Stunning Melbourne Beaches

If you feel love affair with sea, sand, salt and clear water, you will find all these in bay side city, Melbourne. I fell in love affair with crystal clear water of Melbourne beaches while my recent visit and the very first encounter was with stunning Brighton beach on 14 of June 2010. Coastal Melbourne touching with its Yarra River has lot of beautiful and breath taking views.

Melbourne’s ultimate beauty cannot be described without its beaches. Coastal Melbourne faces Port Phillip Bay and the city's closest Melbourne beaches are Albert Park and Middle Park just south of South Melbourne. St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham, Williams town, Frankston are other beaches of Melbourne. Melbourne's beaches have excellent facilities like beachside restaurants, water sports, beach games, surfing, cafés, bars, and barbecue, pedestrian pathways, and parking areas.

Driving along the gorgeous Great Ocean Road you can see the fantastic Port Campbell National park and the famous Twelve Apostles rocks. Here are some of the most popular beaches in Melbourne area.

Due to proximity with city centre, St Kilda beach is one of the popular beaches in Melbourne. Today St Kilda is main tourist destination situated on one of the most picturesque points of the Bay. Being Melbourne's most fashionable suburbs, St Kilda is home of wealthiest people.

In the mid of 20^th century this area was dominated by Prostitutes and drug dealers. Haunt of Prostitute and druggies now have been pushed to some outer parts of city. The shops and eating areas are found on the busy Fitzroy and Acland Streets. Carlisle Street is right place if you prefer European delights.

Safe and sandy beaches of St Kilda offers you best place for many outdoor activities like windsurfing, sailing, kite surfing, rollerblading, beach volleyball, jet skiing, waterskiing and sunbathing.

St Kilda Pier is most famous attraction on St Kilda's beach. Constructed in 1853 the wooden structure was originally used for loading timbers and other material. In the end of pier, iconic kiosk was built in 1904 which got destroyed in fire in 2003 but was rebuilt very soon. The pier is a popular destination for cycling, roller-skating, strolling and fishing. in the end of pier there is also a ' Little Blue Restaurant' where you can enjoy fantastic range of foods and local wines.

Having reputation of being the cleanest of the many beaches located along Port Phillip Bay, Brighton beach is just near to St Kilda. Golden sand and sparkling blue water and bright, colorful "beach huts" make it colourful beach. The beach huts, symbolic of Melbourne Australia and its beach suburbs, command high prices when they come up for sale.

Beach walk, Sunbathing, Swimming, Sightseeing, fishing and Kite surfing are popular activities on this beach. There are a few good restaurants around with good views of the beach, including a café/bar and restaurant at Middle Brighton Sea Baths. You can also catch a glimpse of the city from the end of the beach. Brighton Beach is popular with both locals and tourists visiting the Melbourne area.

Williamstown beach was my favorite place while my stay in Melbourne. I used to go there whenever I felt like to be close to nature. It is located at the mouth of Yarra River where it enters Hobson’s bay and Port Phillip Bay, south west of Melbourne city centre.

Williamstown has developed from what was a neglected industrialised centre into a popular and fashionable maritime village. Williamstown is surrounded on three sides by water. Scenic views of Melbourne skyline can be enjoyed from Gem pier where cruises on Yarra River and the bay depart regularly. I wish to go this place again and again as I feel close to my soul while seeing seashores and changing colors of sky.

Other beaches you may go for fun are 13th Beach, Elwood beach, Flinders beach, Green Point beach, Half Moon Bay beach, Frankston Beach, Sandridge Beach, Smiths Beach, Port sea Back Beach, Rye Back Beach and Middle Park Beach.

I will write more about these Beaches in Stunning Melbourne Beaches Part II