Residents and visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches in the City of Joondalup whether it’s for watersports, relaxation or a day out with the family.
Find a local beach
With 17kms of pristine coastline, explore some of the world’s best beaches.
Water activities
There are so many things to do by the water in the City:
The Department of Fisheries manages abalone fishing throughout the metropolitan area. The recreational catch is managed through size and bag limits, as well as closed areas and seasons.
The length of the open recreational fishing season for abalone may be adjusted each year to ensure the total metropolitan catch is consistent with this allocation and managed in a sustainable manner.
Information on fishing rules for abalone including size and bag limits can be found on the Fisheries website.
For Abalone fishing tips and further details visit the Recfishwest website.
Please check conditions before heading out including wind conditions and swells. Up to date reports can be found via the Surf Life Saving Australia website.
Parking during abalone season
If you are parking your vehicle whilst fishing for abalone within the City of Joondalup, please be considerate of residents and abide by parking restrictions in the area.
Please comply with all signage and do not:
- Park on residential lawns, gardens or verges without consent from the property owner.
- Park any portion of your vehicle on the footpath.
- Park on any median strips, traffic islands, pedestrian crossing points, chicanes or speed humps.
- Park facing against the flow of traffic.
- Park in or block any driveways.
Abalone beach access
Access to beaches and coastal areas are restricted to limit the environmental impact and to ensure public safety is maintained.
Our officers conduct patrols along the coastline, particularly at abalone season. Fines apply for leaving designated paths and accessways.
A day out at the beach is an iconic Australian tradition and the City of Joondalup is home to some of the best family friendly beaches in Perth. Hillarys Marina Beach (situated within Hillarys Boat Harbour) is a great spot for toddlers and young children. The beach is sheltered from waves by the marina providing calm waters for young ones with toilets and cafes close by.
Whilst most beaches are great for swimming, Sorrento and Mullaloo are the local favourites and it’s easy to see why. Beautiful white sand, turquoise waters and surf lifesaving patrols make these two beaches some of Perth’s best. Both beaches have convenient parking, toilet facilities and food and beverage options. Mullaloo Beach was also included in the top 50 WA beaches as ranked by Perth is Ok in 2023.
Two boat-launching ramps are located within the City of Joondalup:
- Hillarys Boat Harbour (Northside Drive)
- Ocean Reef Boat Harbour (Boat Harbour Quays)
Ample parking for vehicles and boat trailers are available at both locations, launching fees apply.
Boat users can apply to purchase annual parking permits for their boat trailer which allows their vehicle and attached boat trailer to be parked at the Ocean Reef Boat Harbour Car Park. This can also be used when accessing the boat launch facilities without having to purchase a daily ticket.
Jet skiing in excess of eight knots is prohibited within 200m of the shoreline along the entire City coastline.
All jet skis not used to tow passengers for the purposes of water skiing, are required to launch from designated boat launching facilities. Within the City of Joondalup, this applies to:
- Hillarys Boat Harbour and
- Ocean Reef Boat Harbour.
Jet skis involved in water skiing activities; may also utilise the permitted water ski take off area at Pinnaroo Point (Whitfords Beach).
Kitesurfing is an exciting sport that is popular along the City’s beaches. Local, interstate and international visitors kitesurf at several popular beach locations within the City, due to their great kiting conditions.
For further information on kitesurfing safety, membership and insurance visit the WA Kitesurfing Association website.
View kitesurfing/kiteboarding exclusion and designated areas on the map below.
Exclusion zones
Kitesurfing achieves its greatest thrill in windy conditions and can therefore pose a risk to other beach users if not undertaken safely. As such, the City has established a designated kitesurfing area and exclusion zones to ensure the safety of all beach users.
Basic rules
The basic rules are:
- Observing signage along the City’s beaches which indicates where kitesurfing can, and cannot, occur.
- Observe the no kitesurfing exclusion zones at Mullaloo and Sorrento beaches to a distance of 200m into the water.
- Rigging, launching and landing activities at Mullaloo must be undertaken within the designated kitesurfing area located between the exclusion zones.
- Look for the yellow buoys in the water for the western boundary of the exclusion zones and the yellow discs on the beach for the northern and southern boundaries.
An abundance of local reefs ensures there are a variety of fantastic snorkelling opportunities along the coast. The most popular areas are:
- Near the Marmion Angling Club (Marmion)
- Boyinaboat Reef (South side of Hillarys Marina)
- Burns Beach.
Two further areas with excellent snorkelling opportunities are Little Island and North Lump, however these locations are only accessible by boat.
The Department of Transport has increased the permitted water ski area at Whitfords and Mullaloo Beaches and removed the time restrictions over launching and landing at the permitted water ski take off area.
View water skiing exclusion and designated areas on the map below.