Burleigh Heads

Burleigh Heads is a basalt headland left by the Tweed volcano, covered in remnant rainforest and hoop pines and protected as a small national park with walking tracks over and around it. The point produces one of Australia's best right-hand barrelling waves when a cyclone swell wraps in, drawing surfers from everywhere and hosting a World Surf League event. On the northern side, a long beach curves toward Surfers with a grassy foreshore of Norfolk pines used for picnics and drumming circles at sunset. The village behind has kept a lower-rise, café-driven character than the strip up the coast, and the headland walk gives views south to Coolangatta and north over the towers.

What you actually see

• The point break - the right-hander that draws surfers when the swell arrives.
• The headland park - rainforest tracks and lookouts on the volcanic point.
• The foreshore - Norfolk pines and lawns along the northern beach.
• The village - a low-rise café and restaurant strip behind the beach.

When to go

April to October for the dry season; the best surf comes with cyclone swells from January to April. The headland walks are shaded and work year-round. Weekends fill the foreshore and parking is difficult.

Honest expectations

The point is crowded and heavily localised when it breaks, and it is not a beginner wave. Parking near the beach is scarce at weekends. The national park is small and its tracks can be walked in an hour.

Nearby

Currumbin lies south; Surfers Paradise is up the coast north.