Greenmount Beach, Coolangatta: Swimming, Surf and Parking

Greenmount Beach is a patrolled surf beach at Coolangatta on the southern tip of the Gold Coast, tucked under Greenmount Hill between Coolangatta Beach and Rainbow Bay. It has lifeguards every day, a parkland edge with toilets and showers, and a gentler section of the famous southern point break.

Most people search for Greenmount Beach when they want somewhere to swim and park near Coolangatta without the crowds of the bigger Gold Coast beaches. Here is how it works.

Swimming at Greenmount Beach

Lifeguards patrol Greenmount Beach between 8 am and 5 pm every day of the year, from a single patrol location (Tower 2) on Marine Parade near the surf club. Swim between the red and yellow flags. Patrols can close for dangerous swimming, unsafe beach conditions or maintenance works, so check the flags when you arrive.

Outside patrol hours there are no lifeguards, so keep swims to the flagged hours. The surf club and the patrol tower are on Marine Parade, so that is where to head if you need help, and the parkland behind the beach has shade for a break out of the sun.

Check the beach conditions on the day, because swell and currents change along this stretch of coast, and the council’s beach pages show whether the patrol is open.

Surfing at Greenmount

Greenmount is part of the Gold Coast’s World Surfing Reserve. It is a slower paced section of the southern point break, better suited to beginner and intermediate surfers. The same line of surf runs from Snapper Rocks through Rainbow Bay and Greenmount towards Kirra. Assess the conditions before you paddle out: if in doubt, don’t.

Parks, the headland and the Oceanway

The parkland around the beach has toilets, barbecues, tables, shade structures and beach showers. Pat Fagan Park sits on the headland along Greenmount Beach and Rainbow Bay, with picnic shelters, tables, a barbecue and a lookout at the top with coastal views towards Surfers Paradise, and picnic facilities, barbecues, outdoor showers and a playground at the bottom.

The Oceanway runs beside the beach and around the headland, so you can walk or ride the coastal path to Coolangatta Beach and the cafes across Marine Parade.

Is Greenmount Beach dog friendly?

No. Pat Fagan Park, which runs along Greenmount Beach, bans dogs from the beach and foreshore and signs are in place. City of Gold Coast also lists Coolangatta and Greenmount beaches as dog-prohibited areas and prohibits dogs within 200 metres of flagged swimming areas. Dogs are totally banned in playgrounds and must be on a leash elsewhere in the park.

Planning your visit

• How long: a couple of hours for a swim and a picnic; half a day if you walk the headland and the Oceanway.
• Best time: during patrol hours, 8 am to 5 pm, and early in the day for parking.
• Cost: free.
• What to bring: sunscreen, a hat and water. The parkland has shade structures, and Pat Fagan Park has a drinking fountain and a water tap.
• Accessibility: pathways connect the park facilities and there are accessible toilets and accessible parking bays. Some of the timber viewing platforms have stairs. The council’s interactive map shows accessibility features.

Getting there and parking

Greenmount Beach is about 85 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD without traffic.

There is limited parking at the surf club, and on-street parking in nearby streets, so check signs and line markings before you leave the car. At Pat Fagan Park, onsite parking is on top of the headland or along Marine Parade, with accessible spaces at the end of the headland car park and next to the playground on Marine Parade.

By public transport, Translink buses run along Griffith Street near Coolangatta Beach, including route 700 between Tweed Heads and West Burleigh, which serves Coolangatta. Check the Translink Journey Planner for times.

More detail is on the City of Gold Coast Greenmount page.

Nearby

• Coolangatta Beach – the long, sheltered beach next door, with cafes across the road.
• Rainbow Bay – the next beach along, around the headland.
• Snapper Rocks – the famous point break at the start of the same line of surf.
• Kirra Beach – the next surf beach to the north.
• Duranbah Beach – just over the border in northern NSW.
• Currumbin Beach – another Gold Coast beach to the north.

Browse more beaches and Gold Coast places, or see things to do on the Gold Coast.

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