Which Cottesloe beach is right for you?

If you've never been to Cottesloe before, start here.

This is the postcard version.

The Indiana Teahouse sits above the sand, Norfolk pines line the foreshore, the Cottesloe Groyne reaches into the water and the grass terraces give you somewhere to retreat when you've had enough sand between your toes.

There are Main Beach public toilets, showers and change rooms beneath Indiana, with grass, seating and drinking water nearby. That makes Cottesloe Beach particularly easy for families, visitors and anyone who wants a beach day without needing to plan very much.

Between the beach, groyne and nearby food stops, you could spend the day within a few hundred metres.

And from roughly October to April, the Town installs the seasonal protected swimming enclosure at Main Beach. It is another reason this tends to be the obvious starting point for people simply wanting a swim.

Town of Cottesloe: Cottesloe Beach

Town of Cottesloe: Cottesloe Foreshore

Walk north from Cottesloe Beach and Cott slowly changes.

North Cottesloe Beach has a more local feel, with swimmers and regular beachgoers settling in around North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club.

It's less crowded than Cott Main Beach. There’s plenty of grass above the beach and another useful cluster of facilities, including North Cottesloe public toilets and showers beneath Magic Apple Wholefoods. The club patrols the beach on weekends and public holidays during the warmer October-April season.

It's also an easy extension of a Main Beach visit. If Main Beach feels busy, don't necessarily get back in the car - just start walking north.

Ten minutes of coastline can completely change the feel of the day.

Town of Cottesloe: North Cottesloe Beach

South Cott is where the coastline starts to feel different.

Head south of the Cottesloe Groyne and the broad swimming beach gives way to reef, smaller beach sections, rocky edges, grassed pockets and a string of local surf and activity spots.

This is the Cott to choose when you want to do something.

Depending on the day, you'll see surfers around The Cove, Seconds and Dutch Inn Beach and playground, snorkellers exploring the reef, SUPs on calm mornings and kite or windsurfers taking advantage of the afternoon breeze.

On calm days it can be a much quieter part of the coast with reefs along the shoreline, suited to swimming, snorkelling, picnics and sunset watching. It's also one of the best parts of Cott simply to walk.

Start at Cottesloe Beach and head south past the groyne ... and keep going.

The famous Cottesloe view gradually falls behind you, the coastline gets more rugged and you'll pass the smaller local sections of beach around Dutch Inn and Beach Street.

If you've still got legs, there's no particular need to stop just because you've reached the bottom of Cottesloe. Keep walking south towards Leighton.

Town of Cottesloe: South Cottesloe Beach

The reef is one of the things that makes South Cott interesting.

It is also the reason you shouldn't treat every stretch of water as interchangeable.

A spot that's beautiful for sitting beside may not be the right place to swim that day. A reef break that looks inviting to an experienced surfer may be completely wrong for a beginner. Kite launching has its own designated zone, separate from the Windsurf setup and landing area.

So if the board, snorkel, kite, foil or paddle is coming with you, jump across to Get Active in Cott before choosing your exact spot.

CottBuzz: Get active in Cott

That's where we've separated out the local surf breaks, snorkelling and SUP conditions, kite and windsurf zones and the seasonal surfing rules.

If the dog's coming too, South Cott is the useful one to know.

The Town's designated Southern Dog Beach begins at the Beach Street Groyne and continues south to the Town of Cottesloe boundary. Within that designated area dogs can exercise off lead, subject to the usual requirement that they remain under effective control.

And because it's a long stretch, it works particularly well if the objective isn't merely "take the dog to the beach".

It's a proper beach walk.

Head south with the water beside you, turn around whenever you've had enough and come back sandy, salty and considerably more tired than when you started.

The important bit is the starting point: don't assume every Cottesloe beach is off lead.

Use the signs at the beach and the Town's current dog-exercise information to confirm the boundary.

Town of Cottesloe: Dog Exercise Areas

Cottesloe Beach is the easiest, but South Cott has another useful family stop at the Dutch Inn Beach and playground, so it can work particularly well when you want to combine a walk or ride and stop somewhere for smaller kids to play.

Our family guide covers the playgrounds and facilities, including where to find toilets before heading south.

CottBuzz: Cott with kids: more than a beach day

Cottesloe Beach. No contest.

If you're visiting Perth and want the Cottesloe you've seen in photographs, go straight to the Indiana Teahouse and Cottesloe Groyne.

Come around sunset and you'll understand why the place gets photographed so much.

Then walk away from it.

One of the best ways to appreciate Main Beach is to see it gradually disappear behind you as you head north or south.

Any Cott beach will do, as they all face west towards the Indian Ocean.

Cottesloe Beach gives you the famous Cott foreground. North Cottesloe Beach gives you more room to find your own patch of sand. South Cott gives you a slightly wilder view.

The best beach for sunset is usually whichever one you're already standing on when the sky starts changing colour.

Choose the conditions, not just the beach name.

Cottesloe can look wonderfully benign from Marine Parade while still having waves, rips (strong currents that take you out to sea), reef and other hazards in the water.

When lifesavers are patrolling and red and yellow flags are up, swim between them.

Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club patrols Cottesloe Beach on weekends and public holidays between October and April, while North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club patrols North Cottesloe Beach during the warmer months.

A surf club building doesn't mean a patrol is operating every hour of every day.

Look for the flags. Read the signs. And look at the water when you actually arrive rather than deciding from yesterday's forecast.

Surf Life Saving WA: Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe has several different shark-safety measures, so it's worth knowing what you're looking at.

At Cottesloe Beach, the Town installs its protected swimming enclosure seasonally, generally from October to April.

There are also Shark Warning System towers at The Cove and North Cottesloe Beach, complementing beach patrols, BEN signs and the protected enclosure. If a warning system or beach closure is activated, follow the warnings and stay out of the water until the all-clear.

For current sightings and warnings, check SharkSmart.

SharkSmart WA: Current alerts and information

If it's your first visit - Cottesloe Beach.

If you want a more local vibe - North Cottesloe Beach.

If you want to surf, snorkel, kite, explore the reef or make a proper walk of it - South Cott.

Before you go

Beach conditions, patrols, closures and activity restrictions can change.

Check the Town's current beach information before leaving, then have another look at the signs and conditions when you arrive.

Town of Cottesloe: Beaches