Perth
The Coast, Perth: neighborhood guide
Stay on The Coast if you want beach mornings and sunset swims: base at Scarborough or Hillarys for shops, food and beds, or Cottesloe for the classic beach and a 20-minute train ride to the city. Skip it if you want nightlife or walkable sightseeing — the strip is car-first and spread over 20 km (12 mi).Stay on The Coast if you want beach mornings and sunset swims: base at Scarborough or Hillarys for shops, food and beds, or Cottesloe for the classic beach and a 20-minute train ride to the city. Skip it if you want nightlife or walkable sightseeing — the strip is car-first and spread over 12 mi (20 km).
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GuidePerth
Key facts
- Best for
- Beach days, sunsets, families, a quieter base with a car
- Worst for
- Nightlife, walkable sightseeing, travellers without a car
- Main bases
- Scarborough Beach and Hillarys Boat Harbour (shops, restaurants, accommodation); Cottesloe for the beach itself
- Train accesscheck
- Cottesloe and North Fremantle stations on the Fremantle line; northern beaches need a bus from the Joondalup line
- Walk to beach from Cottesloe stationcheck
- About 15–20 minutes west down Forrest Street
- Walk to Leighton Beach from North Fremantle stationcheck
- About 500 m
- Getting aroundcheck
- Car is the practical option; West Coast Highway and West Coast Drive link the beaches
- Swimmingcheck
- Cottesloe is patrolled; Swanbourne is clothing-optional with no lifeguards
What The Coast is like
The Coast is Perth's western beach strip, running roughly from Hillarys Boat Harbour in the north down past Sorrento, Trigg, Scarborough, City Beach and Swanbourne to Cottesloe and North Fremantle. It is not one neighbourhood but a line of affluent suburbs facing the Indian Ocean, linked by West Coast Highway and West Coast Drive.
Most of the strip is residential. The two places built for visitors are Scarborough Beach, with its seafront promenade of cafes, bars and hotels, and Hillarys Boat Harbour, a marina with restaurants, shops and a sheltered swimming area. Cottesloe is the postcard beach: sand, a grassed slope, a footpath along Marine Parade and benches facing the sunset.
Distances are real. Hillarys to Cottesloe is about 20 km, and Perth's CBD sits east of the whole strip, so you choose a base rather than a single address.
Should you stay here
Yes, if the beach is the point of your trip. Scarborough suits travellers who want restaurants and bars within walking distance of the sand; Hillarys suits families and anyone mixing marina dining with AQWA and the small water park next door; Cottesloe suits those who want the classic beach and a straightforward train link to the city and Fremantle.
No, if you want to walk out of your door into nightlife, museums or laneway coffee. That is Northbridge or the city centre. The Coast also punishes travellers without a car: only the southern beaches sit near a train line, and the northern beaches need a bus connection from the Joondalup line.
A workable compromise is two or three nights on the coast at the end of a Perth stay, with the rest of the trip in the city.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Beach at the door; sunsets over the ocean | Spread over 20 km; car needed for most of it |
| Scarborough and Hillarys have food, shops and beds | Quiet at night outside Scarborough |
| Cottesloe has a train link to the city and Fremantle | Northern beaches are a bus plus walk from the train |
| Good for families: patrolled beach, grass, playgrounds | Surf and rips on exposed beaches; watch children |
| Easy drive to Fremantle and the Swan Valley | CBD sights and nightlife are a trip away |
Eating and drinking
Scarborough Beach Road and the Esplanade carry most of the casual eating: cafes for breakfast, pubs and beachfront bars for sunset, and takeaway fish and chips near the sand. Hillarys Boat Harbour is the densest cluster, with waterfront restaurants, ice cream and coffee around the marina.
Cottesloe has a smaller, smarter set of cafes and restaurants around Napoleon Street and Marine Parade, plus the beachfront kiosks. Expect Australian beach-town prices: a main is often A$25–40 (about US$16–26), coffee A$5–6, and a pub meal cheaper than a seafront restaurant.
For a wider choice, drive 15–20 minutes to Fremantle or into the city. Book ahead on weekends and through summer, when the beachfront tables fill early.
Getting around
By train, the Fremantle line serves the southern end: Cottesloe station is a 15–20 minute walk from Cottesloe Beach, and North Fremantle station is about 500 m from Leighton Beach. In summer a free shuttle, the Cott Cat, loops between Cottesloe station and the beach every 15 minutes on weekends and public holidays. Bus 102 also stops near the beach.
The northern beaches are harder. Joondalup line stations follow the Mitchell Freeway inland, so you need a connecting bus to reach Scarborough, Trigg or Hillarys; allow extra time and check timetables.
By car is simplest. From Fremantle, take Curtin Avenue north then Marine Parade for Cottesloe and Swanbourne. From the north, West Coast Highway reaches City Beach and Scarborough, and West Coast Drive reaches Sorrento and Hillarys. Parking near the popular beaches fills on hot weekends; arrive before mid-morning or after 4pm.
A hire car also opens the sunset drive along the coast, which is the best reason to have one here.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is The Coast a good area to stay in?
Yes if you want the beach on your doorstep and don't mind driving. Scarborough and Hillarys have the most beds and food; Cottesloe has the classic beach and a train to the city. Skip it if you want walkable nightlife or sightseeing.
What is there to do in The Coast?
Swim and watch sunsets at Cottesloe, Scarborough, City Beach, Trigg or Sorrento; snorkel the sheltered Mettam's Pool; visit AQWA and the marina at Hillarys; see Sculptures by the Sea at Cottesloe in autumn. Swanbourne is Perth's clothing-optional beach, unpatrolled.
How do I get to The Coast?
Take the Fremantle line to Cottesloe or North Fremantle for the southern beaches, then walk 15–20 minutes or catch the summer Cott Cat shuttle. For Scarborough, Trigg and Hillarys, drive or take a bus from a Joondalup line station.
Deep dive
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