Surfers Paradise Beach is a patrolled surf beach in the middle of the Gold Coast, about two kilometres long, with high-rise towers behind the sand and a foreshore of footpaths, showers and toilets. Lifeguards patrol it from 8 am to 5 pm every day of the year, it is about 65 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD, and the G:link light rail runs through the middle of Surfers Paradise.
The beach runs along The Esplanade, with the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club on the corner of Hanlan Street. You can swim, watch the surf, walk the foreshore and stay on for the evening beachfront markets in one trip. If you are planning a longer stay, our guide to things to do on the Gold Coast has more ideas.
Can you swim at Surfers Paradise Beach?
Yes, in the patrolled area. Lifeguards patrol three locations from 8 am to 5 pm every day, all year: Tower 34 at The Esplanade and Cavill Avenue, Tower 35 at The Esplanade and Elkhorn Avenue, and Tower 36 at The Esplanade and Staghorn Avenue. Swim between the red and yellow flags.
A patrol can close for dangerous swimming conditions, unsafe beach conditions or beach maintenance works, so check the flags and signs when you arrive and swim only while the patrol is on. Council’s advice is to keep children within arm’s reach in the water, never swim at night, and call 000 in an emergency.
Surfing at Surfers Paradise Beach
Wave quality here changes with the swell direction, the wind, the tide and the shape of the sand bars. Council’s advice is to assess the conditions before you paddle out, and if you are in doubt, do not go out.
Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club
The surf club is on the corner of Hanlan Street and The Esplanade, overlooking the beach. The club was established in 1925. The clubhouse has a bistro serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with beach views, and a bar. The club does not publish bistro or bar hours on its website, so ring it on 07 5553 1900 if you are planning a meal around a time.
The Esplanade, the Oceanway and facilities
The foreshore park along the sand is Surfers Paradise Esplanade, at 60 The Esplanade. It has toilets, beach showers, a drinking fountain, a fitness station, a lookout, picnic tables and a walking track, with wide walkways. It is part of the Gold Coast Oceanway, which has bike parking, toilets, benches and beach showers along the Surfers Paradise section.
Beachfront markets on The Esplanade
The Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets set up along The Esplanade in the evenings. The council’s listing gives Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 4 pm to 9 pm, while the Surfers Paradise tourism site gives Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights with more than 100 stalls. Wednesday and Friday are on both lists, so those are the safest nights to plan around.
The skyline and SkyPoint
The towers behind the beach include Q1, which carries the SkyPoint observation deck about 230 metres above Surfers Paradise. SkyPoint’s website describes 360 degree views of the Gold Coast, south to the New South Wales border and inland to the hinterland, and sells tickets online at skypoint.com.au.
Is Surfers Paradise Beach dog friendly?
Only in part. Dogs are prohibited within 200 metres of flagged swimming areas. In the Esplanade park they must be walked on a leash unless a sign says otherwise, and they are banned from children’s playground areas. Council lists its off-leash areas elsewhere on the Gold Coast on its dog exercise area map.
Planning your visit
- How long: an hour or two for a swim and a walk along the foreshore; longer if you add a meal at the surf club or the evening markets.
- Best time: while the patrol is on, 8 am to 5 pm, and early in the day for parking. Wednesday and Friday evenings suit the markets.
- Cost: the beach is free. Parking is the main cost.
- What to bring: sunscreen, a hat, water, swimmers and a towel.
- Accessibility: council describes the Esplanade park as having wide walkways, picnic facilities, beach showers and accessible facilities, and publishes mobility maps for the area. It does not list beach wheelchairs or matting for Surfers Paradise, so contact council’s inclusion team on 1300 465 326 or at [email protected] if you need to be sure of access to the sand.
Getting there and parking at Surfers Paradise Beach
Surfers Paradise is about 78 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 65 minutes by car without traffic.
Parking
Parking in Surfers Paradise is paid. Metered bays run from 9 am to 7 pm every day, including public holidays but not Anzac Day, with a maximum stay of four hours. The rate is $6.20 an hour for the first two hours and $9.40 an hour from two to four hours. You can pay with cash, a card or the EasyPark app. Parts of Surfers Paradise are also in a three-hour traffic area from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, unless the sign says otherwise, so read every sign for the limit that applies to your bay.
Parking at the surf club is limited, and there is on-street parking in the surrounding streets. Council also runs two car parks in Surfers Paradise. The Bruce Bishop Car Park at 10 Beach Road charges $5.50 for up to two hours and up to $21 for a day. The Cypress Avenue Car Park (3332 Surfers Paradise Boulevard) charges $3.20 an hour and $9.20 for a day, from 9 am to 7 pm, and is free outside those hours. Council describes its public car parks in the area as each within 500 metres of the beach, the CBD and the tourist spots.
The section of The Esplanade between Hanlan Street and the roundabout in front of the Soul building is a pedestrian area, and council has resolved to make it permanent. Vehicle access to the beachfront stays open through the surrounding streets, and nearby car parks and drop-off areas are not blocked.
By light rail, train and bus
The G:link light rail (the L1 line, Helensvale to Burleigh Heads) runs through Surfers Paradise. Get off at Cavill Avenue station, near the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Cavill Avenue, and follow Cavill Avenue and its pedestrian mall towards the beach. Cypress Avenue station is also in the area.
From Brisbane, Translink lists both the T5 train (Bowen Hills to Varsity Lakes) and the L1 light rail at Helensvale station, so a train-then-light-rail trip is possible. Translink buses also run along The Esplanade. Plan your trip with the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
More detail is on council’s Surfers Paradise beach page, its Surfers Paradise parking page and its Esplanade park page. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Evandale Parklands, Gold Coast – a park in Surfers Paradise itself, if you want grass and a break from the sand.
- Broadbeach – a patrolled beach further south on the same coast.
- Burleigh Heads Beach – another Gold Coast surf beach, with a headland park and a coastal walk.
- Southport Broadwater Parklands – a waterside park to the north, in Southport.
- The Spit, Gold Coast – the northern end of the Gold Coast coastline.
- Gold Coast Aqua Park – a water park at Southport if the kids want more splashing.
Browse more beaches or everything on the Gold Coast.
Quick answers
Is Surfers Paradise Beach patrolled?
Yes. Lifeguards patrol Towers 34, 35 and 36 from 8 am to 5 pm every day of the year. Swim between the red and yellow flags.
Is Surfers Paradise Beach free?
The beach is free. Parking nearby is paid: metered bays run 9 am to 7 pm every day, from $6.20 an hour.
Where do you park at Surfers Paradise Beach?
Use the metered bays in the streets around the beach, or a council car park such as the Bruce Bishop Car Park at 10 Beach Road. Parking at the surf club is limited, so read the signs for time limits.
How do you get to Surfers Paradise Beach from Brisbane?
By car it is about 78 km, about 65 minutes without traffic. By public transport, use the Translink Journey Planner: the T5 train and the L1 light rail both stop at Helensvale, and the light rail runs through Surfers Paradise.
Can I take my dog to Surfers Paradise Beach?
Not within 200 metres of flagged swimming areas. In the Esplanade park dogs must be on a leash and are banned from children’s playground areas.
Are there toilets and showers at Surfers Paradise Beach?
Yes. The Esplanade park has toilets and beach showers, and the Oceanway through Surfers Paradise has toilets, benches, bike parking and beach showers.
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