# Best Things to Do in Margaret River | Wine, Surf, Caves & Coast
Canonical: https://bookfromowner.com.au/guides/wa/south-west/margaret-river/best-things-to-do/
Type: ActivityGuide
Location: Margaret River, Australia's South West, Western Australia
Last updated: 2026-06-01

> The best things to do in Margaret River WA — cellar-door wine touring, surfing at Surfers Point, the limestone caves, the Cape-to-Cape Track, breweries, Hamelin Bay stingrays, Boranup forest and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.

## Quick Answer
- Best for: First-timers, couples & active travellers
- Price range: Free to mid-range
- Vibe: Wine, surf, caves and coast
- Distance: ~3 hrs south of Perth

## Featured Properties
- Margarets Beach Resort: 4.5/5 (689 reviews)
  Book direct: http://www.margaretsbeachresort.com.au/
  Margarets Beach Resort — Margaret River
- Margaret River Guest House: 4.9/5 (121 reviews)
  Book direct: http://www.margaretriverguesthouse.com.au/
  Margaret River Guest House — Margaret River
- RAC Margaret River Nature Park: 4.6/5 (335 reviews)
  Book direct: https://parksandresorts.rac.com.au/margaret-river/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp-margaret
  RAC Margaret River Nature Park — Margaret River

## FAQ
Q: What is Margaret River most famous for?
A: Margaret River is best known for its wine — around 200 wineries producing some of Australia’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay — and for world-class surf at breaks like Surfers Point, which hosts the WSL Margaret River Pro. Beyond that, it’s famous for its limestone caves, the Boranup karri forest, the Cape-to-Cape coastal walk, the Hamelin Bay stingrays, its breweries and a celebrated food scene.

Q: What are the best free things to do in Margaret River?
A: Plenty here costs nothing: watching the surf from the deck at Surfers Point, swimming at Meelup, Bunker Bay, Gnarabup or Hamelin Bay, meeting the wild stingrays at Hamelin Bay, driving through Boranup Karri Forest, walking sections of the Cape-to-Cape Track, browsing the Saturday farmers market, and visiting the grounds of the cape lighthouses. Many food producers offer free tastings too.

Q: How many days do I need in Margaret River?
A: Three to four nights is ideal. A weekend covers a taste of the wine and one stretch of coast, but not the caves, a proper Cape-to-Cape walk, the southern beaches and Cape Leeuwin around Augusta, and the brewery scene as well. The region is spread out and rewards a slower stay over a rushed checklist.

Q: Is Margaret River good for families or for non-drinkers?
A: Yes to both. Families have the Hamelin Bay stingrays, the caves, calm bays, the chocolate factory and cheese tastings, and many relaxed cellar doors. Non-drinkers and designated drivers have the caves, the coast, the Cape-to-Cape, the producers’ taste trail and the breweries’ ciders and food — there’s a full trip here without a single glass of wine.

Q: Can I do a Margaret River wine tour without driving?
A: Yes — and it’s recommended if you want to taste properly. Designated-driver wine tours run regularly from the township and pick-up points, taking the driving (and the route planning) off your hands. WA drink-driving enforcement is strict and the cellar doors are too far apart to walk between, so a tour or a nominated non-drinker is the sensible way to do a wine day.

Q: What are the best things to do in Margaret River when it rains?
A: The limestone caves (Mammoth, Lake, Jewel, Ngilgi) are cool and dry whatever the weather and are the obvious wet-day move. Cellar doors, breweries and the food producers — the chocolate company, cheese company and providores — are mostly indoors, and galleries and the township cafes round it out. A wet day in Margaret River is genuinely easy to fill.

## At a Glance
- Best season: Autumn (Mar–May) for harvest and warm sea; spring (Sep–Nov) for wildflowers and whales
- Drive from Perth: ~270km — approximately 3 hours via the Forrest and Bussell Highways
- Getting around: Car essential — attractions are spread along Caves Road and the coast
- Recommended stay: Three to four nights for the full range
- Wine touring tip: Book a designated-driver tour if you want to taste seriously without driving
- Whales: June to early December — Augusta May–Aug, Dunsborough Sep–Nov

