Is Byron Bay Worth Visiting? Best Things to See & Do in 2025
Are you wondering, “Is Byron Bay worth visiting? The famous small town on Australia’s east coast has changed a lot in recent years, and some say it’s overrated, but has it really lost its charm and what is there to do in Byron Bay anyway?
For me, Byron Bay is less appealing than it used to be but it’s still a unique Australian coastal town and a beautiful place to unwind with stunning beaches, a lovely hinterland and an interesting local community.
I’ve visited Byron Bay a few times over the years, and the town has become much more upmarket than it used to be with designer boutiques, trendy cafes, and expensive restaurants lining the main street. In the past I enjoyed the new-age, hippy feel and the laidback surf vibe but they are much more in the background these days.
But there’s still a lot you can do with a weekend in Byron Bay, such as visiting the lighthouse, relaxing on the gorgeous beaches, kayaking, whale watching or swimming with sea turtles.
On my most recent visit I spent an morning with a local indigenous woman and gained a different perspective of the town and a deeper appreciation of the Aboriginal heritage and it was a highlight of my stay.
Whether you’ve got 24 hours in Byron Bay or 3 days to unwind, there are many reasons to visit and plenty to keep you entertained.
In this article, I’ve included the best things to do in Byron Bay, but first, let’s look more deeply at why you should go.
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Is Byron Bay Worth Visiting?
Byron Bay is worth visiting for its stunning beaches, famous lighthouse and beautiful coastal location on Australia’s most easterly point. It’s also known worldwide as a surfing destination.
In the main street, designer boutiques and art galleries sit alongside surf shops, alternative shops, and yoga studios. Throughout the year, surf, music and art festivals draw thousands of people to Byron Bay.
Inland, there are lush rainforests, waterfalls and pretty historic towns all within half an hour’s drive of the centre of the town.
Wealthy Sydney locals love visiting Byron Bay, and it’s where many social media “influencers” hang out. Byron Bay is also the home of the famous Aussie actor and heartthrob Chris Hemsworth, and if celebrity spotting interests you, you might just be lucky and see someone famous in town.
There’s certainly a hip and trendy side to Byron Bay in Australia, and it’s become more expensive, but there’s still a good selection of cheaper places to stay and eat if you’re on a budget.
Is Byron Bay Overrated?
Byron Bay in Australia is certainly popular, but is it overrated? Well, I think that depends on why you go and what you’re looking for when you visit.
The town has certainly changed since my first visit and in many ways, has lost it’s appeal. The new age and surf scene that began in the 1960s still exists, but now seems to take a backseat. A new upmarket “yuppie” crowd has moved in, and the town caters for their expensive “designer” and wellness tastes.
After my last visit, I was disappointed with the changes, and I do think the town is rather overrated. Although I enjoyed my weekend in Byron Bay, it was very crowded, and I missed the alternative, new age feel that Byron Bay used to have.
There were parking metres everywhere, and I found this annoying.
Australia’s gorgeous east coast has many other beautiful beaches that are less touristy, quieter and have free parking. Valla Beach, Kingscliff, Tweed Heads or Coolangatta may not have the glamour of Byron Bay, but they’re perhaps a better choice for a beach holiday.
There are plenty of fun things to do in Byron Bay, and it’s easy to fill a few days. If you’ve never been before and you’re keen to see what all the hype is about, it’s certainly worth visiting.
Here are some of the best activities for a weekend in Byron Bay.
Best Things to Do in Byron Bay
1. Hit the Beaches of Byron Bay
If you’re wondering what to do in Byron Bay, the area is blessed with a stunning coastline. Byron Bay in Australia has 5 beautiful surf beaches with crystal clear surf and soft white sands.
Main Beach is one of Australia’s most famous beaches. It’s the town beach and is popular with swimmers and surfers. There’s a park behind the beach where I enjoyed relaxing with a picnic, surrounded by beautiful scenery, watching a surfer or two catching a wave.
Clarkes Beach is the calmest part of the Bay for swimming and kayaking, and it’s perfect for beginner surfers, just a short stroll from Main Beach. It’s a pet-friendly stretch of sand that extends to The Pass, a small deep channel of water and one of Byron Bay’s famous surf breaks.
At the top of the outcrop at the far end of Clarkes Beach, Fisherman’s Lookout offers sweeping ocean views, accessible at low tide.
Around 2 kilometres to the east of town is Wategos Beach, located below the lighthouse on Cape Byron in a conservation area. Wategos is a lovely, sheltered family beach.
