Byron Bay beachfront accommodation for a quintessential coastal getaway

This all-villa resort on the northern outskirts of town is one of Byron Bay’s true beachfront properties—and one of the best beach hotels in Australia. Situated on Belongil Beach, everything about Elements of Byron brings you closer to earth, sea, and sky.

With the beach on your doorstep and surrounding eucalypt woodland, native rainforest, and lagoons, your stay is immersed in nature. The massive dune-inspired central building is the hub of Elements, the mothership for the resort’s 202 villas, which bring nature indoors with natural materials, artworks by local artists, floor-to-ceiling windows, and screened-in decks for insect-free living.

Start the day with a complimentary sunrise yoga class on a grassy hill overlooking the beach and then take a guided walk in the resort’s 20-acre rainforest. Soothe your senses with a spa treatment at Osprey Spa, named after a local seabird. Or relax on a sunbed at the resort’s Beach Lounge and enjoy a cocktail at the Beach Club with your feet in the sand.

Even the enormous swimming pool is filled with natural mineral water good enough to drink, but there’s also an award-winning adults-exclusive pool with all-white cabanas and a swim-up bar. Feel more active? Ride a horse along the beach from the resort’s on-site ranch.

There’s little need to leave this luxury resort with its on-site restaurants and bars and room service that delivers takeaway pizzas and burgers made by the resort’s Azure Bar and Grill restaurant straight to your villa. But it’s easy to reach Byron Bay—the resort’s solar-powered train, a world first, will take you there in 10 minutes.

Reflections Holiday Parks Clarkes Beach, right on Clarkes Beach, has been a Byron Bay holiday landmark for more than 60 years. With much of Byron Bay’s coastline protected by reserves, the park’s eight new architect-designed eco-villas offer a rare beachfront holiday experience.

One of the park’s best features is its proximity to everything Byron Bay has to offer. Byron’s only truly beachfront restaurant, Beach Byron Bay, is right next door and it’s also only a leisurely 10-minute stroll through beachside parkland to Byron’s other restaurants, cafés, shops, and venues, such as the Great Northern Hotel and the Railway Friendly Bar. In the other direction, step onto the 3.7-kilometre coast-hugging walking track to Cape Byron lighthouse, where you’ll hopefully spot some of the bay’s resident dolphins and sea turtles, plus migrating whales in winter, along the way.

Back at camp, there are four family-sized villas and four two-bed villas ideal for couples, All feature contemporary décor, galley kitchens that open onto natural timber decks, outdoor showers for rinsing off after a swim, and beach views through the trees.

One of the best things about Beach Hotel Resort is its location. It’s right next to the Beach Hotel, one of Byron Bay’s most popular pubs and live-entertainment venues, across the road from Main Beach, and a beach ball’s throw from excellent dining options.

In Bay Lane, where the resort’s main entrance is located, you’ll find a strip of local-favourite cafés and restaurants. Top picks are The Hideout (one of the best cafes in town, and Byron Bay locals LOVE their coffee), Orgasmic Foods (famous for authentic falafel pockets you can take away and eat on the beach) and Fishmongers (try the salt ‘n’ pepper calamari and hand-cut chips). Just around the corner are the sophisticated Egyptian café Safya and The Bolt Hole whisky bar.

The resort’s suites are the perfect home base, whether you go poolside with easy beach access or opt for the upstairs balcony suites with beach and ocean views through the towering Norfolk Island pine trees across the road.

True to its name, Beach Suites is all about the beach. From each of the six ground-floor beachfront studios, you’ll have direct access to Main Beach: just step through a private wooden gate and you’ll be in the water in seconds. Or stay in and relax in your own private plunge pool (in four of the ground-floor studios) or on your very own sun-drenched north-facing deck—it’s perfectly private, thanks to high walls that are low enough to still look over at the sparkling waters of Byron Bay.

Stay at any of the four penthouse apartments above, some of Byron Bay’s best beachfront luxury accommodation, and you might never leave. Spend the days up on the private rooftop deck, with private heated plunge pool, staring at the glittering Pacific, the beach, the waves and Cape Byron lighthouse. Between July and October, there’s a good chance you’ll see migrating humpback whales in the bay.

Walking into any of Beach Suites’ 14 apartments puts you in a holiday frame of mind from the get-go, they’re so spacious, stylish yet comfortable, and filled with natural light, and the sliding glass doors onto the decks open completely, perfect for indoor-outdoor entertaining.

On the northern outskirts of Byron, just across a quiet road from Belongil Beach, East on Byron‘s 26 luxury self-contained apartments are a stellar choice for family groups and getaways with friends.

Choose from ground-level Poolside Villas (with direct access to the billabong-shaped pool, solar-heated in winter), first-floor Terrace Villas (with their own terraces and private rooftop sun decks) or two-storey open-plan Beach Houses in a secluded part of the resort.

Each has spacious living areas, contemporary styling, full kitchens, and barbecues for indoor-outdoor dining. Don’t feel like cooking? Two of Byron Bay’s best-known restaurants are right next door: beachy-chic The Belongil and The Treehouse, famous for its wood-fired pizzas, retro furnishings, and bohemian vibe.

For the ultimate live-like-a-local stay, the Riverside Pavilion, one of four cottages at A Beach House At Byron, is the place to stay. A 20-minute walk and a world away from the buzz of central Byron, it’s situated in a quiet cul-de-sac and faces Belongil Estuary.

This tea-coloured creek, stained by tannins from the native melaleuca trees, lies within a peaceful nature reserve and bird sanctuary. You can even explore it yourself by gliding along on a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

An elevated cottage with uninterrupted views across the estuary to Byron Bay’s green hinterland, including the brooding peak of Wollumbin (aka Mount Warning ), the Riverside Pavilion has everything you need for a secluded, romantic getaway close to nature. Belongil Beach, just at the end of the short road, is perfect for swimming in the surf and long hand-in-hand walks along the water’s edge.

There’s a drinks fridge and tea- and coffee-making facilities, and you’re just around the corner from two excellent eateries, The Belongil, a popular wedding venue, and the previously mentioned Treehouse, both open for breakfast and lunch. The Treehouse is also open for dinner and offers live music or DJs most nights—not that you’ll hear these from the seclusion of your waterfront room.