Free your spirit on the beautiful Coral Coast; where rolling red desert dunes collide with a turquoise ocean teeming with colourful underwater characters – including the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. 

Explore the Coral Coast’s main destinations such as Wildflower Country, Ningaloo, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Indian Ocean Drive and Shark Bay, and don’t miss the chance to stay at the iconic Sal Salis. 

Here’s our pick of the best things to do in WA’s Coral Coast for the ultimate Coral Coast getaway.

Getting to the Coral Coast

Getting to the Coral Coast is easy; just 2 hours drive from Perth to Cervantes starts your journey exploring Australia’s Coral Coast. Virgin and Qantas offer flights to Learmonth (servicing Exmouth/Coral Bay) and Geraldton, while Regional Express offer flight to Monkey Mia and Carnarvon.  Excellent road conditions make it easy to travel around the Coral Coast for self-guided exploration and coach services are also available.

Top Things to See and Do in the Coral Coast

The best way to discover the Coral Coast is by water. Snorkelling the Ningaloo Reef is a must-do on the Coral Coast. Located on the west side of Exmouth, Cape Range National Park features spectacular rugged limestone ranges, deep canyons and pristine beaches just begging to be explored. If swimming with whale sharks isn’t on your bucket list, then it should be because it’s one of the few places in the world where they appear regularly in large numbers.

Nature lovers will also rejoice in the abundant wildlife including a variety of birds, emus and red kangaroos to spot. Another must-visit is Monkey Mia which is renowned for its wild dolphin interactions where you can observe and sometimes feed wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat. 

Best Places to Stay in the Coral Coast

There are plenty of comfortable accommodations in the main towns of Exmouth, Geraldton, Cervantes and Coral Bay, but arguably the best spot to base yourself is at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef. Here you can lose yourself in wild bush luxury at the beachside safari camp nestled in the dunes of the Cape Range National Park.

Where to Eat in the Coral Coast

There are a number of restaurants and cafes on the Coral Coast that showcase the diverse culinary landscape that highlights fresh local produce and seafood. In Exmouth, standouts include Whale Brewing Co. for crisp craft beers and Exhale Exmouth for tapas bites. In Gerladton, head to Salt Dish for smashed avo on toast or Geraldton-caught seafood dishes, or Laiain for a unique mix of Middle Eastern flavours with a Geraldton twist.

And, of course, guests staying at Sal Salis on Ningaloo will be spoilt with five-star meals prepared using local and seasonal produce.

Tours and Packages Coral Coast

Western Australia’s Coral Coast offers a range of tours and packages to explore everything the region has to offer including Whale Shark Tours, see Monkey Mia Dolphins or Hike the Kalbarri. Coastal Adventure Tours offers eco-friendly tours that allow you to explore the Ningaloo Reef by land or by sea.