The best things to do in Esperance
Feeling like truly getting away from the big smoke and putting some real distance between yourself and the city?
If you haven’t had the pleasure of exploring some of the country’s whitest beaches down in Esperance, well there’s no time like the present! Get planning with the help of this handy list of the best things to do around Esperance.
The Esperance to Perth drive isn’t for the faint of heart, taking almost eight hours if you limit the number of stops. If you’re wanting to maximise your time over a weekend in Esperance we recommend at minimum giving yourself an extra day either on the Friday or Monday to allow for travel.
EXPLORING
So you’ve got a couple of days to explore the beautiful white sandy beaches and thrilling national parks of Esperance, here’s our pick of the bunch including a few of the best food and drink places to fuel up on the run.
Beautiful beaches and hidden bays
If you follow us you’ll know we’re pretty obsessed with the beaches of Esperance – beaches that many do claim are some of the best in the world. If you’re staying at RAC Esperance Holiday Park, Esperance Bay across the road is very chill and family friendly, and from there your choices are endless! Eleven Mile Beach is popular and sheltered from prevailing winds; Lucky Bay is littered with kangaroos lazing around happy for a selfie or two; West Beach is the go-to spot for surfers in town; Twilight Bay is instantly iconic; Wylie Bay is a 4WD-only gem; and if you’ve got the time Wharton Beach is 100km out of town but absolutely worth the drive.
Cape Le Grande National Park & Frenchman Peak
For the adventurous types out there you’re gonna wanna designate a full day to exploring Cape Le Grande National Park, one of the country’s most spectacular. You’ll tick off a few of the beaches mentioned above on your travels, best enjoyed after conquering some of Cape Le Grande’s rugged coastal walks and mighty granite peaks, Frenchman Peak being the mightiest of them all.
A granite dome that resembles the hats worn by French troops in the 1800s, Frenchman Peak (Mandooboornup) stands out as a survivor of wind, water and the forces of nature that have eroded most of the surrounding landscape over the aeons. The hike to the summit is a short, sharp 2.5km although quite steep in places, and on your way down make sure to stop in its famous cave and take in some spectacular views.
Great Ocean Drive
Just a few kilometres out of town will get you started on the spectacular Great Ocean Drive, an almost-40km trip through the area’s incredibly unique coast. Lined with many of the beautiful beaches we’ve listed above, you’ll want to give yourself at least a few hours to ensure you can enjoy many of wonderful stop-offs along the way.
More time?
If you’ve got a little bit more time up your sleeve, we’d recommend squeezing in a trip to some of these lesser known gems.
Woody Island
Located about 15km off the pristine Esperance coast is Woody Island, a nature reserve and prime attraction for those wanting to explore more of the native flora and fauna the region has to offer. A 30 minute boat ride with Woody Island Eco Tours gives passengers a great view of sea eagles, dolphins, and sea lions, before bringing you to the island’s shore. The island is ideal for nature lovers, with the predator-free environment meaning native land-animals are out and about to be seen. For those of you who want to prioritise nature on your trip the island also has camping and safari hut options so that you can stay the night and experience the wonders Woody Island has to offer during the night.
Lake Hillier
If taking a gander at one of WA’s most instagrammable natural phenomena is your thing then we’ve got something that’ll be right up your street: Lake Hillier. This pink lake has to be seen to be believed, and whilst others fade and change throughout the seasons Lake Hillier is its signature pink hue all year around. The lake is located on an island about 11km off of the coast of Cape Arid National Park, around 150km east of Esperance. The lake is accessible by sea but to get the full experience we recommend seeing the lake by air through one of Fly Esperance’s scenic flights.
Esperance Museum
Opening its doors in 1976 the Esperance Museum is an institution which celebrates the rich history of the region, so why not pop in and learn something new about one of WA’s most popular destinations? Their wide range of displays and objects include maritime machinery, the world’s largest display of NASA skylab memorabilia and pioneer displays which showcase the lives of Esperance locals from the 1800s. The museum is open seven days a week and is conveniently located in the heart of Esperance.
Esperance Stonehenge
As far as small-town oddities go Esperance Stonehenge has got to be the biggest. The 2,500 tonne, life size replica of the United Kingdom Stonehenge, as it would have been when it was built, is a pink granite wonder. Open daily, visitors can enjoy the natural ambience of the structure, or marvel at the acoustics that the natural amphitheater the structure creates.
James St Boutique
Whether you’re looking for a fashionable keepsake from your trip to Esperance, or you’re in the mood to treat yourself to a new addition to your wardrobe, James St Boutique is your one stop shop. With a spectacularly wide range of clothing, activewear, accessories, shoes, lifestyle products, books and more this boutique makes the phrase “dressing like a local” a huge compliment.
EATING & DRINKING
Downtown Espresso Bar
A trip to Esperance is not complete without a coffee from Downtown Espresso Bar. You’ll forget you’re 750km from the city when you step into this funky little coffee shop that’s famous for the best cold brew and turmeric lattes in town. It’s a hot spot for locals and tourists alike, making it a great place to people-watch while fueling up for a day of adventuring ahead.
Lucky Bay Brewing
That’s right, craft beer fans, Esperance has its own beer! After a dip in the Eleven Mile lagoon, continue out to the Lucky Bay Brewing microbrewery. Made with premium local barley, you can work your way through all eight brews. Lucky Bay Brewing run tours or you can just pop in for a paddle and take some chunky 1L cans to go.
Fish Face
With a thriving seafood industry, sampling Esperance’s local produce is a must. If you want it cooked by the best, pop into low-key seafood restaurant Fish Face. Owners Dalia and Craig Adams are the best in the business and serve up an ever-changing menu of local catch. Best of all, the restaurant is BYO so you can afford that extra serve of the best scallops on earth.
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The Quarters
Offering one of the best outdoor dining spots in the state, The Quarters‘ epic Esperance Bay views are only matched by their epic food, coffee, beer, wine and cocktails selections. With Lucky Bay Brewing on tap, live music in spring and summer and a huge grassy outdoor area, it makes for a dangerous Sunday session proposition – or any day of the week for that matter.
Bread Local
If you’re on the lookout for a spot to make your obligatory country-town bakery stop then look no further than Bread Local. The folks at Bread Local have two locations, their flagship bakery on a picturesque property just outside of the town centre, which is serving up all of your bakery favourites on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as their town location, Little Local which is open from Monday-Saturday and offers up a select range of breads and abled goods as well as stellar coffee, doughnuts, and sandwiches.
Bob & Jim’s
If you’re chasing the best fresh local produce to line your picnic hamper before a beach picnic, Bob & Jim’s is the place to go. Offering fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy, small batch artisan wares, international specialist foods and more, why not save yourself the trouble and grab one of their incredible seasonal hampers.
The Pier Hotel
Every country town has that pub to go for a bit more fun on the weekends, and The Pier Hotel is that one-stop shop for a great pub feed, a few rounds of pool, or a late night boogie in the nightclub. The self-proclaimed “social networking hub” of Esperance, if you wanna make a few new local friends, The Pier is the place to be.
ACCOMMODATION
Esperance has plenty of different accommodation to choose from, including AirBnBs, motels, caravan parks and more. One of the best is the recently redeveloped RAC Esperance Holiday Park, with an array of different options to pull up for the weekend including camp and caravan sites, self-contained villas, studios, and pet-friendly choices too. We recently went on a deep dive into what’s on offer HERE.