Belongil Beach is a secluded stretch of sand that extends 2.5 km north from the seawall at Main Beach to Belongil Creek. There’s a nude swimming area at Belongil, and it takes around 10 minutes to walk there along the beach.
Further away from town on the other side of Cape Byron is Tallow Beach, a pristine stretch of sand and surf in the Arakwal National Park. It’s a lovely beach for walking, swimming, bird watching and whale watching in the winter months.
Tallow Beach is unpatrolled and has strong currents and rips. The most protected stretch of Tallow Beach is Cosy Corner. Tucked beneath Cape Byron and protected from strong winds, Cosy Corner offers ideal surf conditions with a northerly swell.
2. Go Surfing
With a weekend in Byron Bay, surfing is high on the list. The town became popular with surfers in the 1960sand, like Bondi and Manly, Byron Bay is internationally famous as an Australian surf destination.
The big swells and consistent sets attract all kinds of surfers from beginner to professional, and there are many great surf spots to choose from. Some of Byron’s best surfing can be found at the end of Clarkes Beach near The Pass.
Beginners and casual surfers can hire a surfboard and a wetsuit in town, and surfing lessons are a great way to introduce yourself to the Aussie surf scene when you visit Byron Bay.
The annual Byron Bay Surf Festival brings thousands of people to town, including artists, musicians, filmmakers, and activists. A highlight of the festival is the international surfing competition held at Wategos Beach.
3. Walk to the Lighthouse
Walking along the stunning cliff path to the Cape Byron Lighthouse is one of the most popular things to do in Byron Bay, and one that I personally really enjoyed, with 2 days in Byron Bay.
The 4-kilometre track winds and loops around the headland through rainforest past Clarkes Beach, the Pass, Wategos Beach and Little Wategos and up to the lighthouse perched on the dramatic cliffs of Cape Byron.
From the cliff top, there are panoramic views of the coastline, and you can see beautiful Tallow Beach stretching for miles on the other side of the Cape. The Byron Bay lighthouse is a very popular sunrise spot, and I shared the narrow path and the view with quite a few other people in the early morning.
If you’re driving, there’s a small car park a short walk from the lighthouse. It’s often full, but there’s another small car park just along the road.
4. Go Shopping
When outdoor activities are not on the agenda, shopping is one of the best things to do in Byron Bay. You’ll find local designer fashion and jewellery shops to browse and lots of eco-friendly gifts to buy.
If you’re in Byron Bay on a weekend, head to the local Sunday Markets for a selection of arts, crafts, hippy, bohemian and eco-friendly stalls. The local fresh food market is held on Thursdays, and you’ll find locally grown and organic produce.
5. Grab a Coffee or a Meal in Town
With 2 days in Byron Bay, there’s plenty of time to enjoy the town, and I can recommend an early morning coffee by the beach at The Hum, Bagus or Bayleaf as a great way to start the day.
You’ll have no problem ordering an artisan soy café latte at Byron Fresh Café, and for lunch, there are many trendy coffee shops to choose from.
Byron Bay has several organic fresh juice and acai bars, and a selection of more expensive restaurants with multi-award-winning chefs. If a gourmet meal appeals, head to Raes on Wategos.
For cheap and cheerful takeaway food and coffee, the Star Express is open 24 hours. Look for the queue of backpackers waiting outside.
6. Discover the Local Indigenous Culture
A highlight of my weekend in Byron Bay was joining an Aboriginal Culture Tour, which offered a very different perspective of the town. The tour was run by Delta, a proud Bundjulung woman whose family has lived in the area for many generations.
Byron Bay is Bundjulung Country and has been the home of Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. Delta shared the stories, food and history of the area.
We met at the end of Clarkes Beach at The Pass early in the morning, and Delta welcomed me in her native language. She explained that The Pass was a place where the local Aboriginal clans would meet, trade and celebrate. It’s now a car park with a boat ramp.
There’s a midden beside the car park that’s centuries old, and in the rainforest, there are native trees and plants that Aboriginal people eat as “bush tucker” and use as medicine.
I was surprised to see how many colourful berries there are and to learn that delicious macadamia nuts are native to the Byron Bay area.
For the sacred ceremonies, the men would go to Cape Byron, where they had a 360° view of the coast, inland and out to sea. Their ceremonies were held at the place where the lighthouse now stands.
7. Kayak with Dolphins
For wildlife lovers, one of the best things to do in Byron Bay is to spend a couple of hours kayaking off the coast.
