Are you going to travel to Australia? If so, you may plan to go through Goald Coast one of the most tourist destinations in the country. In this post we recommend the best areas to stay in Gold Coast and we explain how they are.
Gold Coast is an area of Australia that, as the name implies, has its extension throughout the east coast of the continent. Its beaches are its main tourist attraction, due to good surfing and numerous hours of light at any time of the year.
And it is not for less, since the Gold Coast has been the location chosen to record numerous films, such as The Wax House, Pirates of the Caribbean, Thor: Ragnarok or Aquaman among other blockbusters.
Remember that Gold Coast is located in Australia, so the summer months are in December, January and February. The winter months are in July, August and September, just the opposite of the northern hemisphere, so good weather may not go hand in hand with your annual vacation.
Still Gold Coast enjoys a humid subtropical climate, with little variation of temperatures, since they will always be warm. However, in the Australian summer rainfall is very abundant, and can spoil your itinerary if you choose the dates wrong.
In this destination there is fun for all tastes, with casinos, shopping centers, water sports clubs, night parties, historic tourist sites, paradisiacal beaches and extensive nature reserves.
Public transport communicates most of the coast and suburbs by buses, train and tram. If you are going to rent a vehicle, you can use the extensive network of roads that connect the counties and the main towns through highways, which expands the range of possibilities when staying at Gold Coast.
The best areas and neighborhoods to stay in Gold Coast
It is clear that staying in any of the areas in which the Gold Coast is divided will not leave you indifferent, since the 70 kilometers of coastline have charming and interesting places.
But if you need to know more information to opt for an area to sleep in Gold Coast in particular, you can read below a detailed description of each location, with its advantages and disadvantages.
Surfer´s Paradise
The best known area of the Australian gold coast is undoubtedly Surfers Paradise. The beach is always crowded with tourists and surf lovers looking for varied leisure options. The entire Surfers Paradise area is full of restaurants, discos, nightclubs and bars.
In addition, different festivals and events like Surf Life Saving are held here throughout the year. If you want to have a bird’s eye view of the city, the roof of the Skydeck building is a must.
In Surfers Paradise you will also find different places to visit, such as the local market, with a wide variety of handicrafts, travel souvenirs and Australian food dishes. In this city you will always see large crowds of people, which can be somewhat uncomfortable when it comes to local tourism.
Surfers Paradise is a highly evolved area at the level of buildings. The city is very extensive and, therefore, accommodation options are abundant. Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular options at bedtime in Gold Coast, due to its central location and its good communication by public transport.
Here you will find all kinds of accommodation, such as hotels, beach resorts, hostels, hostels, apartments, family houses or even overnight boats. The prices are very varied, always higher in the Australian summer and rarely without lowering the $ 100 per overnight stay.
Accommodations in Surfer’s Paradise
Broad Beach
Right next to Surfers Paradise you will find Broad Beach. This beach has not received as severely the impact of massive building as other beaches of the Gold Coast, so it still has well-preserved natural landscapes, where rugged vegetation and pine forests predominate.
Broad Beach, like Surfers Paradise, has a very good connection with public transport, both from the city to the beach and towards other beaches. Restaurants, bars and cafés populate the entire area, so you won’t have trouble trying local food or enjoying some nightlife.
For shopping enthusiasts, in Broad Beach there are several shopping centers and several streets that concentrate most of the fashion stores. Of course, on the beach you will easily locate several places dedicated to the practice of water sports.
When it comes to staying in Gold Coast, the Broad Beach area is another favorite for tourists. There are dozens of hotels all over the coast and inside. Keep in mind that here you will find luxury hotels whose price can be out of your budget.
For tighter belts there is a wide range of hostels, apartments, lodges, 3 star hotels and family houses for groups with prices over $ 60 a night.
Broadbeach Hotels
Mermaid Beach
If you prefer a somewhat quieter area without so many crowds, Mermaid Beach is a good place to sleep in Goald Coast. The area is mostly residential with less than 6000 inhabitants, so there is not as much traffic as in other cities along the coast.
As in other beaches of the Gold Coast, Mermaid Beach has a very good connection by public transport to other beaches and areas of the coast. In addition, it is a place that has, in short distances, everything you might need in your stay, such as gift shops, supermarkets, restaurants and coffee shops.
Although Surfers Paradise is, as the name implies, the paradise for surf lovers, Mermaid Beach is not far behind thanks to the excellent waves of the beach. In addition, its coasts are fully equipped with everything you need to spend a relaxing day. The promenade is huge and has very good infrastructure.
For visitors looking for a quiet place to stay in Gold Coast, Mermaid Beach is excellent. The prices in the hotels, as in all the Gold Coast, rise considerably in summer, around $ 250 a night.
Despite this, you can find hostel and hostel rooms at cheaper prices per night, between $ 50 and $ 70. Of course, it is recommended that you book in advance to prevent your budget from shooting or running out of rooms.
Mermaid Beach Accommodations
Burleigh Heads
If the other beaches of the Gold Coast seemed like paradise, Burleigh Heads is on another level. The whole area is a huge National Park, where hundreds of plant species and native fauna are concentrated. The park has several viewpoints that allow visitors to enjoy the views.
