Burleigh Heads Beach
Best for. Surfers chasing the point and families who want a patrolled beach with shade and a great dining strip.
Best spot. The northern end near Tallebudgera Creek for calmer family water, with the point reserved for experienced surfers.
Know this. The famous wave at the point is for experienced surfers only, while everyone else swims at the patrolled main beach between the flags.
If you ask Gold Coast locals for their favourite beach, Burleigh Heads comes up again and again. It has a national park headland, a famous surf break, pandanus trees on a grassy hill and a relaxed dining strip, all in one easy stretch.
The point is the legend. On its day the right hand point break at Burleigh is one of the best waves in the country, and it draws serious surfers and watching crowds. It is a wave for experienced surfers, not for a casual paddle.
For everyone else, the patrolled main beach is the place to swim, and the northern end near Tallebudgera Creek gives calmer, family friendly water. The grassy hill and shady trees behind make a fine base for the day.
The headland walk through Burleigh Head National Park is short, beautiful and worth doing for the coastal views, and the James Street dining strip just behind is one of the best on the coast for a meal after the sand.
Who should adjust. Beginners and families wanting flat water should favour the creek end or nearby Tallebudgera, and leave the point itself to the experienced surfers who know how to read it.
Clubs on this beach
Burleigh Heads is a public patrolled beach with the well known Burleigh Pavilion sitting above the sand, but no daybed club on the beach itself, so we route you to the Gold Coast beaches and venues where a club style day exists.
No beach club on this beach
This is public sand with no daybed club on the beach itself. For a club style day with loungers and table service near Burleigh Heads, we gather the options in the Gold Coast beach clubs directory.
Southern central Gold Coast, Queensland
Burleigh Heads sits on the southern central Gold Coast, about fifteen minutes north of Gold Coast Airport, between Broadbeach and the southern points.
Parking runs along Goodwin Terrace and the streets behind the beach, with the national park headland walk starting from the southern end.
Facilities are excellent, with a surf club, showers and the James Street dining strip behind the sand. Swim between the flags on the patrolled main beach.
Photo: Maël Vincent (mvkirk) via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or table at a club within reach of Burleigh Heads. We reply by email.
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Common questions about Burleigh Heads
Is Burleigh Heads good for swimming?
Yes, at the patrolled main beach between the flags, and the calmer northern end near Tallebudgera Creek suits families. The point itself is a surf break for experienced surfers, not a swimming spot.
Why do locals love Burleigh Heads?
It combines a world class point break, a national park headland walk, shady trees and a top dining strip in one easy stretch, which makes it feel complete in a way the busier central beaches do not.
Can beginners surf at Burleigh Heads?
The famous point break is for experienced surfers. Beginners are better off at gentler beaches nearby, and should swim at the patrolled main beach or the calmer creek end.
Is there good food at Burleigh Heads?
Yes. The James Street strip just behind the beach is one of the best dining areas on the Gold Coast, with cafes and restaurants a short walk from the sand.
When is the best time to visit Burleigh Heads?
Autumn, from April to June, brings clean swell for surfers and mild, dry days for everyone else, with comfortable water and fewer crowds than peak summer.
