Bay.

The beach in the bay is calm and quite sheltered from strong winds making it a popular swimming place for families with kids and/or dogs. Cowaramup Bay is great place to go snorkelling and it also has a pontoon a few meters off the shore.

Further out from you can find large swell and some legendary world-class surf breaks, the lookout is a great place to sit and watch the surfers.

Located a few minutes’ drive from the Augusta township lies the picturesque Flinders Bay. It has a grassed area overlooking the water with a playground, swing set, BBQ facilities, picnic tables, seating and public toilets.

The tranquil lagoon below is crystal clear and has a small jetty with stairs that takes you directly into shallow water.

This is not only a fantastic place for kids to go swimming; you’ll also often see people at Flinders Bay swimming laps and Stand-Up Paddle Boarding too.

Just around the corner from Flinders Bay in Augusta you’ll find Granny’s Pool. It is located on Leeuwin Road, but it can be a bit tricky to find, so keep your eyes peeled for the sign that is roughly painted on one of the barriers in the car park.

Granny’s Pool would have to be one of the most naturally sheltered and shallow places to go swimming in the region, much thanks to the formation of rocks that frame the ocean. It’s almost like a big swimming pool.

Even when the weather is windy and other beaches are a bit rough, you can more often than not count on Granny’s Pool to still be calm.

On the left-hand side of the boat ramp there are the sculpture-like remains of the Hamelin Bay Jetty and on the right-hand side is a long stretch of white sandy beach and crystal blue water. Here you’ll find public toilets, Hamelin Bay Holiday Park (with a little shop, perfect for those 2pm ice creams!), and great viewing points over the bay.

Please remember Hamelin Bay is a sanctuary zone for our ocean creatures, always stay a minimum of 3 meters away from wild animals and do not feed or touch wildlife.

There’s just something special about Meelup Beach. Meelup Beach is located in a bio-diversity hotspot and faces northeast, which protects it from the wind allowing dense bushland, huge trees and grass to grow right down to the water’s edge in some areas.

A combination of beautiful beach and large shady trees is a winning concept for families. Add on public toilets, showers and BBQ facilities overlooking the water, and in the warmer months surf lifesavers and a good food truck or two in the carpark, and you’ll see why.

Magical Yallingup is one of the most spectacular places in the region. The drive down the ridge offers spectacular views that makes your heart flutter with excitement.

Yallingup Beach is not only a famous surfers paradise, but it also has a stunning calm lagoon which is perfect for swimming and snorkelling. There’s also the Yallingup Nature Based Playground, beautifully made to compliment the surroundings.

To top it off, there’s a shaded grassed area next to the playground with picnic tables and on the other side of the beach staircase there are public toilets and showers.