Burleigh Heads Beach is home to several pine forests, camping areas and natural areas with picnic tables. When it comes to staying in Gold Coast, the Burleigh Heads area is not the most demanded, so the accommodations do not sell out so slowly.
In addition, here there is not so much concentration of tourists as in neighboring Surfers Paradise, something you will appreciate if you want to rest.
On the coast there are many hotels focused on family tourism, as well as several luxury resorts. The prices per hotel night are very similar to those of the adjacent beaches, between $ 60 and $ 200 a night depending on the category. Higher in summer and with a wide range of possibilities depending on the type of accommodation.
Accommodations in Burleigh Heads
Hope Island
Hope Island, in Queensland, is a suburb of the Gold Coast where many tourists go to shop and enjoy their favorite sports such as tennis or golf. Here you will find an open mall with numerous restaurants, top brand stores and several useful services.
When looking for accommodation, Hope Island is a problem, since the offer of accommodation is practically nil, with only a couple of hotels and resorts available. The prices per night of these accommodations are around $ 200 in high season.
Not bad for hotels that offer luxurious services. But since it is, for the most part, a residential area, it is necessary to look for accommodation outside the area and, basically, leave Hope Island for a timely visit and to shop.
Accommodations in Hope Island
Coolangatta
Another of the quietest areas of the Gold Coast is Coolangatta, near Palm Beach. It is mostly a residential place but with all useful services at hand, such as supermarkets, travel agencies, bars, restaurants, etc.
If you like surfing, you should know that Coolangatta, despite being a quiet area, attracts the best surfers in the world due to the great waves of its beaches.
In addition, if you pass through the town of Tweed Heads, you can cross from the state of Queensland to the state of New South Wales simply by walking along a street, so that the prices of products or services can vary significantly from one place to another .
Here accommodation prices are somewhat cheaper than in other areas of Gold Coast. However, you may need to rent a vehicle to move, since Coolangatta does not have a highly recommended public transport network, with irregular schedules and infrequent.
Of course, if you are looking for beachfront resorts and less crowded yacht clubs than those in other areas of the Gold Coast, Coolangatta is ideal for staying in Gold Coast.
Coolangatta Hotels
Sanctuary Cove
Within the aforementioned Hope Island, there is another gated community called Sanctuary Cove. Here the neighborhoods have luxury homes and all facilities with the latest technologies. It’s funny to see how Sanctuary Cove has its own shopping center and several sports facilities.
As in Hope Island, accommodation at Sanctuary Cove is very scarce, if not void. There are a couple of resorts that offer accommodation, pool and spa services. Prices range between $ 150 and $ 250 a night. However, if you are lucky, you may be able to rent a boat for a couple of nights to sleep in the huge harbor of Sanctuary Cove.
Sanctuary Cove Accommodations
Main Beach – South Port
South Port and Main Beach are two areas north of Macintosh Island. Here you will find the huge Broadwater Parklands natural park and the Sea World theme park, ideal if you are traveling with children. South Port is mostly a business area, so it does not attract as many visitors as Main Beach, which has good beaches and more leisure opportunities.
However, if you like shopping, in South Port you will find the Australia Fair shopping center, very complete and with many shops. In addition, both areas are very well connected by public transport, something that is welcome when visiting the surrounding areas.
The accommodation in Gold Coast is cheaper if you travel to South Port and Main Beach and if you compare it with Surfers Paradise, so it is a place to consider when staying in Gold Coast. You can find room in high season with prices between $ 150 in a hotel or $ 25 in a hostel.
Although South Port has a reputation for an unpleasant neighborhood, just walk through its streets to see that it is a fairly quiet area and to consider if you want to save when booking accommodation.
Accommodations in Main Beach – South Port
Palm Beach – Currumbin
f you are looking for accommodation in Gold Coast, one of the beaches with more natural spaces and less buildings are the coasts of Palm Beach and Currumbin. They are located south of a Gold Coast, very close to the main airport.
Both houses beaches very famous for surfing and for its excellent condition. Here there is also the possibility of fishing and other water sports.
Near Palm Beach is Burleigh Head National Park, an essential visit if you want to know more about the native fauna and flora. For its part, Currumbin houses the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, a nature reserve with tropical forests and jungles that shelters more than 1400 Australian animals, many of them in danger of extinction.
In Currumbin you can buy some of the excursions that are made to this nature reserve, including night excursions and educational shows for the little ones.
Since the airport is so close to Palm Beach and Currumbin, you may want to stay in one of these areas if you are going to take a plane to other locations. Both areas have very varied accommodations, from hotels to hostels, through luxury resorts, coastal cabins, apartments and guest houses.
Prices are also varied in high season, ranging from $ 30 per night for a hostel or $ 300 for a luxury hotel. Without a doubt, it is one of the areas where you can save more money on your accommodation.
You have already been able to verify that practically all areas of the Gold Coast offer cheap accommodation. When it comes to staying in Gold Coast there are also the luxury options, with higher prices, according to the exquisite services offered.
Being a very tourist area, it will be difficult to not have all the services you need at your fingertips, with the beach a few meters away and with postcard-worthy views.
Accommodations in Palm Beach – Currumbin