Staying at 2nd Avenue puts a lot of Burleigh Heads within walking distance. From our front door on Second Avenue you can reach the sand in two minutes and the Burleigh Head National Park headland in about sixteen. Here are six places worth walking to, each with the real minutes from our door.
How far is the beach, really?
Two minutes, or about 150 metres. Walk to the end of Second Avenue, cross The Esplanade, and you are on the sand. This is the northern stretch of Burleigh beach, which stays calmer and less crowded than the surf-club end, so it suits families with small kids and anyone who likes an early swim. The lifesavers patrol daily and the flags usually go up around 9am. Guests keep mentioning waking to the sound of the surf and being in the water before breakfast, which is the whole point of a beachfront stay. Swim between the flags, as the northern corner can run a current on a bigger swell.
Where can we eat right on the sand?
The North Burleigh Surf Club is about seven minutes north along the beachfront, and it runs three kitchens under one roof. Nectar Espresso does coffee and acai bowls seven days, the Supporters Club handles surf-and-turf pub food, and Sandfire is the sit-down option with a 180-degree view of sand and sea. Breakfast runs Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 10.30am, with lunch Sunday to Thursday from 11.30am to 3pm. The salt and pepper squid and the rib on the bone are the dishes reviewers name most often. It is an easy barefoot walk back for couples after sunset drinks, or a low-key family lunch.
Is there a park for the kids nearby?
Justins Park is about nine minutes south, following the beachfront path towards the headland. It is the shady foreshore reserve under the Norfolk pines, with a playground, free electric barbecues, plenty of grass and public toilets, all a few steps from the water. Guests travelling with children keep mentioning how handy it is to have the playground and the sand in the same spot, so one parent can mind a swim while the other sets up a picnic. There is no charge and it is open all day. Pack lunch from the apartment and you have a morning sorted without spending a cent.
What about the shops and cafes on James Street?
James Street is the boutique-and-cafe strip of Burleigh, about eleven minutes on foot from our door. You will find surf labels, homewares and a run of good coffee spots along the way. Commune Espresso sits on the Gold Coast Highway right by the James Street corner, in a restored Art Deco building that was once the local butcher’s shop, and opens 6am to 3.30pm every day. Order a long black and the fritters, or ask for the vegan and gluten-free options, which they do well. It suits a slow brunch and a browse before the afternoon heats up.
Can we walk to the Burleigh Pavilion and Rick Shores?
Yes, it is about fourteen minutes south along the sand. The Burleigh Pavilion sits above the beach at the Goodwin Terrace end, with The Tropic restaurant and the Tropicana bar upstairs, open from 11am seven days. Directly beneath it, Rick Shores opens onto the sand at Shop 3, 43 Goodwin Terrace, trading Tuesday to Sunday from noon, with lunch to 3pm and dinner from 5.30pm. The Moreton Bay bug roll is the dish guests keep mentioning, and it is worth booking ahead for a window table. This is the walk to save for a long lunch or a sunset drink for couples.
Is the National Park walk doable on foot?
The park entrance at Goodwin Terrace is about sixteen minutes from our door, and the walk itself is genuinely easy. The Oceanview Walk is a flat, grade-two track of 1.2 kilometres one way, roughly 30 minutes, wrapping the headland just above the water and finishing near Tallebudgera Creek. You pass Tumgun Lookout, the tumbled six-sided basalt columns, and often koalas and brush turkeys. From June to October it is one of the best free spots on the coast to watch humpbacks pass. It is open all the time and costs nothing, so it suits early walkers chasing sunrise.
FAQs
Can you walk to the beach from 2nd Avenue?
Yes. The sand is about a two-minute walk, roughly 150 metres straight down Second Avenue to The Esplanade. This is the quieter northern end of Burleigh beach, so you can be swimming before breakfast without driving or paying for parking anywhere.
Is Burleigh Heads walkable without a car?
Yes. A flat beachfront path links 2nd Avenue to the Burleigh Head National Park headland in about sixteen minutes, passing the surf club, Justins Park and the Burleigh Pavilion on the way. Most guests leave the car parked for their whole stay.
Is Burleigh Heads beach patrolled?
Yes, it is patrolled daily by the North Burleigh and Burleigh Mowbray Park lifesavers, with the red-and-yellow flags generally up from around 9am. Always swim between the flags, as the northern end can pull a current when the swell is up.
Where is the closest coffee to 2nd Avenue?
Nectar Espresso at the North Burleigh Surf Club is about seven minutes north along the sand and opens seven days for coffee and acai bowls. James Street and Commune Espresso are around eleven minutes the other way if you want a full brunch.
Everything on this list sits within a short, flat walk of your apartment, which is the quiet advantage of staying at this end of Burleigh. Leave the car in the bay, wander out for coffee, come back for a swim, and head out again for dinner. When you are ready to plan your stay, check our current rates and book direct, and have a look at our beachfront apartments in Burleigh Heads to pick the right one for your trip.
Image credit: Destination Gold Coast
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