Best Things To Do In Yallingup

Sitting alongside the coast in Western Australia’s South West region, the sleepy town of Yallingup can be easily missed if you haven’t heard about it before. It’s best attractions are hidden away, sitting along the rocky shores of the beaches, hidden around corners and at the end of hikes.

The small town is simply overflowing with hidden gems. Beautiful natural wonders, from rock pools to hidden beaches, lighthouses to underground caves.

Sitting about three hours south of Perth, it’s a great spot for a weekend getaway. Make sure you choose a warm weekend if you can though, because there’s no way you’re not going to want to get in the waters around here.

Here are some of our favourite things to do in Yallingup.

Things to do in Yallingup

In this post:

1. Injidup Nature Spa

This natural spa is sure to have popped up on your feeds before. Nestled into a coastline of rocky cliffs, this little rock pool has crystal clear water and is a great place to take a swim. The feature of the Injidup Nature Spa is the waterfall effect that happens from the waves crashing into the rocks and then trickling down into the pool.

Check the tides before you come, because it’s definitely best to visit at high tide. This is when the waves are the largest, giving the best waterfall effects into the pool. Be prepared to share the spa though – we visited about 4 different times, at all different times of the day while we were in Yallingup, and there were people there every single time. It may be a little hard to get that image of you swimming alone in the pool. Sunset is also a great time to visit, as the sun sets over the ocean in the background.

Injidup Nature Spa can be found along Wyadup Road, but it can be a little bit difficult to find on Google Maps. If you’re struggling to find the right location, follow the directions to Injidup Spa Retreat which is found along the same road. When directions tell you to turn left into the retreat, instead keep following the road around to the car park. Then it’s just a short walk over the rocks to find the nature spa.

injidup beach

2. Indijup Beach

One of our favourite beaches from WA so far could be found just across from the nature spa. Indijup Beach offers a long coastline, with very few people, huge waves and tall rocky cliffs protecting the beach from the elements.

At sunset, the rocks all along the beach glow an epic red colour, really lighting up the beach in the most beautiful way. Although the red rocks are stunning all throughout the day, there really is something special about visiting at sunset and seeing this GLOW.

The waves here are absolutely HUGE, very strong and potentially very dangerous. If you do plan to go swimming make sure you are very careful, watch the waves, rips and water patterns before you get in the water and make sure you’re not swimming alone. Definitely some of the most powerful waves we have seen in Australia.

3. Sugarloaf Rock

This huge natural granite rock, standing tall from the depths of the ocean, is a site all on it’s own. In fact, from the car park there is a great lookout overlooking Sugarloaf Rock and the surrounding beaches, which it would be easy to assume is the main attraction here.

But if you make your way (very carefully) down along the rocks, there is a beautiful little rock pool down there that is great to go for a quick dip in. The water wasn’t even too cold in the little pool here, and it was beautifully protected from the waves of the ocean by it’s rock wall.

We couldn’t find an exact address listed anywhere for this spot, but if you type in Sugarloaf Rock to Google Maps it will take you to exactly the right spot.

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canal rocks

4. Canal Rocks

The dramatic coastline in Yallingup continues to the famous Canal Rocks. Found right alongside the boat ramp, this narrow timber boardwalk takes you on a walk through the rocks, offering great views of the beaches close by, the rock pools underneath, and on a good day, often even the marine life in the area.

If you’re keen to get in the water, it’s a great place for swimming, fishing and snorkelling, especially close by the rocks. It’s only a very short walk from the car park to the walkway, and is easily accessible for all mobility levels. Despite the boat ramp being right there, the beach here was actually so pretty and a lovely spot to spend a day in the sun.

Address: Canal Rocks Road, Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park

5. Meelup Beach

One of the favourite beaches in the area, and only a short drive away from Yallingup, Meelup Beach is a highlight for anyone who visits. With a white sandy shore and calm waters in a protected bay, it is one of the best spots in the region for swimming, while rocks on either side of the bay offer great snorkelling and fishing opportunities.

You can often see boats and small yachts in the bay here, who have come to drop their anchors and enjoy a day of swimming, eating and relaxing. There are also lots of walking trails around the beach, taking you up into the close by bushland and parks that surround the beach.

If you’re visiting in late winter or spring you can often see the whale migration from the shores here, as they make their way along the WA coastline.

Address: Meelup Beach Road, Dunsborough

6. More things to do in Yallingup

Due to the timing of our visit, unfortunately most of the restaurants and cafes, as well as paid attractions were beginning to close their doors due to the threat of coronavirus. However, there are quite a few other things to see and do in Yallingup that we had to miss out on during our visit. Some of the top attractions include:

Ngilgi Cave: With a rich history related to the Aboriginal people that lived here, this cave is more than 500,000 years old and takes you more than 45 metres underground.
Cape Lavender Tea House: A visit to a lavender house is always a great stop, they produce some of the best products. Try their lavender scones or ice-cream while you check out their face and beauty range.
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse: Check out the views across the ocean from the lighthouse, right on the point of the Yallingup coastline. It’s only a short walk to the top, so it’s easily accessible for everyone.
Winery Hop: Only a short drive from Margaret River, there are plenty of beautiful wineries that have their cellar doors around Yallingup. Hop your way throughout a few of their wine tastings to try the best local sips.

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Where to stay in Yallingup

Yallingup is a super small town, so there are only a handful of accommodation options on offer here. During our stay we checked into the Caves Caravan Park for what ended up being our last three nights of our trip, before the coronavirus travel restrictions sent us all the way back home to Melbourne.

This was honestly one of the nicest caravan parks we stayed in during the first leg of our visit. The grounds of the park were absolutely immaculate, with a huge communal kitchen and outdoor cooking area that gave everyone their own space.

One of my favourite things was also the fact that inside of communal bathrooms, they had a whole bunch of tiny en-suites – so you could have your own toilet, shower and sink to yourself, without having to shower or brush your teeth next to randoms. I have never seen this before and it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. After showering in caravan parks for three whole months, it was so amazing to have your own little bathroom for 20 minutes, giving you the chance to take your time with your shower and bathroom routine.

Also, really have to shout out the staff that were working during our stay, and I really wish I had their names to shout them out personally! We were staying at a very uncertain and uncomfortable time – when technically we were still allowed to be travelling, but new rules were coming out by the hour it felt like, and we were unsure what was happening. They were so helpful and accommodating, letting us get our shit sorted out, as we came to terms with the fact that our trip was ending for a while and we were going to have to drive 3,591 kilometres back to Melbourne as quickly as we could.

Caves Caravan Park || 23 Yallingup Beach Road, Yallingup || (08) 9755 2196

Caves Caravan Park was also right across the road from the general store and cafe in Yallingup, as well as being within walking distance from the beach. We found that Dunsborough was the closest and easiest place to visit for a proper supermarket if you need to stock up on a few supplies during your stay.

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