## Featured
- 1. Cellar-Door Wine Touring — The signature experience
  - Why people love it: It’s the rare wine region where the big names and the small family rooms are both worth your time, and the welcome stays relaxed even at the flagships.
  - Don't miss: A long lunch at a cellar-door restaurant, booked ahead, in the middle of a tasting day.
  - Good to know: Don’t try to drive yourself between tastings — book a tour or a designated driver. And don’t over-schedule; four cellar doors done well beats eight done in a rush.
- 2. Watch (or Surf) the Break at Surfers Point — World-class waves at Prevelly
  - Why people love it: Standing on the deck while a clean swell detonates over the reef is a free, only-here kind of show — and in April you might catch the world tour live.
  - Don't miss: The viewing deck above the point on a big swell — or the WSL Pro in April.
  - Good to know: Main Break and The Box are expert-only reef breaks with real consequences — beginners should watch, not paddle out, and learn at a patrolled surf-school beach instead.
- 3. Go Underground at Mammoth or Lake Cave — Limestone caves beneath the ridge
  - Why people love it: It’s the unexpected layer of Margaret River — an ancient world directly beneath the vineyards, and a perfect cool escape when the weather turns.
  - Don't miss: Mammoth Cave’s self-guided boardwalk, or Lake Cave’s underground pool on the guided tour.
  - Good to know: There’s a lot of stair descent at Lake and Jewel — check accessibility before you go, and one cave is plenty for most people; don’t try to do several in a day.
- 4. Walk a Section of the Cape-to-Cape Track — Clifftop, beach and forest walking
  - Why people love it: You can sample one of Australia’s great coastal walks in a single morning — clifftops, whales offshore and wildflowers, with the car never far away.
  - Don't miss: A clifftop day section near either cape in spring — wildflowers out, whales offshore.
  - Good to know: Some sections are exposed with soft sand and no shade or water — pick a section that matches your fitness, carry water, and check tides before any beach stretch.
- 5. Land at a Brewery or Distillery — The afternoon counterweight to the wine
  - Why people love it: It’s the easygoing other half of Margaret River — proper craft beer in a forest beer garden where the kids can run and no one’s precious about it.
  - Don't miss: A late lunch in a forest beer garden, beer or cider in hand, after a morning of cellar doors.
  - Good to know: The popular taprooms fill on weekends and holidays — arrive early for a table, and still sort a driver, as a brewery counts the same as a cellar door.
- 6. Meet the Stingrays at Hamelin Bay — Wild rays in the shallows
  - Why people love it: Wild stingrays gliding past your ankles on a beautiful beach is the kind of free, only-here moment that kids and adults talk about for years.
  - Don't miss: Wild smooth and eagle rays gliding through the shallows by the boat ramp, best in the morning.
  - Good to know: They’re wild animals with a barb — don’t feed, touch or chase them, shuffle your feet, and supervise children. Ray numbers vary day to day, so it’s not guaranteed.
- 7. Drive Through Boranup Karri Forest — Towering pale karri among the vines
  - Why people love it: Driving through 60-metre karri a few minutes from the coast is the moment Margaret River stops being only about wine and surf.
  - Don't miss: Early-morning light through the karri trunks, and the lookout over the canopy to the coast.
  - Good to know: Boranup Drive is unsealed and narrow in parts — drive slowly, watch for oncoming cars, and check conditions after heavy rain before taking a low-clearance car in.
- 8. Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse — Where two oceans meet
  - Why people love it: Standing at the meeting point of two oceans on the corner of the continent is a simple, only-here thrill — and the wild winter weather makes it unforgettable.
  - Don't miss: Climbing the tower for the coastal views, with whales offshore in season (May–Aug off Augusta).
  - Good to know: It’s a 45-minute drive each way from the township — don’t do it as a quick detour; pair it with Augusta, Jewel Cave or a southern walk to make the trip worthwhile.
- 9. Margaret River Farmers Market — Saturday-morning local produce
  - Why people love it: It’s the most honest taste of the region in one place — the growers and makers themselves, and the best breakfast-and-coffee start to a Saturday.
  - Don't miss: An early Saturday breakfast and coffee at the stalls, then stocking up for a beach or forest picnic.
  - Good to know: It’s a once-a-week morning market and timing can shift around holidays — confirm the day and hours, and arrive early before the best produce sells out.
- 10. Follow the Taste Trail — Chocolate, Cheese and Providores — A self-guided food crawl
  - Why people love it: It’s the region’s most family-friendly, all-weather, budget-friendly day — free chocolate and cheese tastings that turn ‘what do we do with the kids’ into a highlight.
  - Don't miss: Free tastings and the kitchen viewing window at the Margaret River Chocolate Company.
  - Good to know: Smaller producers keep short, seasonal hours and the chocolate factory gets very busy on wet-weather school-holiday mornings — check times and arrive early.

## What travellers say
- [positive] Spoiled for choice: Visitors love how many genuinely different experiences sit within a short drive — the hardest part is fitting them in, not finding them.
- [mixed] Everything is spread out: The attractions run along Caves Road and the coast rather than clustering in one town — visitors with a car and a loose plan thrive; those expecting a walkable strip feel the distances.
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: