You don’t have to drive all the way to the Peninsula for a decent beach day. The stretch of coast running from Williamstown out through Altona and Werribee is calm, shallow and about as low-stress as beach days with kids get — no surf to manage, mostly gentle sand flats, and enough playgrounds and cafes nearby that you can turn a swim into a full morning without much planning.
This guide covers seven spots, roughly in order heading west from the city.
Find a Beach in Melbourne’s Inner West
Table of Contents
1. Williamstown Beach
Williamstown Beach is a 550-metre stretch of sand between Thompson Street and Bayview Street, and it’s the easiest of the bunch to reach without a car. It’s a straightforward 10-minute walk from Williamstown Beach train station on the Williamstown line, which makes it a wonderful car-free option for a beach day.
Swim at the western end, where the Williamstown Swimming and Surf Life Saving Club patrols over the warmer months (November to March) and the water is shallow enough to be safe for smaller kids. Steer clear of the rocks at the Pavilion end and the holes near the rock groynes at both ends, which aren’t suitable for young or non-swimmers.
There’s a beach wheelchair available for free hire here too, one of the few Melbourne beaches to offer it.
For playgrounds, Sadler Reserve sits directly opposite the beach and Hatt Reserve is a short walk east — handy if the kids need a break from the sand.
For food, Kiosk d’Asporto is right on the beach for gelato and Italian takeaway, Fifi’s by the Beach sits right across from the beach with a French-leaning breakfast and lunch menu (smashed avo, eggs benedict, sausage rolls, plus ice cream) and views over the water, Sebastian is a good option for a proper lunch or dinner right on the beach itself (Wednesday to Saturday, Sunday lunch only), and the Nelson Place cafe strip is a five-minute walk away if you want more choice for a sit-down meal.
Williamstown Beach, Esplanade, Williamstown
2. Point Gellibrand
Right next door to Williamstown Beach, Point Gellibrand is one of Melbourne’s most historically significant spots and a good rock pool destination in its own right — Victoria’s first permanent settlement and seaport, with the old Timeball Tower (originally a lighthouse and navigation post) and the cannons of Fort Gellibrand still standing.
For families, the drawcard is the rock pools at the point, best explored at low tide when the water pulls back and reveals crabs, fish and sea plants tucked into the basalt rock. There’s a playground at the south end of the park with picnic tables, BBQs, a water tap and toilets, plus wide grassy areas and a bay trail that’s wheelchair and pram accessible if you’d rather walk than clamber over rocks.
Swimming isn’t really the point here — the beach itself is rocky and full of seaweed, so save the actual swim for Williamstown Beach next door and treat Point Gellibrand as the rock pool and history stop.
It’s an easy walk from Williamstown Beach or Williamstown Station, and there’s free parking at the end of Battery Road, right by the playground and rock pools. For food, the Nelson Place cafe strip and Kiosk d’Asporto are both a short walk back toward the main beach.
Point Gellibrand, Battery Road, Williamstown
3. Jawbone Marine Sanctuary
This is the spot for something a bit different: a protected marine reserve with rock pools you can actually explore with kids, rather than just a stretch of sand.
Jawbone Marine Sanctuary sits just west of Williamstown Beach and has been protected for more than 80 years, which means the rock pools here are genuinely rich with life — crabs, sea stars, limpets and kelp are all things you can realistically spot at low tide.
The water is shallow and calm enough for paddling and even snorkelling with kids in the sanctuary’s sandy bays, and there are boardwalks over the wetlands if you’d rather birdwatch than get wet.
It’s a 20-minute walk from Williamstown Station, or you can catch the 471 or 472 bus from Newport Station. If you’re driving, there’s parking around Crofton Drive.
Bring water shoes if you’re planning to get in among the rock pools, since the basalt rock can be sharp underfoot. It sits right alongside Point Gellibrand above, so the two pair well as a single rock-pool-focused outing.
There’s no cafe directly on-site, so pack snacks or plan to grab something in Williamstown or at Kiosk d’Asporto on the way through.
Jawbone Marine Sanctuary, Kororoit Creek Road, Williamstown
4. Seaholme Beach
Seaholme is the quiet, low-key option between Williamstown and Altona — a beach backed by a large foreshore reserve with very low-energy waves, so it’s more paddling water than swimming water. The wide sand flats mean it’s best visited around high tide; at low tide there’s a long walk before the water gets deep enough for anything more than wading.
