We’re pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to stunning sandy escapes with more than 10,000 beaches around Australia. However, there’s a unique beach destination that everyone would be amazed, and that is Esperance, WA.
Esperance has a wealth of remarkable excellence in a portion of the world’s best seashores and immaculate coastline. It offers beautiful coastline and incredible weather in summer. If you’re planning to visit some popular spots, there are plenty of accommodation options to choose from with over 60 establishments, including quality motels, hotels, caravan and holiday parks, chalets, apartments, farm stays and bed and breakfasts.
Here is an overview of Esperance’ beaches:
- Quagi Beach Campsite
- Stokes National Park Campsite
- Campsites in Cape Le Grand National Park
- Alexander Bay
- Mt Ragged
- Israelite Bay
- Munglinup Beach
- Peak Charles
- Woody Island
So, are ready to know more about the beautiful town of Esperance? Read more to find out!
How Do I Get to Esperance Beach?
Esperance is located 721 kilometres south-east of Perth and can be reached via a 7-hour drive. It is situated in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, on the pristine Southern Ocean coastline. Esperance is protected by over 200 islands of the Recherche Archipelago in the Bay of Isles and faces south to the Southern Ocean. One of the best ways to reach the town is to take a flight from Perth or hire a car from Perth Airport. Three different routes are accessible if you’re planning to drive to get there.
We recommend taking the route via National Route 1 with 697-kilometre distance because it only takes you 7 hours and 33 minutes to arrive at Esperance.
- Get on Graham Farmer Fwy/State Route 8 in East Perth from Stirling St and Parry St
- Take Brookton Hwy/State Route 40 to York-Williams Rd in Jelcobine
- Continue on York-Williams Rd. Take N Wandering Rd, Wickepin-Pingelly Rd, Wickepin-Harrismith Rd, Muller Rd and Tarin Rock Rd to Dumbleyung-Lake Grace Rd/State Route 107 in Tarin Rock
- Follow State Route 107, Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Rd/State Route 40 and National Route 1 to Harbour Rd in Chadwick
- Continue on Harbour Rd. Drive to Andrew St in Esperance
What Should I Know About Esperance Beach?
Seeking shelter from a storm in these waters while exploring the Western Australian coast in 1792, Esperance was named after “L’Esperance” a French frigate which, with its companion vessel Recherche. Sealers and whalers commonly used the harbours and bays around Esperance in the 1820s and 1830s.
As a port facility for the Goldfields, the town was founded in 1893. The area surrounding Esperance was regarded as too infertile for intense agriculture for most of the 20th century. The Esperance Downs Research Station discovered that the local soil only required a small amount of additional trace elements to make it fertile in 1949. This first discovery transformed the place into a fruitful maker of sheep, cattle and wheat.
How Are the Campgrounds in Esperance Beach?
Esperance in summer holidays are perfect for camping. You can spend a whole day in your bathers, there’s always plenty to do, and the weather is excellent. The most severe issue that you’ll confront is the place to go. There is a lot of decisions, which is good because a portion of the campgrounds can be very cramped. Within a short drive from Esperance, there are dozens of camping places that are accessible by two-wheel and four-wheel drive cars. Many of them have access to amazing beaches and excellent facilities. Here are some of the top campgrounds around Esperance that you should consider:
2WD Access
Quagi Beach Campsite
This camping area has a lot of protected bush sites at 70 km west of Esperance, off Farrell Road. There is access to Quagi Beach and sheltered sites, which offers excellent and swimming.
Stokes National Park Campsite
The road leading to the campsite has a section of gravel road, but it is still very accessible even to 2WD vehicles, and it is located 80 km west of Esperance, on Stokes Inlet Road.
Campsites in Cape Le Grand National Park
These campsites are both accessible via sealed road offering excellent facilities at both Cape Le Grand and Lucky Bay, with plenty of campsites.
4WD Access
Alexander Bay
This picturesque campsite is located around80 km east of Esperance right off Alexander Bay Road, also known as A-Bay. 4WDs are recommended because the road can be in poor condition.
Mt Ragged
It is only accessible by 4WD, and it is located in the Cape Arid National Park. The climb up Tower Peak is a bit challenging but offers impressive views as well as beautiful native wildflowers, and the campground has very basic facilities.
