Palm Beach / Palm Beach South
A long stretch of beach that has several flagged areas for patrolled swimming. The southern end of the beach is dog friendly and the nearby parklands are popular with families.
Swimming
Palm Beach has 3 patrolled lifeguard towers:
- Tower 15 – Pacific, Gold Coast Highway, near Pacific Surf Lifesaving Club
Patrolled by lifeguards between 8am and 5pm, every day between November and April and during school holidays
- Tower 13 – South Palm Beach, the beach side of Palm Beach Parklands
Patrolled by lifeguards between 8am and 5pm, on weekends between September and April and during school holidays
- Tower 14 – Palm Beach, Jefferson Lane, near Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club
Patrolled by lifeguards between 8am and 5pm, between November and April and during school holidays
Make sure you swim in the patrolled area between the red and yellow flags.
Surfing
Palm Beach is part of the World Surfing Reserve. This beach is subject to an increase in wave energy due to the reduced sheltering effects of Snapper Rocks and the orientation of the coast, which tends to be more easterly. There are excellent beach breaks along most of the beach providing a playground for body surfing, short boarding, long boarding, stand-up paddle boarding and other surf-related activities. The Palm Beach Artificial Reef is also popular with experienced surfers. Surfers should always assess conditions. If in doubt, don't paddle out. For more information, visit our Surfing page.
Facilities
To view the facilities available at this beach including accessibility features, use our interactive map.
Getting there
| Public transport |
Translink buses run along the Gold Coast Highway through Palm Beach. Plan your trip using Translink's journey planner. |
| Active travel |
Walk, run or bike ride to the beach. Plan your trip using our walking and cycling maps. |
| Parking |
There is limited parking at the surf club. On-street parking is available in surrounding streets. Take note of parking signs and/or line markings before heading to the beach. |
About Palm Beach / Palm Beach South
‘Palmy’, as it’s fondly known by locals, is patrolled by two surf lifesaving clubs, Palm Beach and Pacific Surf Life Saving Clubs.
Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1930 by a group of lifesavers from Brisbane looking to start a new club. A tent in the sandhills behind the beach became their first clubhouse before they upgraded to a shack and patrol lookout tower. Today the club offers beachfront dining and an active Surf Life Saving community.
Pacific Surf Life Saving Club, to the north of Palm Beach Surf Club, is a smaller, family-oriented club. It offers a small café right on the beach, tucked away from the busy Gold Coast Highway.
The Palm Beach community is an example of laid-back living where iconic beach shacks meet multi-million dollars homes and apartments that line the beachfront. Shops and cafes are conveniently located within walking distance of the beach. Palmy has also built a name for itself as one of the city's up and coming dining precincts with trendy bars and restaurants regularly popping up.
There are several parks along Palm Beach that contain toilets, tables, beach showers and shade structures. There is no beachfront oceanway along this section of the coast.