Port Macquarie is located on the mid-north coast of NSW, over
4 hours north of Sydney. It is a popular holiday destination with stunning beaches along its coastline, with top surf breaks and family beaches with flags. On a personal note, my family lives in Port Macquarie so we often travel up the coast and enjoy their beaches,
cafes,
family attractions and
playgrounds. The region has plenty of things to do, but you can't visit Port Macquarie without going to the beach - or at least walking along one!
Where is your favourite beach in Port Macquarie? These ones, below, are my family's favourite, although every beach in the region is a beautiful one. This first one is our number one, as it is the closest one to town and has so much to do...

Town Beach, Port Macquarie

Get there are dawn and walk the coastal path with the locals
Town Beach is a popular beach which has flags in the warmer months, clear water and safe areas to swim. At the northern end of the beach there is the breakwall to walk along, a
playground, a skate ramp and
Breakwall HQ Kiosk. At the southern end is
Salty Crew Kiosk and a coastal path which takes you around the headland to Oxley Beach. We have always liked this beach as there are overhanging trees that create shade on the sand, so we can have some shade on a hot day at the beach. See
here for a Google map.
Flynns Beach is located just a few headlands south of Town Beach. This beach is shorter than Town Beach, with tall volcanic rocks protruding from the ocean and a red rocks on the cliffs. It is a stunning beach to look at with a safe swimming area in the flags and a cute
cafe at the Surf Club. This locals beach gets busy on summer with limited parking behind the beach, so get there early on a hot day if you don't want to walk far. See
here for a Google map.

Family fun at Flynns Beach, Port Macquarie
Our other favourite beaches are
Lighthouse Beach for long family walks and
Shelly Beach for BBQs and collecting shells. Although it is fun to visit in summer and have a swim, we also enjoy exploring these beaches in winter as you often have them all to yourself. There is nothing better than taking the kids to the beach in winter and finding your own fun - collecting shells, looking for wildlife on the rock platforms, playing cricket on the sand or finding interesting things washed up on the shoreline. Each beach has free BBQ facilities behind them, so you can take your own lunch and stay there all day.
So where is the best beach in Port Macquarie? The answer is easy - it's
all of them!

On the hunt for shells at Shelly Beach, Port Macquarie