Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe is the beach Perth thinks of as its own, a curve of white sand between Fremantle and the northern suburbs, with terraced lawns, Norfolk Island pines and the Indiana Teahouse, a 1930s-style pavilion rebuilt on the site of earlier bathhouses. The water is clear, the swimming generally calm inside the groyne, and the beach faces due west, which makes sunset a daily event with people gathering on the grass and the hotel balcony. Each March, Sculpture by the Sea places dozens of works along the sand and lawns for a fortnight, free to walk through, and the beach hosts ocean swims and surf carnivals through summer.

What you actually see

• The pavilion and lawns - the Indiana teahouse above the terraced grass.
• The sunset - the beach facing due west over the Indian Ocean.
• Sculpture by the Sea - the free March exhibition along the sand.
• The pines - the Norfolk Island pine avenue behind the beach.

When to go

November to April for swimming, with water warmest from January to March; the Fremantle Doctor, a strong afternoon sea breeze, arrives most summer days and cools things sharply. Sculpture by the Sea runs in March and draws large crowds.

Honest expectations

The afternoon sea breeze is strong enough to end a beach day. Parking is limited and metered, and difficult in summer and during Sculpture by the Sea. Sharks are present along this coast and beaches close occasionally.

Nearby

Fremantle lies south; Perth's centre is twenty minutes by train.