You won’t find Wallace or Gromit in Australia, but you will find plenty of groms and grommets. Our sun-kissed island is full of sandy-toed, salty-haired surf rats who can catch a pretty gnarly wave. And it’s not just the locals – tourists from around the world come Down Under to ride our legendary swells or to learn to surf for the very first time, with our coastline serving up the best surfing breaks on the planet.
To mark International Surfing Day (June 21), the travel pros at Travelbag conducted a study to identify the world’s top ten surfing hotspots. Their study looked at everything from surf ratings and water cleanliness to social media popularity and global search volume – all in the name of finding the ultimate wave.
Australia absolutely dominated the rankings, claiming more top ten spots than any other country – including four of the top five alone. The number one spot went to Queensland’s Burleigh Heads, which led the pack with a five-star surf rating, a water cleanliness score of 71.48, and more than 135,000 global annual searches. As the northernmost breakpoint on the Gold Coast, the exposed waters of this World Surfing Reserve catch strong offshore winds, serving up some of the best right-hand barrels in the country. Experienced surfers will love the adrenaline rush, but the shallower waves also make it a hotspot for beginners.
The Gold Coast had a strong showing in the top five, with Snapper Rocks landing as the fourth-best surf spot in the world. Perched on the southern tip of Rainbow Bay, this rocky outcrop is famous for its long, hollow waves and multiple barrel sections that attract pros and thrill-seekers alike.
Another standout Aussie spot to make the list was Victoria’s legendary Bells Beach, which came third overall. It had the highest water cleanliness score in the country of 72.22, and also earned a five-star surf rating. Tucked between the rugged cliffs off the Great Ocean Road, Bells is known for its huge waves, tough conditions and a kind of explosively powerful break that takes a lot of your strength to ride – but if you do, you'll have the time of your life.
Over on Australia’s west coast, Margaret River ranked as the world’s fifth-best surfing location. This iconic surf spot roughly matched Burleigh Heads’ global searches of 135,000, also scoring five stars for its surf and being the most popular on Instagram with almost a million hashtags. However, its water cleanliness score came in lower than the other Aussie beaches at 62.5. Even if you’re not a surfer, you can head here to watch the annual Margaret River Pro – one of only two Australian events on the prestigious World Surf League Championship Tour
Here are the world’s 10 best surfing spots
- Burleigh Heads, Australia
- Malibu, USA
- Bells Beach, Australia
- Snapper Rocks, Australia
- Margaret River, Australia
- Pipeline, USA
- Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
- Tamarindo, Costa Rica
- Tamarin Bay, Mauritius
- Black Rocks, Mauritius
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