Discover Coolum Beach: Tickle Park and
a Day by the Sea

Coolum Beach is one of our favourites on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. We usually park a few streets back, wander around the cafés and Tickle Park, then find somewhere to eat overlooking the sea. I can happily sit and watch the surfers for hours.

The beach, park and cafés are close together, so we park once and spend our time around this stretch. There’s no need to fill the day with activities. Food with a sea view, some playground time and watching what’s happening out on the water are plenty for us.

I absolutely love the atmosphere here. But loving Coolum Beach also means respecting its surf, which has caught me out even in knee-deep water.

Parking at Coolum Beach

Parking along the main road between the shops and the beach can be difficult. There are a few small carparks around, but we usually head back a few streets and find a space there.

My advice is to arrive prepared for a short walk rather than counting on a beachfront parking space. Check the signs wherever you park, including any time limits.

Tickle Park is the place to aim for if you want the beach, playground and cafés together. The Coolum Beach Surf Life Saving Club and lifeguard tower are here too, giving you useful landmarks when you arrive.

Café Food with a Sea View

We’re happy choosing from the cafés along the road directly opposite the park and beach. We don’t have one particular café that every visit revolves around; being able to pick up food and take it over to the waterfront is part of what we enjoy.

There are stools and a bench overlooking the sea where we like to sit and eat. You get the café food and the ocean view without needing to find a café table facing the water.

On market evenings, we might get food from the stalls instead. Either way, taking something to eat over to the beachfront is one of our favourite parts of a Coolum outing.

Tickle Park Playground and Picnic Space

Tickle Park makes it easy to spend time here with children without keeping everyone on the sand for the whole visit.

I’d say the playground is particularly good for younger children up to around ten, although there’s a fairly tall climbing section that gives older children something to tackle too. That’s my impression of who would enjoy it, rather than an official age limit.

There are tables and plenty of grassy areas where you can sit. On our visits, we’ve found the public toilets clean and plentiful, and the beach showers are handy before heading back to the car.

Having the playground, places to eat and beach so close together gives you options. You can spend time in the park and enjoy being by the sea even if swimming isn’t part of your day.

Summer Twilight Markets at Tickle Park

During summer, the twilight market adds another reason to spend an evening around Tickle Park. We like getting something to eat from the market and taking it to our usual sea-view spot.

If the samosa lady is there, her samosas are so, so good! I can’t promise she’ll be at every market, but she’s one of the stalls I’d look for.

The markets are seasonal, not a year-round weekly event. Check the Coolum Beach Lions Club market page for the current dates and times before planning your visit around one. For overseas visitors, summer here is December to February, although the market season may start earlier or finish before summer ends.

Watching Surfers at Coolum Beach

You don’t have to surf to enjoy this beach. Watching other people out on the waves is enough to keep me here for hours.

It’s part of why we keep coming back. We can have something to eat, spend time around the park and watch the surfers without moving the car or rushing off to another attraction.

If that sounds like your kind of outing, leave yourself some time to sit. Coolum is a place we enjoy staying around, rather than stopping just long enough for a photo.

Swimming at Coolum Beach and My Lost Sunnies

The water here often seems rougher to me than at some other places along the coast. Waves can be strong, and even when things look calm, an unexpected one can catch you out.

I learnt that standing in knee-deep water. A wave knocked me over and dragged me under, and I lost my favourite sunnies—sunglasses, if you’re visiting from overseas. I was washed back onto shore with scraped knees, luckily, but it was completely unexpected. I never found those sunnies!

It’s why I wouldn’t assume shallow water means you can relax your attention. Keep young children close and supervise them continuously around the water.

Always swim between the red and yellow flags while the beach is being patrolled, check conditions and follow lifeguard advice. If there are no swimming flags, don’t go in. The presence of a tower or surf club doesn’t mean a patrol is operating at that moment.

You can check current patrol information through Beachsafe. My beach safety guide is another place to start when planning a family beach day.

Third Bay as a Separate Coastal Stop

Further south are First, Second and Third Bay. We drive to these rather than walking from Tickle Park. There’s a steep hill out of the town centre, and it’s more of a walk than we usually want to add to our beach outing.

We like Third Bay, but parking is very limited and you need to walk down to the beach. Keep the return climb in mind too; this is a different outing from wandering between the cafés and park.

Third Bay is unpatrolled. My advice is simple: don’t swim here. Enjoy it from shore, keep clear of the water’s edge when waves are reaching it, and choose a patrolled beach with red and yellow flags if you want to swim. First and Second Bay are also unpatrolled.

How We Spend a Day at Coolum Beach

For our usual visit, we park a few streets back and walk to the Tickle Park and café stretch. We choose something to eat, find a spot overlooking the sea and leave time for the playground or watching surfers.

If a summer market is running, we might make it an evening outing instead. If we want to visit Third Bay, we treat that as a separate stop and move the car.

Bring your hat, sunscreen and water, and leave room in the day to enjoy the place. You can use my beach packing list to help get ready.

Other Sunshine Coast Outings to Explore

If you’re comparing beaches, have a look at Kings Beach for its oceanfront pool, playground and cafés, or explore the Sunshine Coast beaches guide.

For another kind of day, browse my family-friendly attractions or Glass House Mountains guide.

Coolum Beach remains one of our favourites because we enjoy spending time here. A meal overlooking the water and time to watch the surfers are good reasons to come back.

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