Exmouth is located on the northern cape of Australia's west coast, a popular end destination for a roadtrip along the coast of Western Australia all the way from its capital city, Perth. Exmouth is famous for being one of the best places on earth to snorkel with whale sharks. We didn't do the trip but I wish we had!
I first roadtripped Australia's west coast in 2019 as a solo backpacker with a tour group. We did a ten-day coastal drive from Perth to Exmouth and back again. I've returned with my partner and we're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). It's fascinating to see how much has changed in those seven years and how much is exactly the same!
→ Check out my complete guide to roadtripping Australia's west coast from Perth to Exmouth!
For over 60,000 years, the Yinigudera/Yinikutira people lived on this land, long before any Europeans arrived. The cape was an important meeting place for many Aboriginal tribes of the area.
The first Europeans to arrive on the cape were the Dutch in 1618 led by Captain Jacobz. It was not recorded again until Australian Captain King arrived in 1818; he named the area North West Cape. It became popular during the Second World War with the establishment of a US Navy submarine base. The town of Exmouth itself was built in 1964 alongside the Harold E. Holt communications station. Exmouth became fully Australian only in 1999 when the US Navy withdrew its personnel.
Today, about 2,000 people live in Exmouth. The communications station is still in operation connecting with ships and submarines across the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
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Useful Information for Exmouth
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Exmouth. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Exmouth, the traditional language of the Yinigudera/Yinikutira people is Jinigudira, a dialect of Talandji/Thalanyji.
→ Learn more about the language of the Yinigudera/Yinikutira people.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
We travel with a Starlink in our campervan which enables us to have unlimited WiFi wherever we are, even in places without coverage.
Free WiFi is provided by the Exmouth Library for one hour per day with fees applying for additional time.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Exmouth on the North West Cape of Western Australia, has a cyclone season between November and April so the best time to visit is April to September for clear waters, dry humidity and best of all, it's peak whale shark season.
Length of stay: I have visited Exmouth twice as part of a west coast roadtrip from Perth up to the North West Cape, both times spending about two days in the area. You could easily spend up to a week here snorkeling, hanging out at the beaches and hiking.
How to Get to Exmouth
By car: Many people will visit Exmouth as part of a west coast roadtrip from Perth. The easiest way to visit Exmouth and explore it is therefore with your own wheels.
→ Check out my complete guide to roadtripping the west coast of Australia from Perth to Exmouth!
By flight: It is also possible to fly to Exmouth if you just want to explore the North West Cape and don't have the time to drive all the way from Perth. Exmouth is serviced by the small Learmonth Airport connecting only to Perth with Qantas, a flight of about two hours.
From Learmonth Airport, it's just half an hour drive north to the town of Exmouth from where you can base yourself to explore the North West Cape. Rental cars must be booked in advance as it's such a small airport with limited availablity.
There is also an airport transfer available with Exmouth Bus Charters if you don't wish to drive to Exmouth.
By coach: Integrity Coachlines runs long distance coaches throughout Western Australia. A coach journey from Perth to Exmouth takes about 18 hours and could be a super fun way to explore the state, especially if you don't have a car.
By guided tour: There are many tour operators who run multi-day expeditions on the west coast, starting in Perth and ending either in Exmouth or further north in Broome. This is how I visited the west coast during my solo backpacking trip in 2019!
Our van Susy at the Tropic of Capricorn just before the North West Cape
How to Get Around Exmouth
On foot: Within the town of Exmouth, you can get around on foot. I have to admit, there isn't much to do in the town itself. It has the amenities you will need to supply your stay but all the attractions are dotted around the North West Cape.
By car: The best way to explore the North West Cape is with your own car so you can explore at your own pace stopping whenever and wherever you like.
→ If you arrive by coach or flight, you can rent a car in Exmouth.
By guided tour: If you don't have a car, the best way to explore Exmouth and the North West Cape is by guided tour. Get Your Guide offers a number of tours for all sorts of activities including a boat trip down the Yardie Creek, snorkeling along the best spots on the Ningaloo Reef, whale watching cruises, hiking tours in the Charles Knife Canyon, kayaking expeditions and wildlife spotting.
Where to Stay in Exmouth
Hotel: The main town on the North West Cape is of course Exmouth. It's home to about 2,000 people. There isn't much to do in the town itself but it's a good base for exploring the area.
There are also some cool accommodation options dotted around the cape which require a vehicle to access.
