Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe Beach is Perth's most beloved stretch of coastline — a pristine crescent of white sand facing west into the Indian Ocean, with extraordinary calm turquoise water protected by an offshore reef that makes conditions ideal for swimming year-round. The character of the beach is defined by its heritage-listed Indiana Teahouse, an elaborate Edwardian timber pavilion built in 1910 that sits directly on the dunes and has become one of the most recognisable structures on any Australian beach.

Perth enjoys more sunshine hours than almost any other capital city in the world, and Cottesloe is the city's greatest beneficiary — summer evenings at Cottesloe take on a special quality as the sun descends over the Indian Ocean, flooding the beach in warm golden light. Sitting on Cottesloe's grass terrace at sunset with a cold drink from the Indiana or the adjacent Beach Club, watching the light change on the water, is one of the great simple pleasures of Australian city life.

Each March, Cottesloe hosts the internationally acclaimed Sculpture by the Sea exhibition — the largest free outdoor sculpture exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere — transforming the beach into an open-air gallery with works by Australian and international artists. The beach is also connected by train (10 min from Perth CBD) making it easily accessible. Good snorkelling is available off the groynes at either end of the beach, where fish life is concentrated around the reef and rock structures.