Categories > Guides and Tips
This guide to Port Beach uncovers all its watery treasures!
- Things to Know
- How to Get There
- Things to Do
- Take a dip
- Look for underwater creatures
- Ride the waves
- Complete the Port Beach Walk
- Explore tunnels and chase ghosts at Fremantle Prison
- Learn about Western Australia’s maritime history at the WA Maritime Museum
- Where to Drink and Eat
- Port Beach Brewery
- COAST Port Beach
- Palette Fremantle
- Jetty Bar & Eats
Port Beach is one reason why we don’t waste coin flying to a random island halfway across the globe. Merely a hop from Fremantle’s buzzy stretch, this sandy-white coast already sorts out our regular beach cravings.
For starters, it’s blessed with the Indian Ocean’s mellow and creature-filled shallows. Historic bits and global foodie joints are also nearby, so it’s never just a ‘swim and go home’ affair.
But don’t treat our word as gospel; give it a shot yourself. If you need some tips, though, all the juicy deets, like where to chill or feast, are down there.
Things to Know
Address: Port Beach
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Distance from the Perth CBD: 38 min (16.5 km)
Weather Forecast
How to Get There
By Train: You’ll reach Port Beach from the Perth CBD by taking the Fremantle Line, stopping at North Fremantle Station.
After leaving the train, enter Walter Pl and go south to Port Beach Rd, passing landmarks like the car park.
By Bus: If you opt for a bus ride, head to Canning Bridge Station and board Bus Line 910. It stops at Canning Hwy After Stirling Hwy, where you can either go for a 26-minute walk toward Port Beach Rd or take a taxi.
By Car: The nearest car park to the beach is City of Fremantle – Car Park 46, with Car Park 47 as the second closest.
By Taxi: We broke down the potential costs for taxi rides in Perth in 2025. You may use the table below to plan your fare budget.
| Tariff 1 – 6 am to 5:59 pm | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $5.10 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
| Tariff 2 – 6 pm to 5:59 am (including all day Saturday and Sunday) | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $7.30 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
| Ultra Peak (12 am to 02:59 am on Friday and Saturday only) | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $7.30 + $4.30 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
Things to Do
Take a dip
From shakuntala.kulkarni
As long as you stay between the flags, you’ll be golden while splashing around in Port Beach. The water there usually stays unruffled, and the patrolled stretch isn’t short on lifesavers.
If you ask me, early morning is the mint period, right before the crowd rolls up with their rugs and paddle boards. That said, the golden hour, with its textbook Western Australian sunset, is too pretty to pass up.
Look for underwater creatures
From clairedavenhall
Port Beach’s laid-back and clear shallows make snorkelling a must, especially for beginners. Most of the time, you’ll see herring, whiting, and tarwhine.
Veteran scuba divers find the best stuff, though. Tons of them who dove off Port Beach have recorded sightings of weedy seadragons!
Ride the waves
Sandtrax, right at Port Beach’s southern end, is my go-to when yearning for some easy swells. From my experience, the waves’ length sits below 50 metres.
There’s also rarely a crowd to be wary of down there, just a few longboarders and shortboarders. Kitesurfers and windsurfers pop up too, though they only appear when the southwesterly wind kicks in.
I avoid the spot after a decent storm, though. The amount of seaweed can be annoying to deal with.
Complete the Port Beach Walk
From ivyandisabel
Length: 2.6 km
Estimated Time: 32 min
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: 24 m
Type: Out-and-back
Morning and sunset runs on the Porth Beach Walk are fantastic for clearing the mind. The trail doesn’t see heavy crowds and is typically beautiful no matter the season, though the southerly resistance is sometimes worth moaning about.
Scenery-wise, you’ll take in views of a sandy-white shoreline flirting with the Indian Ocean.
If you’re into sweeping pit stops, the 4.89-km Cottesloe to Port Beach has more, like a massive sundial and the Vlamingh Memorial. Your starting point is the nearby Cottesloe Beach, with 1 hour and 15 minutes as the estimated completion time.
Explore tunnels and chase ghosts at Fremantle Prison
From fremantleprison
Address: 1 The Terrace
Contact Details: +61 8 9336 9200
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 9 am to 5 pm
- Wed – 9 am to 9 pm
- Thu – 9 am to 5 pm
- Fri – 9 am to 9 pm
- Sat to Sun – 9 am to 5 pm
Just a skip off the beach lands you at Fremantle Prison, WA’s one and only world heritage-listed building. And as you’d expect in a gaol that was built in the 1850s, it has stories to tell.
