A strip of coast in Victoria known for having some of the best surf in the country has been named Australia’s best beach.
Lonely Planet has named the 100 top spots to enjoy sand and surf across the globe in a new book titled Best Beaches, with several Australian beaches in the mix.
And despite Sydney‘s coastal hot spots being famous with beachgoers the world over, Lonely Planet researchers crowned Victoria’s relatively isolated Bells Beach – located about 90 minutes’ drive from Melbourne – as Australia’s best.
The travel experts hailed the surf beach for its ‘red-clay cliffs framing this natural amphitheatre’ and suggested the best time to visit was from November to March.
Lonely Planet added that Bells Beach is not for the causal swimmer and is frequented by surfers who head down the weathered steps and paddle out to catch a wave.
Bells Beach (pictured) in Victoria, about 90 minutes from Melbourne, took out top spot in Australia in in Lonely Planet’s 100 Best Beaches
The swell kicks off from April to October, making it a popular spot for experienced surfers.
‘There are no swimmers here: just the clifftop bluffs where most pilgrims perch, eager to see Australia’s best surfing break and watch the surfers who ride it,’ Lonely Planet’s website reads.
Aussies can watch surfers battle it out at The Rip Curl Pro competition at Bells Beach, which is held every year during the Easter holiday period.
With more than 60,000km of coastline, Australia has roughly 12,000 beaches – making it difficult for the experts to pick the best spots.
Ever-popular The Pass in Byron Bay was voted number five on the list of top family-friendly beaches.
Rounding out New South Wales’ entries, was the world-famous Bondi Beach – making the list as the best beach for people watching.
Western Australia’s Cable Beach, located in Broome, made the list for its ‘blonde sand sandwiched between the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean’.
The ever-popular The Pass in Byron Bay (pictured) was voted number five on the list of top family-friendly beaches
Unsurprisingly, Cable Beach (pictured) in Broome, Western Australia, ranked made the list for best beaches to watch the sunset
Tasmania’s Wineglass Bay (pictured), on the Freycinet Peninsula, was dubbed a ‘slice of heaven’ and made the list for its ‘pink granite mountains, azure bays and rugged coastal forest’
Cable Beach also made Lonely Planet’s list of best beaches to watch the sunset, with visitors often flocking there for its famous sunset camel rides along the shoreline.
Beachgoers are encouraged to visit Cable Beach between May and October when the water is not plagued by deadly Irukandji jellyfish and crocodiles.
Lucky Bay, in Cape Le Grand National Park, near Esperance on the state’s south coast, also made the list of Australia’s best beaches.
‘Imagine sand so white and so fine it whistles underfoot, and water in shades of blue so beautiful it’s impossible to resist,’ Lonely Planet wrote.
‘Cradle it between scenic granite outcrops linked by bushwalking trails and add a few kangaroos, and you have Lucky Bay.’
Tasmania’s Wineglass Bay, on the Freycinet Peninsula, was dubbed a ‘slice of heaven’ and made the list for its ‘pink granite mountains, azure bays and rugged coastal forest’.
White Sandy Beach in The Maldives (pictured) also made the list
Greece’s Elafonissi beach on the island of Crete made the list for its symphony of fine pink-white sand and turquoise water
Antarctica’s St Andrews Bay was among the world’s best beaches. Needless to say, it’s not a beach for visitors to take a swim, rather its regarded as one of the best for spotting wildlife
Squeaky Beach in Victoria along with Queensland’s Tangalooma Beach on Moreton Island and Whitehaven Beach on the idyllic Whitsundays were also named among Australia’s best.
Each entry in Lonely Planet’s Best Beaches provides practical insights on how to reach each spot and delves into the reasons that earned them the prestigious title of being the best in the world.
Globally, other beaches snagging a spot included were White Sandy Beach in The Maldives, Pink Beach in Indonesia, Ipanema Beach in Brazil, Awaroa Beach in New Zealand, Elafonissi Beach in Greece and even Antarctica’s St Andrews Bay!