Esperance is a well-kept secret on the southern coast of Western Australia.
The first thing that strikes you about Esperance is its beaches. They’re truly some of Australia’s finest. Lucky Bay, voted Australia’s whitest beach, is the crown jewel. The sand here is so pure it squeaks underfoot, and the water is a shade of turquoise that looks like Gatorade. The local Kangaroo residents are pretty chilled out too, you’ll find them lounging on the beach and soaking up the sun right alongside you. Swimming, snorkeling, or just lazing on the sand, Lucky Bay is paradise and a great place to start your trip to Esperance.
But it’s not all about this one beach. Offshore, the Recherche Archipelago, a group of 105 islands, holds unlimited adventure. Boat tours are the best way to explore these remote island outposts, where you can spot sea lions, dolphins, and, if you’re lucky, migrating whales. These islands are accessible for day trips, offering opportunities for snorkeling, diving, and fishing in see-through waters. While back inland you should pay a visit to Twilight Beach, with its smooth granite boulders and calm waters it is another stunning coastal trip you need to explore.
Esperance is also the starting point to the Cape Le Grand National Park, a wild, rugged expanse of coastline and granite peaks. The Hiking trails here range from easy coastal walks to more challenging climbs. The Frenchman Peak hike rewards you with the best panoramic views of the park and the Southern Ocean beyond, a memory that is well worth the ascent. The park’s beaches, including Hellfire Bay and Thistle Cove, are as pristine as Lucky Bay, but far less crowded, offering pure solitude in natural beauty.
The town of Esperance itself is small and laid-back, a place where life moves at a slower pace. Enjoy the local seafood at a beachside café, visit the local markets, or take in a sunset that sets the sky ablaze with color.
Esperance is a destination for those who appreciate nature in its most pure and untouched form. It’s a place where the simple act of walking on a beach can feel like an adventure, where the landscapes are vast and unspoiled, and where the sense of isolation is not a drawback, but a true luxury.