Israelite Bay
This campsite is located on a remote beach east of Esperance. It is primarily known for its fishing and the 4WD adventure to get there. You need to be completely self-sufficient (fuel, water, camping, cooking, etc.), and it is relatively isolated.
Further Afield
Munglinup Beach
It is a beautiful area with a sheltered campsite located 140 km from Esperance.
Peak Charles
It is located in the Great Western Woodlands, 170 km north-west of Esperance, off the Coolgardie Highway.
Woody Island
Take the Woody Island Eco Tours boat to Recherche Archipelago’s most accessible island and try something different.
If you want to know more about the campgrounds in the area, you can visit their website.
Where Can I Take A Bushwalk in Esperance Beach?
There are hundreds of walking trails, tracks and pathways across Esperance that are primed for walkers whether you’re an experienced bushwalker or enjoy a casual stroll.
Easy Walks
- Stokes Heritage Trail, Stokes National Park features one of the State’s most picturesque estuaries with 6.4-kilometre length. The Estuary Mouth is a great spot to view abundant birdlife, and the simple trail offers walkers the chance to see native fauna such as kangaroos, emus and honey possums.
- The Great Ocean Pathway is one of the most iconic walks in Western Australia with 12-km length, and the pathway is on a bitumen track that is shared by walkers, runners, cyclists and prams.
Moderate Hikes
- Twiggy’s Landing and Shearwater Lookout Walk, Woody Island is a great way to soak up views of the surrounding islands. A 1-km hike where you can view flesh-footed shearwaters (medium-sized seabirds) who nest in their burrows at dusk in the summertime.
- Island Top Walk Trail, Woody Island climbs to a lookout that provides sweeping views of the Recherche Archipelago and mainland with a 2.1-km length. It includes travels through a mix of coastal scrublands and tall trees, interpretive signs that provide helpful insights into the island’s natural environment and a gentle climb to the summit.
- Len Otte Nature Trail, Cape Arid National Park was designed and established in 1979 by Len Otte, who was the first resident ranger at Cape Arid National Park with a 1-km length. As it winds through thickets up Belinup Hill, the trail surface consists of pavements made up of exposed granite and gravel.
What Are the Other Things That I Can Do In Esperance Beach?
There are a lot of things you can do in Esperance. These are:
- Taking some photos
- Watching kangaroos sunbathing on the beach
- Snorkelling and diving
- Visit the Pink Lake
- Bush camping
- Swimming and Kayaking
What Is the Best Time to Visit Esperance Beach?
Autumn in Esperance provides stunning & calm days which are perfect for exploring National Parks & walk trails while winter marks the start of whale season. With whales often spotted frolicking off our shores with their young while the wildflower season is in full bloom during the Spring – the most exceptional period to discover the colourful floral scenery of this area.
What Do Other Tourists Say About Esperance Beach?
The town sprawls along the beach, so more places have a view of the sea than don’t. There’s at least one decent hotel on the front but none to speak of outside the town – it is tiny (14,000 population or thereabouts) so (from memory) all the accommodation is in the town unless you look at self-catering cabins and like.
What’s especially surprising about the coastline is that the best beaches in the National Park, have no homes or hotels there and the sea is the bluest you’ve ever seen. It can be rough but should be at its warmest in March
Four days is enough if you’re on a schedule and flying in and out. – BellaHampshire (TripAdvisor)
Related Questions
Is Esperance Worth the Drive?
Short drive west of town are some other stunning beaches, and the coastal views from the road are outstanding. I’d argue that it is just as good, if not better than Lucky Bay, they’re more accessible. This drive is well worth it If you do end up in Esperance.
Can You Swim in Pink Lake?
It is impossible to do for regular tourists as the lake can’t be visited but swimming in the lake’s water is very safe and fun. Nowadays, it is only used for tourism purposes, but for a few years, they used to extract salt from the lake. It causes no harm to the skin, and the algae Dunaliella salina is entirely harmless, and the water of the lake is clear as well.
Is Esperance A Good Place To Live?
Esperance is lovely. It is like a sleepy little town but with excellent shopping, beautiful beaches and excellent restaurants. Particularly Castletown and West Beach are beautiful areas in Esperance to live in and the schools down there are fantastic.