Bottlenose dolphins and 3 types of sea turtles live in the clear waters and are a joy to see when you visit Byron Bay. Joining a Byron Bay Sea Kayak Tour is a great way to meet them up close, along with other marine life.
The views from the water are stunning. You can see Main Beach, Clarke Beach and the Cape Byron Lighthouse as you paddle around in your kayak, and you’ll almost always see dolphins swimming nearby.
8. Snorkel with Sea turtles
Swimming with turtles is a truly delightful experience not to be missed and Byron Bay has one of the best diving spots in Australia, just off the coast at Julian Rocks. The marine park offers shallow, protected waters, and it’s the perfect place to see turtles.
On a Snorkel tour, you can swim with sea turtles, Manta Rays and Leopard sharks in the marine sanctuary at Julian Rocks.
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate when I was in Byron Bay, but I did a similar tour on the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland at the Low Isles and it’s one of the best things to do in Byron Bay.
9. Go Whale watching
Byron Bay in Australia is also a fantastic place for whale watching, and one of the best in the world.
During the winter months, from May to November, humpback whales swim past the coast on their annual migration, and you can see them up close on a whale-watching tour or from the lookout points on the coast, from Fisherman’s Lookout or the Cape Byron Lighthouse.
It’s really exciting to be in a small boat when a whale breaches nearby, and a joy to see these majestic creatures in their natural environment.
10. Enjoy the Wellness Scene in Byron Bay
While the New Age vibe is much less prominent than it used to be there is still an alternative side to Byron Bay, and the town has a flourishing wellness scene. Yoga is popular, and there’s a busy Yoga school that offers a range of classes, workshops and retreats.
Look out for art classes, drumming workshops, and Wellness spas and Retreats to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit when you visit Byron Bay. There are lots to choose from.
For crystal lovers, the Crystal Castle and the Shambhala Gardens are just a short drive from Byron Bay. You can visit an amethyst cave and enjoy the ambience of the gorgeous giant crystals.
Join the daily crystal and sound healing at 12 pm and 3 pm. If you don’t have a car, you can visit on a half-day tour of Crystal Castle or a full-day tour of the Byron Bay hinterland.
11. Byron Bay Festivals
Byron Bay hosts many festivals throughout the year, drawing millions of visitors from far and wide.
I was there just before Easter, along with thousands of people who were there for the Blues Festival, and the town was very crowded.
Accommodation was booked out, and there were queues of people waiting to order a meal or a coffee. There was constant traffic on the lighthouse walk, and the town was overflowing.
In July, the town is packed for the Splendour in the Grass Festival, an annual music and arts event held in the North Byron Parklands.
In September, the Byron Bay Surf Festival fills the town, and in August it’s the Byron Bay Writers Festival. And the list goes on….
If you don’t like crowds, choose your dates carefully and avoid festivals and school holidays when you visit Byron Bay.
12. Explore the Nearby Towns
If you’re still looking for fun things to do in Byron Bay or want to escape the crowds, there are many smaller towns nearby that are worth visiting, and I spent an afternoon exploring.
Tiny historic Newrybar, founded in 1881, has heritage buildings on the main street, a general store and a pleasant café.
Bangalow is a pretty historic town with lots of boutiques, designer clothes and gift shops to browse.
Mullumbimby sits beneath the Mullum mountains and hosts the annual Bluesfest.
Brunswick Heads is just across the Bay from Byron with wild surf and sand that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Nimbin, the hippy capital of New South Wales, is about an hour from Byron Bay. I’ve enjoyed visiting a few times and love the alternative culture and it’s a also lovely drive through green forests and farmland to get there.
Other nearby towns worth visiting are Lennox Head, Ballina, Lake Ainsworth and Tweed Heads on the Queensland border.
13. Discover Waterfalls & Rainforest
With 3 days in Byron Bay, there’s time to explore the untouched rainforest, waterfalls, and bushwalking tracks of the Byron Bay hinterland.
I drove to the stunning Killen Falls, just a half hour from Byron Bay. At the base of the falls there’s a deep plunge pool and a cave. It’s fun to walk behind the cascading water and swim here in summer.
Spectacular Minyon Falls in the Nightcap National Park is also worth visiting, along with the Arakwal National Park on Byron Bay’s doorstep.
When to Go to Byron Bay?
You can visit Byron Bay year-round, but the summer months from December to March have the best beach weather and the warmest temperatures. January and February are popular but can be hot, humid and wet.
Winter, from June to August, is my favourite time to visit Byron Bay. It’s whale-watching season, the days are mild with tops of around 20°C, and there’s less humidity.