WG Cresser Reserve, right by the beach, has a good playground — a long-chain swing, a modern climbing frame with a spiral ladder, dual slides, a see-saw and a boat on a rocker, plus shelter, BBQs and toilets. It’s an easy pairing: beach time, then playground time, without moving the car.
Seaholme has its own train station on the Werribee line, a short walk from the beach, which makes it another easy no-car option. There’s no dedicated cafe right on the beach, so it’s worth bringing a picnic or continuing on to Altona, a short drive or train ride further along, for food.
Seaholme Beach, Beach Street, Seaholme
5. Altona Beach
Altona Beach is the pick if you want the full package — sand, rock pools, a playground and a cafe all within a short walk of each other.
It’s a long beach, running roughly 3 kilometres from Frazer Reserve past the town to Laverton Creek, but the best stretch for families is around the pier: shallow, wide and safe, with a No Boating Zone extending 200 metres east of the pier where the Altona Life Saving Club patrols over summer.
There’s a fun rock pool area toward the Miller Road end of the beach, good for a bit of low-tide sea-creature spotting, and the beach is crossed by the 500-metre-long Altona Pier, which is worth the walk out for the views back to the city.
Logan Reserve, right across from the beach at the corner of Pier Street and the Esplanade, has a large playground with plenty of shaded seating.
For food, Pier Street has real variety within a short walk of the sand — fish and chips, sushi, ice cream and froyo are all covered, and Norfolk Cafe on the Esplanade opposite the beach is the go-to for a bargain-priced all-day menu with a courtyard overlooking the water. If you’d rather put together your own picnic, Matteo’s Deli on Pier Street has good-quality picnic supplies, or there’s a Coles nearby if you just need the basics.
Altona Railway Station is about 500 metres north of the beach, an easy walk. If you’re driving, there’s free parking along the foreshore, which is more than you’ll find at Williamstown on a busy weekend. Keep an eye on the parking time limits, though.
Altona Beach, The Esplanade, Altona
6. Werribee South Beach
Further out again, Werribee South is worth the extra drive if you’re after something quieter and don’t mind the water having a bit less clarity than the beaches closer to the city — a fair trade-off for families who want space without the crowds.
It’s about 30 minutes’ drive from the CBD; there’s no direct train to the beach itself, so a car is really the only practical way to get here.
The beach itself is fronted by two playgrounds, along with a boat ramp, fishing jetty, free public tennis courts and a skate park, all part of the Werribee South foreshore. It’s a good half-day out if you pair the beach with a walk along the Wyndham Bay Trail.
For food, Anglers Anchorage near the boat ramp does fish and chips, or there are a handful of cafes back up along Werribee South’s main strip if you’d rather sit down properly.
Worth knowing before you go: several visitors have noted the water here can look a bit murky compared to Williamstown or Altona, and it’s better suited to wading and beach play than a proper swim.
Werribee South Beach, Beach Road, Werribee South
Related reading: 7 Best Family Bike Trails in Werribee & Surrounds
7. Wyndham Harbour Beach
A little further along from Werribee South, the small sandy beachfront at Wyndham Harbour is worth knowing about if you’re already out that way for mini golf or a meal. It’s a modest stretch of sand rather than a proper swimming beach — some visitors have noted the water can carry algae and isn’t always inviting for a swim — so treat it as a spot for a paddle, a shell hunt or a sandy play rather than a serious beach day.
What makes it worth the stop is everything around it. Elements Activity Park sits right next to the beach with an 18-hole mini golf course, open lawns and coastal walks, and there’s a small playground nearby too.
For food, 3030 Waterfront (previously 3030 Boulevard) is right on the marina with a Mediterranean-leaning menu, a kids menu, and views back across the bay to the city skyline — a good spot to end a day that started at Werribee South.
Free parking is available at the harbour, and there are public toilets close by. It’s about 30–35 minutes’ drive from the CBD; there’s no train directly to the harbour, so a car is the practical way to get here.
Wyndham Harbour, Harbour Boulevard, Werribee South
