3 Best Sights in Fremantle, Western Australia

Sometimes, good things come in small packages. This flat, soft-sand beach sits hidden between the Fishing Boat Harbour and the Roundhouse and is an ideal spot to picnic with takeout fish-and-chips, or to enjoy a sunset cocktail from Bathers Beachhouse, the only restaurant licensed to serve drinks on the beach. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking.

South of busy Cottesloe and about 30 minutes from central Perth, Leighton is a relatively quiet beach loved for its sugarlike sand and flat, calm water, which is perfect for those who like to paddle. It's equally loved by wind- and kite-surfers on windy days, who tear across the tabletop surface. At the northern end of the beach, dogs are allowed to be off-leash, so expect to see lots of happy pooches running around. Amenities: lifeguards (summer); parking; toilets; food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; sunset; walking; windsurfing.

A local favorite, wide Port Beach has small, gentle waves; water the color of a Bombay Sapphire bottle; and pale white sand. It butts up against Fremantle Harbour's North Quay wharf and stretches towards Leighton. Like most of the western-facing coast, the sunsets are epic and the views of Rottnest charming. Amenities: food and drink; toilets; lifeguards; parking. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking; windsurfing.