Canonical: https://peninsulainsider.com.au/explore/places/st-andrews-beach/ Publisher: Peninsula Insider Published: unknown Modified: unknown Format: public main text, generated from the canonical page; imagery and interactive controls omitted. Dates and caveats below retain their page meaning; this format is not a new fact check. [Flinders & the Ocean Coast]() # St Andrews Beach St Andrews Beach is an ocean-coast settlement on the Mornington Peninsula between Rye Ocean Beach and Gunnamatta Surf Beach. The beach lies within Mornington Peninsula National Park and is an exposed, unpatrolled stretch of Bass Strait shore. St Andrews Beach is a quiet back-beach settlement between Rye Ocean Beach and Gunnamatta Surf Beach. Its draw is the exposed Bass Strait coast: dunes, rock pools and long walks when conditions allow. Parks Victoria describes a short sandy path from the car park with a steep descent to the shore. The beach is unpatrolled, with dangerous rips, currents and reefs; swimming is not recommended. Keep to marked paths around the dunes and check park conditions before visiting. The St Andrews Beach Brewery and golf course share the place name but list their addresses in nearby Fingal, so allow a separate drive for either. At a glance **From Melbourne** approximately 1 hour 25 minutes **Best season** Late Summer To Autumn **Stay** two nights **Best for** coastal walkers, experienced surfers assessing conditions **Avoid** wet winter mid-week Insider The sandy access path drops steeply from the car park, and the coast is exposed. Choose a suitable weather window and keep the visit to shore walking and views. A wild Bass Strait beach, dunes and rock pools, with a quiet settlement behind the shore. Peninsula Insider - editor's note Is St Andrews Beach the right base? ## Who this place rewards - and who should keep driving ### It's for - coastal walkers - experienced surfers assessing conditions - quiet back-beach stays ### It's not for - swimming or calm-water beach days - dog beach walks - walkable cafés and shops Treating the unpatrolled ocean beach as a swimming spot; Parks Victoria advises against swimming here. St Andrews Beach in brief ## St Andrews Beach in 5 points - 01 St Andrews Beach is a quiet ocean-coast base for dunes, rock pools and shore walks, rather than a village with a main street. - 02 The beach is unpatrolled. Parks Victoria warns of rips, currents, reefs and large waves and does not recommend swimming. - 03 The beach access path is sandy and steep; follow marked tracks to protect Hooded Plover habitat. - 04 The brewery and golf course named St Andrews Beach are in nearby Fingal; plan a separate drive. - 05 Dogs are not allowed on the national-park beach. A perfect day here ## A day in St Andrews Beach Check Parks Victoria conditions, then take the marked path from the St Andrews Beach car park for a shore walk when conditions allow. Keep clear of signed Hooded Plover habitat; drive to Fingal for a brewery or golf stop if you want one. The sandy access path drops steeply from the car park, and the coast is exposed. Choose a suitable weather window and keep the visit to shore walking and views. - Editor's note What's mapped here - [**2** journal pieces]() Read this place properly ## Journal pieces connected to St Andrews Beach Long-form editorial that builds the picture of a place beyond any single visit. [More in the Journal →]() Insider Edit 4 min ### [St Andrews Beach Brewery, the Greens Bush Loop, and a Truffle Hunt Before Season Ends]() 10 September 2026 The Sunday roast at St Andrews Beach Brewery, the Greens Bush woodland loop as wattlebirds return, and one of the last Red Hill truffle hunts of 2026. Investigation 7 min ### [St Andrews Beach Golf Course - The World-Ranked Course Anyone Can Book]() 14 April 2026 If you want one golf story that explains the Peninsula properly, start here. Tom Doak architecture, genuine global ranking, and public-access bookings that turn prestige into a real weekend. Planning guides ## Service guides for your St Andrews Beach trip Long-form editorial that helps you build a weekend, not just a list of places. [All Peninsula guides →]() [3-Day Peninsula Itinerary →]() [Weekend Plans →]() [Free Things to Do →]() [Best Brunch Guide →]() [Hot Springs Guide →]() [Winter Guide →]() [Dog-Friendly Peninsula →]() [Best Golf Courses →]() Where it sits ## St Andrews Beach on the Peninsula [See the full Peninsula map →]() Keep going ## Nearby places worth knowing next Because a Peninsula trip is always made up of two or three pockets, not one. Ocean Coast · cape ### [Cape Schanck]() Cape Schanck is where the Peninsula finally runs out of land, dropping off the plateau into Bass Strait with a drama that still takes first-timers by surprise. The 1859 lighthouse stands on the last headland, the boardwalk threads down through tea-tree to a basalt beach that disappears at high tide, and on a clear afternoon the horizon carries nothing but open ocean all the way to Tasmania. This is the Peninsula's most cinematic short walk, and the cleanest case for why the southern end is worth the drive beyond the vineyards. Come for the lighthouse and the lookout, stay for the Bushrangers Bay walk west along the coast, and time your arrival for the last two hours of daylight. Ocean Coast · village ### [Fingal]() Fingal sits quietly between Rye and Cape Schanck on the Peninsula's ocean-coast flank, and it is the kind of place that earns its reputation through what happens there rather than through what it calls itself. Peninsula Hot Springs has made it a pilgrimage destination for a particular kind of weekend - thermal pools, early morning mist off the coast, a round at Moonah Links, and nothing much else demanding your attention. The Cape Schanck lighthouse is fifteen minutes south. The back beaches are wild and within reach. Fingal rewards the visitor who wants comfort rather than activity. Bay Coast · town ### [Rye]() Rye sits on the lower Peninsula between Tootgarook and Blairgowrie. The bay-facing front beach has a pier and sheltered water; the ocean-facing back beach is a separate outing with different conditions. Point Nepean Road gives visitors places to eat and shop, while the Fingal hot springs are a drive inland. Use Rye as a base for both coasts, and check beach conditions before swimming. [← Explore more Peninsula destinations]() Got a St Andrews Beach secret? If there's a St Andrews Beach corner you think we'd cover better with your help - a back-bay swimming hole, a producer's farm-gate, a local pub that hits - send it through. Editorial review, named credit if we publish it. [Tell us about St Andrews Beach →]() Something wrong on this page, or is this your business? [Tell us what to fix]() and you get a case reference back. corrections@peninsulainsider.com.au reaches the same desk. ## The Insider Note The Peninsula worth knowing. An occasional email. What's on, where we'd go and what's worth knowing next. Independent editorial. Sent when there is something worth knowing. Unsubscribe any time [Privacy]() On the map ## St Andrews Beach, by location Every editorially verified pin in St Andrews Beach on one screen - toggle a category, click any marker for the editor's note. Loading map…