Noosa
The Elegant End of the Sunshine Coast
On the lands of the Kabi Kabi people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026
The most sophisticated stretch of the Sunshine Coast, built around a north-facing beach that stays calm year round. Noosa Heads is protected by a strict building height limit, which is why you will never see a high rise here despite being one of Australia's most popular beach destinations.
Noosa is built on Kabi Kabi country at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast where the Noosa River meets the Pacific. The main beach at Noosa Heads is one of the only north-facing beaches on Australia's east coast, which means it catches sheltered, long and mellow surf instead of the pounding southerly swells that hit the rest of the coast.
Hastings Street runs behind the main beach and is lined with upmarket restaurants, galleries and surf shops. The Noosa National Park, a 10 minute walk from the main beach, is one of the most-visited national parks in Australia. Its coastal track to Hell's Gates passes Tea Tree Bay, Granite Bay and Alexandria Bay, and is a reliable place to see wild koalas.
The Noosa Everglades, upstream on the Noosa River, are one of only two everglade systems in the world. Kayaking through the dark tannin-stained water under melaleuca trees is the signature trip from Noosa. The local Eumundi Markets (Wednesday and Saturday) are a cult stop among Australian travellers.
Where to stay
Holiday parks near Noosa.
2 options via our booking partner
BIG4 Noosa North Shore
6.5km away
Habitat Noosa Everglades Ecocamp
18.3km away
Bookings handled by our partner Parkbooker. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Gallery
Noosa in pictures.
5 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
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Images (5)
- Beach shower, Noosa Heads, Queensland, 2023.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noosa Beach, Noosa Heads, Queensland, 2020, 01.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noosa Beach, Noosa Heads, Queensland, 2020, 03.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noosa Beach, Noosa Heads, Queensland, 2020, 04.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Noosa Beach, Noosa Heads, Queensland, 2020, 05.jpg · Kgbo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.