Ultimate Guide to Visiting Avoca Beach

Anyone who has visited Avoca Beach will describe it as special. A coastal town that’s just downright charming.

It has a village-feel, incredible cafes and the most iconic stretch of beach on the Central Coast, only being rivalled by its neighbour, Terrigal.

Avoca has year-round appeal and a sophisticated edge which makes it popular with both tourist and locals alike.

Here’s your guide to getting the best out of your time in Avoca Beach.

Eat & Drink Avoca Beach

It’s the café scene that rules in Avoca, with almost ten offerings in such a compact area. When it comes to Avoca Beach restaurants, there might not be as much on offer as say Terrigal but it’s quality here over quantity.

RELATED: The Best Seafood Restaurants on the Central Coast 

Avoca Beach Cafés

Like Minds

Found outside of Avoca, on Round Drive if you’re coming from Terrigal, Like Minds is a bit of an institution in the area. It’s one of the few zero-waste cafes on the Central Coast, with a firm eye on sustainability. They’ve even used the bottles from the milk to create an incredible whirling art display that snakes around the ceiling. Food wise, it’s all freshly cooked and in-season.  Inside seating is limited but there’s a big garden. And on Fridays, the owners host falafel or pasta nights.

Avoca Sands Café & Bar

This is our #1 breakfast spot when visiting Avoca Beach. Found right on the beach, Avoca Sands Café & Bar does the best bacon and egg rolls in the area. There, we said it. They’re heaving with the good stuff, including a homemade relish which is incredible. The guys here have their own coffee blend and we reckon it’s up there with some of the best on the Coast.

Point Café

And the Avoca café with the best view goes to Point Café. Found right on the beachfront, this licenced café is great at breakfast but even better at lunch. The menu is more restaurant-style, with soft shell crab tacos and poke bowls. And big jugs of cocktails. There’s plenty of seating inside and out.

Ludos Avoca

A bit of a hidden gem but in the backstreets of Avoca Beach, up Cape Three Points Road, is the incredible Ludos Kitchen. A bakery that creates the most brilliant desserts, croissants and flaky savoury quiches. The coffee is also outstanding, with a small seating area on the outside to enjoy it. But most grab it and go, driving down to the beach.

Avoca Beach Restaurants

Shady Palms

Found just out of town, Shady Palms has undoubtedly become the leading restaurant in the area. It’s on the former Bombini site, using the pizza oven that catapulted the team to fame. So, you’ll find woodfire pizzas but also fresh seafood, like creviche, and tacos. The cocktails are truly out of this world, served from two shacks on the grounds. But for us, it’s the restaurants itself. The outside is sectioned into neat areas, with booths, secret nooks, fairy light-covered trees and true Californian beach theme.

Avoca Beach House

When it comes to Avoca Beach restaurants, none has a finer view than Avoca Beach House. Found above the Avoca Sands café, this second-level restaurant has panoramic views of the full stretch of Avoca Beach down to North Avoca. There’s a balcony and if you can pre-book a table on there then do. The menu is broken down into large mains, with a true seafood influence, and tapas. Go for the tapas. Fried zucchini flowers, oysters, calamari and pan-fried cauliflower. They also do a seafood platter for $130.

Avoca Surf Club

Looking for a casual eat but with that same view? Then a favourite with locals is Sunsets Bistro, which is upstairs of the Avoca Surf Club. It’s kid-friendly, has a huge balcony with plenty of seating and you’ll get all the pub favourites like fish and chips, burgers and pizzas. And cheap drink deals.

Chopstix

For those looking for modern Chinese meal in a sit-down restaurant then Chopstix, found in the centre of Avoca’s town, is always a favourite. The menu is extensive, with everything from king prawns mixed with asparagus to King po-style chicken. Anything you can think of will likely be on the menu. And for families visiting the area, they do takeaway family meal deals for $69 and it’s enough to feed a family of four and have some left over.

Things to Do in Avoca Beach

Avoca Beach

A visit to the beach is kind of a no brainer. The natural rock pool is brilliant for little kids during low tide and for bigger kids during high tide. The main stretch is patrolled during the summer months and depending on the surf condition is great for bodyboarding, surfing and swimming. Best bet is to check out the Avoca Surf cam before heading down.

Walk to North Avoca

Avoca Beach is a total of two kilometres, with the beach connecting you to Avoca lake about halfway and then onto North Avoca. North Avoca’s waters are often a little rougher for swimming but there’s brilliant rockpools for little kids. And sometimes they’re deep enough for a plunge for adults also.

Avoca Fish and Chips

It’s an absolute rights of passage that if you visit the area you have to have fish and chips on the beach from the award-winning Avoca Beach Seafoods. We like to enjoy a bag with a cold wine in hand and watch the sun go down over the beach. An incredible end of the day.

Aqaufun Avoca Lake

To  get to the lake, it’s best to park in the town rather than the beach. The lake can be accessed from Heazlett Park, and here you’ll also find Aquafun Avoca Lake. There’s row boats, SUP and kayaks all available to enjoy on the expansive lake which is safe for all.

Avoca Bowling Club

Not only a spot to do lawn bowls but the in-house bar and restaurant at Avoca Bowling Club always has entertainment on. They also do the best happy hour in the area, with $4 drinks between 4pm and 6pm daily. A winner of an afternoon. They also have a courtesy bus to take you back into Avoca’s town centre.

Avoca Beach Theatre

It’s quite the accolade, with the Avoca Beach Picture Theatre being the oldest cinema in Australia. Opening in 1948, the interiors still ozoe that old school glam with scarlet seating and gold finishes. And there’s a real mix of modern films and old-school. And it’s only $14 for an adult ticket.

Vintage shopping

There’s not much in the way of shopping in Avoca Beach but there’s two sweet shops everyone must hit. One of them is a nook called the Mouse Hole which is filled with the most unique trinkets made locally. And the other is ABA Antiques which has an incredible array of second-hand jewellery.

Avoca Beach Accommodation

Avoca Palms Resort

The most popular option for Avoca Beach accommodation has to be Avoca Palms Resort, found right at the heart of the village. Here you’ll find luxurious rooms, a stunning pool and even family rooms. Stays start at $200 a night. Book early though during high season as this place books out.

Avoca Waters Retreat

If you’re looking to rent a full home for your stay then the Avoca Waters Retreat is a brilliant option. It sleeps eight with four beds, three baths, a swimming pool and views of Avoca Lake. It’s pretty central to the village and all amenities. Stays start from $400 a night.

Wabi Sabi

Our favourite Airbnb Avoca Beach property has to be Wabi Sabi, which has all the feel of a retreat with bright light rooms. It’s a one-bedroom apartment within walking distance to the beach. And the cost is from $200 a night depending on the season.

Did you know?

“Avoca” is an Irish name meaning “great estuary” or “where the river meets the sea”, and is also the name of a town in County Wicklow, Ireland

Getting About

Not close to a train station and no reliable public transport. Your best form of getting about in Avoca Beach is my foot once you’ve driven in. Parking can be tricky at the beach at high season but there is a carpark overflow behind Avoca Beach Theatre.

Property Prices

This is one of the affluent areas on the Central Coast, with the average property price in July 2021 sitting at $1.3million. Rent was around $750 a week.