5 day Coral Bay Adventure

Day One

Learmonth to Coral Bay (Approx 150 kilometres)

Take an early morning flight from Perth to Learmonth Airport (Exmouth), transferring or self-driving to Coral Bay. Transfers to Coral Bay MUST be booked in advance as this service does not meet every flight. Pick up your hire car at Learmonth Airport with several hire car companies operating from the Airport. Coral Bay is 1hr 10 min drive from the airport.

On your way to Coral Bay, be sure to check out the best of the Cape Range National Park at Shothole Canyon and Charles Knife Canyon. Both offer rugged scenery of deep canyons, limestone ranges and spectacular gorges, while the latter also provides awesome panoramic views from the top of the range. See if you can spot any wildlife!

Continue south on the road to Coral Bay, a snorkeler’s paradise with calm, protected waters and hundreds of fish and coral species. Settle into your accommodation, and head to Purdy Point. Boasting beautiful weather all year-round Purdy Point is a nice easy introduction to what the reef has to offer. Purdy Point is located just south of Coral Bay, an easy walk along the beach.

Spend the evening watching the sunset and dining at one of Coral Bay’s restaurants.

Overnight: Coral Bay

Day Two

Swim with Manta Rays

Make this your swim with manta rays day in Coral Bay. You can swim with these majestic creatures year-round. They have a wingspan of up to several metres wide and, unlike stingrays, they have no barb and therefore are safe to swim with.

After the tour, enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Coral Bay Walk Way which is a stunning beach walk fringing the coastline along Ningaloo Reef. As a result of the reef's proximity to the shore, you have a unique opportunity to witness dolphins, manta rays and a large variety of fish swimming through the crystal clear waters from a number of vantage points along the shore. The two kilometre walk takes you through the Pioneer and Naturalist Parks where you can see kangaroos, emus and a variety of birdlife.

Settle back on the white sands to watch the famous Western Australian sunset.

Overnight: Coral Bay

Day Three

Explore Coral Bay

Take a 4x4 buggy trekking tour to secret beaches for more incredible snorkelling. Discover Blue Maze as it’s one of the top ten snorkel spots voted by National Geographic for its labyrinth and abundance of coral formations. You will find your smaller critters here such as nudibranchs, giant clams, octopus and eels and of course - lots and lots of fish species. To explore further out, and in more depth take a glass bottom boat trip.

Have a lazy afternoon at the aptly named Paradise Beach, a well-kept secret worth exploring. Providing clear calm waters and gleaming white sand, the uncrowded protected beach offers an excellent opportunity to snorkel safely amongst the abundant marine life.

Overnight: Coral Bay

Day Four

Bucket list day

Today is your opportunity to swim with either the whale shark (March to July), or have a humpback whale interaction (July to October) depending on the time of the year. This is a mega-fauna experience to tick off your bucket list. Other options include a scuba diving trip, or join a fishing charter.

Overnight: Coral Bay

Day Five

Coral Bay to Learmonth Airport (approx 120 kilometres)

Take one last morning dip in the crystal waters of Coral Bay before departing for Learmonth Airport for your afternoon flight back to Perth. Stop in at Bullara Station for some homemade scones and Barista coffee on your way in an amazing outback working station setting.