→ Check out places to stay to suit your budget and accommodation type.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. The best way to find camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
The most popular paid camping on the North West Cape is within Cape Range National Park but this can get booked out in advance as it's right on the coast and so beautiful!
There is no free camping on the North West Cape. When we visited the area in our campervan in 2026, we camped at two free spots on Highway 1 before and after exploring the Cape. Before we arrived to the Cape, we stayed at the Minilya River Rest Area, a free camp with a dump point and long drop toilets about two and a half hours south of Exmouth. After we visited the Cape, we stayed at the Yannarie Rest Stop, a great free spot with a dump point, long drop toilets and picnic tables about two hours southeast of Exmouth.
Minilya River Rest Area
Yannarie Rest Stop
Where to Eat in Exmouth
Exmouth is the main town on the North West Cape. There isn't much to do in the town itself but it's a good base and has all the amenities you'll need. The one thing I can absolutely recommend in town is grabbing a pizza from Whalebone Brewing Company.
Best Things to Do in Exmouth
Exmouth and the North West Cape are the furthest north you can go on a west coast roadtrip - in 2019 it was our final stop before we spent two days driving back to Perth. In 2026, we carried on with our lap of Australia by heading west towards Karijini National Park.
The North West Cape is such a beautiful region with gorgeous hiking, stunning beaches and amazing marine wildlife. Here is everything I have done on both visits in 2019 and 2026:
Take in the view over Charles Knife Canyon
We couldn't get all the way into the canyon as the road was still damaged from a cyclone in early 2026 however, we could drive part of the way up the road and walk a short way out to an incredible viewpoint looking down into the canyon.
The canyon is about 13km long and 20km wide and there is also the challenging 6km Badjirrajirra Walk you can also complete here.
Looking down toward Learmonth where the airport is
Visit Dunes Beach
We drove the Yardie Creek Road around the North West Cape. Along the way, we stopped at Dunes Beach, a pretty, sandy beach which is very popular for surfing. On the way, you can spot the Harold E. Holt communications station, established at the time Exmouth was a US Navy submarine base, and still in operation connecting with ships and submarines across the Pacific and Indian Oceans today.
Take in the views from Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
It was fascinating to drive up to Vlamingh Head Lighthouse, a spot I visited in both 2019 and 2026. The lighthouse was used in the Second World War and you can still see the remnants of the Japanese sandbags that have solidified around the base. From here, you also have a panoramic view of the most westerly point in Australia.
Spot turtles at Jurabi Turtle Centre
We stopped at the Jurabi Turtle Centre in the hopes of spotting female turtles who lay their eggs up on the beach here but we were sadly just a few weeks too late in the season. They're usually visible from December to March and guided tours are available.
Hang out on the beach at Jansz Access
Jansz Access is a gorgeous beach where we even spotted a few reef sharking cruising along the coast in the waves.
Go snorkeling at Turquoise Bay
From the North West Cape, Turquoise Bay is about half an hour south, located within Cape Range National Park.
In 2018, Turquoise Bay was voted the best beach in Australia and is consistently on the list of top 50 every year since. On the right side is the beach which is home to beautiful sand and is especially lovely at golden hour.
On the left side is the best access to snorkel; it's much safer on this side. On Google Maps, it's marked as "Turquoise Bay Drift Snorkel". Walk down the beach and then allow the current to drift you back, spotting incredible marine wildlife as you go. In both 2019 and 2026, I spotted pristine coral, fish, turtles and stingrays.
The beach on the right side
Snorkeling in 2019
Snorkeling in 2026
Spotted a giant stingray
For size ratio!
Go snorkeling at Oyster Stacks
From Turquoise Bay, Oyster Stacks is less than ten minutes south, also located within Cape Range National Park.
Oyster Stacks was our favourite snorkeling spot on the entire west coast. It's just that beautiful. Turquoise Bay is more famous but we found the coral, fish and turtles to be much more beautiful here!
Hike the Yardie Creek Nature Walk
Yardie Creek is at the end of Yardie Creek Road, the furthest into Cape Range National Park that you can drive.
There are two different walks to do. There is a short 1.5km walk you can do called the Yardie Nature Walk which meanders along the Yardie Creek where you can spot rock wallabies.
If you're up for a longer hike, carry on past the end of the Nature Walk onto the start of the Yardie Gorge Trail. This is an additional 2km roundtrip and a more challenging stretch along the red cliffs of the gorge.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
