Brighton Beach Melbourne; Things to do!
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Despite not having the sunny, seaside reputation of Sydney, there are still plenty of beaches to love in Melbourne. Slap on some sunscreen and dig out your bathers – Brighton beach is well worth visiting. If you walk out to the shoreline or to the end of the beach you’ll get a view of the spectacular city skyline.
Melbourne is an awesome place to visit and is obviously very popular for Brighton Beach Australia. It has a cool culture and there’s plenty of things to do in Melbourne on your visit. It’s also a popular stop-off point with plenty of backpackers doing the Sydney to Melbourne trip.
Where is Brighton Beach?
Situated in one of Melbourne’s wealthiest suburbs, Brighton Beach refers to three different sections of beach along Port Phillip Bay: Upper Brighton Beach, Middle Brighton Beach and Dendy Street Beach. Conveniently located just 30 minutes outside Melbourne’s Central Business District, Brighton beach is easily accessible making is popular with both tourists and locals to Melbourne.
Check out this Google Map below for the exact location;
The Postal code for the beach: 3186
How to get to Brighton Beach?
Brighton Beach is super easy to get to if you follow the routes below;
- Car – Driving from the city to Brighton takes around 20 minutes depending on the traffic. There is council parking close to the beach once you get there which costs around $3-$4 per hour or you can park for free in nearby residential streets for free if you’re willing to walk. I’d also advise to get there early to beat the crowds, especially during the summer holidays.
- Train – Catch the train from Flinders Street Station in Melbourne’s City Centre to Brighton Beach Railway Station, which takes around 20 minutes and take the scenic 500-metre stroll down to the bathing boxes.
- Bus – Catch the 216 or 219 bus from Melbourne CBD.
Brighton Beach Things to do
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Visit the Insta famous Brighton Beach boxes
Dendy Street Beach is home to one of the most iconic attractions in Australia, 82 colourful beach bathing huts. It might not sound too exciting on paper, but the unique huts make for great photo opportunity and when viewed together they turn the beachscape into a collective work of art that can change by the hour according to season, light and colours.
The bathing boxes are a vestige from the modest Victorian times when they provided a place for bathers to change clothing in privacy. These multi-coloured bathing huts provide a cultural and historic resource for the people of Brighton, as nowadays locals can buy an annual license for a bathing box, although this comes at a hefty cost! On weekends many licensees will have their huts open, allowing beach-goers a peek inside.
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Cycle Beach Road
You can hire bikes all year round from Brighton Beach Bikes, next to the Brighton Pier on the beach level. The scenic coastal cycle route is perfect for children and families as you can cycle miles in either direction without having to cross any roads.
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Visit Royal Brighton Yacht Club
Royal Brighton Yacht Club is one of Australia’s premier yacht clubs, offering a wide range of sailing events and activities year-round no matter what your level of experience. You can register for a sailing pass on the day where you’ll be entitled to three first sails, after that each sail is only $15!
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Shop till you drop
There are plenty of trendy boutiques, high street fashion outlets and beauty outlets located along Church Street to enjoy. This is a perfect way to cool down if you’ve had enough of the sun and water for a few hours!
You can check out the Church Street shops here.
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Watch a film on a rainy day
Unfortunately, due to Melbourne winter weather days at the beach can often be ruined by heavy rain so why not head to the cinema and relax with an action packed film and indulge with bag of sweet and salty popcorn. There are two cinemas located in Brighton, Palace Brighton Bay, located on Bay Street and Palace Dendy Brighton located on Church Street.
You may also want to check out the St Kilda beach in Melbourne!
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Have a swim at the Brighton Beach
The beaches of Brighton generally have very calm water and are patrolled by lifeguards, which make them a safe place to swim. Just make you swim between the flags and take swim shoes as the sea floor can be pretty rocky.
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Check out the amazing Brighton Baths
Purchase a day pass to Brighton Baths for only $29.99 and have access to the historical Brighton Sea Baths, private beach and 50m open water lap lanes, as well as the therapeutic steam room with an uninterrupted view overlooking Port Philip Bay.
Whether it is delighting in a relaxing day at the beach, spending the day kayaking and picnicking with your partner, experiencing a yoga or meditation class for the first time right on water’s edge, enjoying the simplicity of reading a good book on the boardwalk as the sun goes down, or meeting a new friend – this place will nourish your mental and physical body.
Check out this YouTube video of the Brighton Baths Health Club;
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Have brunch at Brighton School House
Enjoy a wide variety of delicious homemade hearty food set up inside an old school hall and finish off with a tasty coffee. The atmosphere is very soothing, perfect for families as they have a playground outside and plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the Aussie sunshine.
Best places to stay near Brighton Beach
If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle DURING YOUR WEEKEND BREAK TO Melbourne then why not take a relaxing stay in Melbourne!
There are plenty of accommodation options near Brighton Beach to suit every type of traveller, but here are a few of our favourites.
Sea Side Home (Approx $50 per night)
Enjoy a deluxe double room with shared bathroom at this seaside home near Brighton Beach. Guests are entitled to off-street parking and fully equipped kitchen and outdoor seating area. The hosts are super friendly and will make your time in Brighton unforgettable.
Check out the rooms here
Brighton Savoy Hotel (Approx $95 per night)
Overlooking Brighton Beach, Brighton Savoy offers 24-hour reception and check-in, a restaurant, free Wi-Fi and free parking. It features modern spacious rooms with air conditioning, fridge, a flat-screen TV and tea/coffee making facilities.
Check out the rooms here
Quest Brighton on the Bay (Approx $90 per night)
Located on Brighton Beach, this hotel is just 10 yards from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club. All accommodation offers a desk and a flat-screen TV with cable channels. Guests can relax with a massage at the Endota Day Spa Retreat or work out at the nearby fitness centre.
Check out the rooms here
Final thoughts
There we go, I hope you’ve enjoyed this full guide to the best beach in Melbourne.
You can easily spend a full day here. Just don’t forget your snacks, sun cream and water!