Best Beach in Dandenong

"Easily Melbourne's largest and most popular beach, a day out at St. Kilda beach is always a mixed bag in terms of what to expect. Popular with people from all walks of life (especially during the summer months) including those with kids, it is always a major drawcard for a ton of tourists, especially in comparison with some of the other beaches listed here, and is basically Melbourne's equivalent to a Manly or Bondi of Sydney beach fame. While St. Kilda beach has a fairly "seedy" reputation, many steps have been taken over the past decade or so to clean up its image and improve on the public perception, especially in terms of catering to families with kids, with the beachfront having been recently redeveloped."

"From here it’s a 15 minute cab ride (or 30 minutes by tram) to St Kilda beach, where you can stroll along the esplanade and historic St Kilda Pier, and enjoy a cake at one of Acland Street's famous patisseries. AfternoonFrom St Kilda it's a half hour tram ride back to the city centre. Visit Australia's oldest gallery, the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), which hosts a wide range of local and international artists, exhibitions and events. Or you may like to see Melbourne from a new perspective aboard a cruise along the Yarra River."

"Not the world’s most beautiful beach, but great for getting to quickly from town. There are also plenty of other attractions close by and delightful cafes and restaurants all along the promenade. Getting there: Trams Route 16, 96 and 12 stop at St Kilda and the beach is just a short walk away."

"The calm waters of Elwood Beach make it great for swimming, and sometimes there’s enough surf for some boogie boarding. There’s the Bayside Trail bike and running track if you fancy a walk or cycle, plus cafes a’plenty. Getting there: Elwood Beach is 9km from the city centre."

"A little bit further south, Elwood Beach comes with plenty of parking and is less crowded than its famous neighbour St Kilda. Elwood has a great beachside vibe with quaint little shops and cute cafes. The promenade is great for prams and scooters."

"Another easily accessible from Melbourne CBD via their light rail system within around fifteen minutes, Port Melbourne Beach is an easily-reachable relaxed experience for a lazy day outdoors. With many narrow grass lawns that are dotted with lovely green palm trees, wide plains of sand and shallow temperature waters sum up what this beach is all about. Low sand dunes for lazing on offer a great level of wind protection, and the beach's pedestrian path is popular with cyclists and rollerbladers alike."

"Thanks to its close proximity to the city centre of Melbourne, Port Phillip Beach is the easiest to access for short-term visitors and families that don’t have their own transport while in Melbourne. It is actually hard to believe that a beach as pretty as this would be so close to a major city. Port Melbourne beach offers the full package of sand dunes, historic buildings such as the Princess Pier, restored workers’ cottages and the beachside rotunda."

"Albert Park, a suburb located right in the south-central of Melbourne, is home to a lovely little beach featuring a sandy, narrow stretch of coastline with safe, sheltered waters that makes it a great choice of beach destination in Melbourne with kids, especially due to how easy it is to reach from most major accommodation spots in the city. Accessible via public transport within around 20 minutes from the Melbourne CBD and situated next to the tram terminal on Victoria Ave, Albert Park Beach eases gently into the shallow and calm waters of Port Phillip Bay, making for ideal swim conditions for kids. The beach is a popular location for all beach-going purposes; not only swimming but sunbathing, windsurfing, kite boarding and walks along the road pier are all viable options to pass the time on the beach, while there are also many walking and bicycle paths that are popular with those rollerblading or simply going for a stroll."

"A little bit further south, Half Moon Beach is less accessible by public transport and parking fees can be shocking. Nevertheless, Half Moon Beach is a very attractive location and the trip down Beach Road on a hot summer’s day might be worth your while. Here you can see Australian’s nature at its best."

"But Dex2rose serves up not your usual boring vanilla ice cream but rather one of a kind gelato creations for every taste bud. With flavors like Chocolate Stout, made with Guiness and chocolate, it comes served with mini pretzels and a syringe of salted caramel sauce because who can have enough right?. Did we also mention that these ice creams were made using liquid nitrogen!"

"This tiny soft serve parlour is easily swirling up the most photogenic desserts in town. Their original sea salt flavour arrives in an adorable shade of pastel blue, which you can adorn with caramel popcorn, popping candy, toasted marshmallows, and best of all, a big cloud of fairy floss. They’ve even got colourful, decorated walls for you to take pics up against."