Main Beach Byron Bay is an absolutely stunning beach with plenty of amenities and parking and a fantastic location. This popular beach is the closest beach to town in Byron Bay.

If you follow Jonson Street to its top end you will come to Main Beach and Apex Park. To the left is Belongil Beach and a lovely view of Mount Warning. Looking to the right is Clarkes Beach and then The Pass and of course the Cape Byron Lighthouse. Looking out to the horizon you can see Julian Rocks, a marine reserve popular with divers.

As well as its undeniable natural beauty with white sand and calm clear waters Main Beach has a vibrant and colourful atmosphere. Apex Park provides a great vantage point to sit back and soak up the fun and often entertaining activity in and around Main Beach.

The Byron Bay Surf Club is also located at Main Beach. The in town location of Main Beach makes it a popular spot for families as it’s so easy to take a break for lunch, an ice cream or a stroll through town.

Is Main Beach Patrolled by Lifesavers?

Yes. Main Beach is patrolled every day of the year by the Australian Lifeguard Service on weekdays and volunteers on weekends and public holidays. Please check the Byron Shire Council website for local surf life saving information or the Beach Safe Website for more details.

Facilities
Main Beach facilities include:

Playground
Large grassy area
Public toilets, Male, Female, Accessibility, Open 24hrs
Baby change facilities
Showers and taps
Drinking fountain
BBQ’s
Picnic tables
Ramp access to the beach
Car park.
Paid parking (current rates are $4.00 per hour) with a 4 hr parking limit enforced between 9am to 6pm Monday to Sunday including Public Holidays. Free if you have a Byron Shire Residents Parking Exemption. Closed between 1am and 5am.

Surfing
Main Beach is a good spot for beginner surfers to learn to surf when the waves are small. There is the opportunity for beginner adult and children to catch white water waves here also.

The best time to surf here is at high tide as you can get dumping waves at low tide.
The best wind conditions for Main beach surf are South West to light East winds.
The best swell direction for small waves is small North to medium East to big South swells.
Take care to avoid rocks and the break wall and be aware of any rip currents.
Beginner surfers and children should surf on days that the beach is patrolled.

History
Main Beach is encompassed by Arakwal Country, which extends from Seven Mile Beach in the south then north to the Brunswick River, west to the escarpment and east out into the Tasman Sea. This area and Cavanbah (Byron Bay) itself are very sacred and special places with a rich Aboriginal history.

Cavanbah means ‘meeting place’ highlighting the significance of the area as a home base for the Arakwal people and other tribes from the Bunjalong nation. The home camp was located in what is now the Byron Bay CBD. In 1881 the leader of the 80 strong group living in Cavanbah was ‘King’Bobby. After King Bobby died his son Harry Bray inherited the kingship. There are many sacred Aboriginal sites in and around Byron Bay.

Main Beach was the site of Byron Bays first jetty built in 1888. The jetty extended approximately 300 metres into the sea from the top of Jonson Street.

The jetty was used to load cedar logs, dairy products, meat and banana’s. Byron bay became a very busy freight port and by the 1890’s was also the main passenger port on the north coast. It was so popular that it became the second busiest port on the NSW coast outside of Sydney until the 1920’s.

As the ships became larger the little jetty found it increasingly hard to cope and despite being lengthened and widened in 1910 it was replaced by the “New Jetty” in 1928 it then became known as the “Old Jetty”. Fisherman used the jetty up until 1947 when it was deemed too dangerous even for fishing and was subsequently demolished.

Nearby Attractions
Surf Club
The Byron Bay Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1907 making it one of the oldest clubs in Australia. Volunteers from the club are on patrol on weekends and public holidays making it possible for Main Beach to be patrolled every day of the

The club hosts three annual events, The Australia Day Paddle, the Byron Bay Ocean Swim Classic and the Byron Bay Triathlon. The function room at the club has magnificent views over Main Beach, Julian Rocks and the Cape Byron Lighthouse. With a capacity for 150 guests it is the perfect choice for weddings, conferences and parties.

The club runs Nippers every Sunday and has a large and active group of senior members both competitive and recreational.

Apex Park and Playground
Situated on a public reserve adjacent to Main Beach Byron Bay.

BBQ
Beach Access
Drinking Fountain
Picnic Tables
Playground
Showers
Toilets with Baby Change
2 hour Parking
Close to Town

Car park
Main Beach car park. This is a paid parking car park (current rates are $4.00 per hour) with a 4 hr parking limit enforced between 9am to 6pm Monday to Sunday including Public Holidays. Free if you have a Byron Shire Residents Parking Exemption.

Swimming pool
The Byron Bay Swimming Pool is a 50 metre public pool in a fantastic in town location at the top of Jonson Street. The pool is open,

Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm or 7pm during daylight savings.
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 8am to 5pm or 6pm daylight savings.
Christmas Day – Closed
New Years Day – Opens at 12 noon.
To check opening hours please contact pool management on 02 6685 6011

Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ’s
What do the flags mean on the beach?
The most important flags on the beach are the red and yellow flags. These show the supervised area of the beach and that a lifesaving service is operating. If there are no red and yellow flags, you should not go swimming.

How long is Main Beach?
3km

How far is Main Beach from town?
The beach is in Byron Bay, at the Eastern end of Jonson Street (main street through town).

Is Main Beach patrolled by lifesavers?
Yes. it is patrolled every day of the year by the Australian Lifeguard Service on weekdays and volunteers on weekends and public holidays.

Is Main Beach good for surfing?
A good spot for beginner surfers to learn to surf when the waves are small. There is the opportunity for beginner adult and children to catch white water waves here also.

Is Main Beach good for children?
Yes. Main Beach is great for families with children of all ages. Children should always swim only when a lifeguard is on duty.

Are there showers?
Yes.

Do you have to pay for parking?
Yes. Current rates are $4.00 per hour with a 4 hr parking limit enforced between 9am to 6pm Monday to Sunday including Public Holidays. Free if you have a Byron Shire Residents Parking Exemption. Closed between 1am and 5am.

How long does it take to walk from Main Beach to The Pass?
About 30 minutes.

Are there public toilets?
Yes.

Is Main Beach dog friendly?
No.