Turquoise Bay
Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia
Turquoise Bay sits inside Cape Range National Park on Western Australia's Ningaloo coast, about an hour from Exmouth, and it's one of the rare beaches anywhere where the reef starts close enough to reach by swimming straight off the sand. A natural current here lets snorkelers drift along the coral without any real effort.
It's a genuine bucket list snorkel spot, but Exmouth locals more often head to Bundegi Beach for everyday use, this one runs almost entirely on visitor traffic.
How we score beachesStart the drift snorkel from the southern car park, walk a bit further south before entering the water, and let the current carry you north, it's strongest around high tide and genuinely not something to try if you're not a confident swimmer.
A sealed road from Exmouth gets you here in about 45 minutes to an hour, no 4WD needed, with two car parks off Yardie Creek Road, one for the main bay and one for the drift snorkel entry.
The walk from either car park to the sand is short and easy, and a beach wheelchair can be reserved through the Milyering Discovery Centre for use here, one of the more accessible spots on this whole list.
Pets aren't allowed anywhere in Cape Range National Park, aside from assistance animals.
March through May is the standout window, mild temperatures overlap with whale shark season and coral spawning. Peak summer, December through February, turns hot and humid enough in Exmouth's semi arid climate that most visitors avoid it, and it's also the region's cyclone season.
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