For instance, the Behind Bars tour chucked us in a ‘lock-up’ and made us walk in the boots of old-time convicts. Tunnels Tours was also wild, dropping us 20 metres underground, headlamp and all.
But, honestly, it’s the spine-tingling Torchlight Tour that did it for us, with its more macabre and ghastly theme. If you’re an armchair detective, though, go for True Crime, where you’ll learn tales about infamous criminals, like bushrangers and even serial killers!
Learn about Western Australia’s maritime history at the WA Maritime Museum
Address: Victoria Quay Road
Contact Details: +61 1300 134 081
Operating Hours: Daily – 9:30 am to 5 pm
Website
When it comes to diving into the state’s connection with the ocean, there might be no place in Fremantle that tops the WA Maritime Museum.
Our first stop will always be the HMAS Ovens. Visitors can tour this Oberon-class sub, reliving the lives of submariners during the Cold War Era, all for just $7.50 to $15 per head.
The museum also hosts special exhibitions every now and then. James Cameron’s Challenging the Deep in 2024 was especially a banger, as it used cinema-grade projections, specimens, and artefacts to put a spotlight on the great abyss.
Where to Drink and Eat
Port Beach Brewery
From portbeachbrewery
Address: Railway Hotel, 44 Tydeman Rd
Contact Details: +61 8 9335 2732
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 12:30 pm to 7 pm
- Fri to Sat – 12 pm to 12 am
- Sun – 12 pm to 10 pm
Pricing: $$
Facebook
If your idea of a beach trip involves smashing booze and vibing to live tunes, Port Beach Brewery is an easy pick. The roomy outdoor layout, particularly the beer garden, is meant for letting loose.
As for the brews, you’ll be spoilt for choice. There are Aussie pale ales and American red ales for a cruisy arvo or night of chugging, alongside dark ales that pack more oomph with ABV grades beyond 7%.
COAST Port Beach
From coastportbeach
Address: 42 Port Beach Rd
Contact Details: +61 8 9430 6866
Operating Hours:
- Wed to Thu – 11:30 am to 9 pm
- Fri – 11:30 am to 10 pm
- Sat – 11:30 am to 11 pm
- Sun – 11:30 am to 9 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Chilling on the dunes, COAST’s classic pub menu comes with a side of Indian Ocean and sunset panoramas.
We usually start with their fish and chips. For $28, we get to down a generous plate of properly seasoned meat and crisps, served with some fresh greens.
When we’re really starving, it’s the heartier steak sandwich we go for. The Scotch fillet is properly rich on its own, but the caramelised onion and nutty Swiss cheese give it a deeper profile worthy of the $29 tag.
Palette Fremantle
From palettefreo
Address: 1 Freeman Loop
Contact Details: +61 8 9335 4159
Operating Hours:
- Tue to Sat – 6:30 am to 3:30 pm
- Sun – 7 am to 3:30 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Part art gallery, part coastal resto, Palette Fremantle doesn’t stick to one lane.
In terms of food, it’s their brekkie and brunch staples that pull us in. The Acai bowl is what I’m personally mad about, thanks to its combination of fresh granola, mango, and coconut.
Most lunch-goers, though, prefer the Japanese-style cauliflower, pleasing taste buds with its nutty character and addition of buckwheat. The grassy and sweet strawberry matcha works well with it.
Jetty Bar & Eats
From jettyfreo
Address: East Street Jetty, 126 Beach St
Operating Hours:
- Wed to Thu – 11:30 am to 9 pm
- Fri to Sat – 11:30 am to 11 pm
- Sun – 10 am to 9 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Jetty Bar & Eats is sitting pretty by the Swan River, so you’ll get some postcard-worthy shots while dining. However, it’s probably their Mediterranean nosh that would make you stay.
We suggest nabbing their seafood before anything else, particularly the flaky fish burger and sweet Shark Bay prawns coated in umami nduja butter.
Once you’ve savoured those, go wild. After all, the menu is quite varied with dishes like croquette cauliflowers, chargrilled broccolini, and smoked pavlova all on offer.