Byron Bay is very popular, so if you don’t like crowds, avoid the busiest times at Christmas, Easter, school holidays and festivals.
Where to Stay in Byron Bay
With such a large influx of wealthy visitors, there’s a good selection of luxury accommodation in Byron Bay. But there are also some good budget options, too if you’re after a hostel or a campsite.
Budget: I stayed at the Ingenia Holidays Campsite a few kilometres out of town. The facilities were reasonable, but my tent site was overpriced, and the kitchen facilities were minimal. I liked the location behind Tallow Beach with a walking track to access the beach, and there was a pub nearby for meals.
The Byron Bay YHA & the Cape Byron YHA get excellent reviews. Located in the centre of town and just a short walk to the beach.
Mid-Range: Bay Haven Lodge Guesthouse gets excellent reviews for its great value and facilities. This charming hotel is a short 10-minute walk from town. and has a car park and a spa.
Luxury: Victoria’s at Wategos Guesthouse is just 30 seconds from Wategos Beach and the lighthouse walk, with a superb restaurant across the road. The reviews are outstanding.
If you fancy staying in a luxury resort villa, Beach Suites have a fabulous location on the beachfront opposite the surf club. There’s easy access to cafes, restaurants and shops, and the reviews are exceptional.
Where is Byron Bay?
Byron Bay is in New South Wales, Australia, about 750 kilometres north of Sydney and 165 kilometres south of Brisbane.
The popular beachside town is less than an hour from Tweed Heads and the Queensland border, and it takes around 2 hours to drive fromBrisbaneandabout 8 – 9 hours from Sydney.
How to get there
Air
Ballina Airport is about half an hour from Byron Bay and has regular domestic flights. Buses and taxis connect Ballina Airport with Byron Bay.
Another option is to fly to Coolangatta Airport in Queensland, around 45 minutes from Byron Bay.
Bus & Train
Greyhound bus services connect Byron Bay to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. And trains stop in Casino and Grafton. Coach services run from the train station to Byron Bay.
What I Didn’t Love About Byron Bay
I recently spent 3 days in Byron Bay and I didn’t love the crowds of tourists. It can get very overcrowded, especially during festivals and school holidays, so choose your dates carefully to avoid the masses when you visit Byron Bay.
There are parking metres everywhere in the town and at the beach. It feels like a money grab from the local council, but it’s also a strategy to manage the large number of visitors and encourage people to keep moving.
If you park illegally, expect to be fined. I met a woman who had just received a hefty parking fine near the Cape Byron Lighthouse at 6 o’clock in the morning.
Byron Bay feels a bit like an upmarket Sydney suburb with expensive designer boutiques, restaurants and spas. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the new age, alternative culture has largely been displaced in the town.
FAQs
How many days is enough in Byron Bay?
Plan to spend at least 3 days in Byron Bay and longer if you can, to relax on the stunning beaches, walk to the lighthouse, kayak or snorkel with dolphins and take a surf lesson. You’ll want to explore the hinterland and hang out in town, enjoying the great cafes. restaurants and bars as well.
Is it safe to visit Byron Bay?
Like most places in Australia, Byron Bay is generally safe to visit. Solo travellers should be careful at night, but the crime rate is low. If you take the usual safety precautions, you’ll have a safe and enjoyable stay in Byron Bay.
Is Byron Bay expensive to visit?
Yes, Byron Bay can be an expensive place to visit, especially during peak seasons and festivals. Hotels and campsites book out during school holidays, and accommodation can be expensive. But there are some good, cheaper options with several hostels and campsites to choose from.
Expect to pay for parking everywhere in Byron Bay, even at the beach and at the lighthouse in the early morning. There are some cheaper food options in town, and self-catering is an option if you’re on a tight budget
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Final Thoughts: Is Byron Bay Worth Visiting?
If it’s your first time, I would certainly recommend that you visit Byron Bay in Australia. If you’re there for a music festival, a surf competition or just want to visit Byron Bay, then you’ll probably have a good time.
But I was disappointed with the yuppie feel the town has these days and for me Byron Bay has lost it’s charm. There are other places for a beach holiday on the coast of New South Wales, to surf, whale watch and hike. Next time I’ll go somewhere else like Valla Beach, Kingscliff, Tweed Heads or Coolangatta.
Pick your dates carefully for a weekend in Byron Bay. I went just before Easter, and masses of people were there for the annual Blues Festival. I had an enjoyable time but I was happy to move on and escape the crowds.
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