The Ocean Classic
The longest windsurfing marathon in the world, held every year since 1986. Riders from around the globe come for the reliable summer winds.
Beyond your doorstep
Discover Lancelin
Sand, surf and sunsets — a small fishing town on the Turquoise Coast that hooks everyone who visits.
A Town You Won't Forget
Lancelin sits about 90 minutes north of Perth, squeezed between some of the biggest white sand dunes in Western Australia and the calm, turquoise waters of Lancelin Bay. Around 700 people call it home year-round, but over summer that number triples — families, surfers, fishers and adventurers all drawn to the same thing.
It's been a lobster fishing town since 1950. Today you can still watch the cray boats come in at the jetty. But there's a lot more to it than that — from sandboarding at speed down 40-metre dunes to spotting dolphins in waist-deep water at sunrise.
Fair warning: people who visit once tend to keep coming back.
The #1 activity in Lancelin
Sand Dunes & Sandboarding
Picture this: you're standing on top of a pristine white dune, 40 metres above the ground, the Indian Ocean stretching out behind you. You sit down on a waxed board, push off, and within seconds you're flying. No lessons required, no age limit, no special gear — just you, a board, and gravity doing its thing.
If boards aren't your style, there are 90-minute guided quad bike and buggy tours through the Off Road area, or jump on a 4WD adventure bus. The dunes are open 365 days a year with free entry — you only pay for board hire.
Boards from $10/hr Quad tours from $119 4WD tours $35 adult
Did you know? In 2016, 449 four-wheel drives formed a convoy across these dunes and set a Guinness World Record. That's how big this place is.
World-class conditions
Surf, Wind & Waves
Back Beach is where locals go when the swell is right. It breaks best between March and June, then again from October through November — lighter winds, warmer water, and fewer people. Early mornings before the sea breeze kicks in are your best bet.
Come December, the south-easterlies arrive and so do the kite and windsurfers. They launch from Grace Darling Park at the south point and ride until the sun goes down. Lancelin has hosted the Ocean Classic — the longest windsurfing marathon on the planet — every January since 1986.
You can rent surfboards and SUPs locally. If you're into kitesurfing or windsurfing, you'll need your own kit — but the conditions will make it worth the drive.
700 metres offshore
Lancelin Island
You can see it from the shore — a low, scrubby island sitting just 700 metres out in the bay. It looks unassuming, but Lancelin Island is an A-class nature reserve and the second most diverse seabird breeding island in all of Western Australia.
Terns, Common Noddies, Pied Cormorants and dozens of other species nest here. The island rises to 29 metres at its peak, and there's a boardwalk that crosses from the sheltered eastern beach to a viewing platform on the west side.
If you've got a kayak, SUP or boat, you can get there in minutes. Just stay on the designated beaches and boardwalk — the rest is protected habitat.
Bit of history: Last century, the island was actually used as a bombing target by the military. Hard to imagine now, watching the birds nesting peacefully.
A fishing town at heart
Lobsters, Jetty Fishing & Fresh Catch
Lancelin has been pulling rock lobster from these waters since 1950. Around 20 commercial boats still head out daily, and the catch — western rock lobster, prized worldwide — ends up on plates from Perth to Tokyo.
The best part? You can buy live lobster straight from the boats as they dock at the jetty. Grab a tackle box and try your luck from the jetty yourself — herring, whiting, squid and tailor are common. Beach fishing at dusk around the north point often surprises with bigger catches.
If you want to go bigger, charter boats head further out for snapper, dhufish and baldchin groper. Just note the demersal ban runs from 15 October to 15 December.
Every evening, without fail
Sunsets & the Green Flash
There's no shortage of spots to watch the sun drop into the Indian Ocean — the lookout, the jetty, Grace Darling Park, Harold Park, or from the top of the dunes with a 360-degree view. But our favourite is honestly from the balcony with a cold drink.
Here's the thing most people don't know: don't leave after the sun disappears. The best colours often come 15 to 30 minutes later. And if the conditions are right, you might catch the "green flash" — a rare optical phenomenon where a vivid green spot appears briefly above the sun's last sliver on the horizon. It lasts about two seconds. Blink and you'll miss it.
Tag your sunset shots #lancelinwa
Mark your calendar
Events Through the Year
Lancelin Triathlon
Swim, ride, run — all against the backdrop of the bay and dunes. A community event that draws competitors and spectators from across WA.
Colour Blast
Held on the Saturday of the Labor Day long weekend. A vibrant colour run through town — great for families and anyone who doesn't mind washing dye out of their hair.
Buskers Festival
Live music, street performers and a laid-back community vibe. A perfect excuse to visit in spring when the wildflowers are starting to bloom along Indian Ocean Drive.
An hour in any direction
Day Trips & Exploration
You don't have to leave Lancelin to fill a week, but if you do — the Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park is about an hour north. Thousands of limestone pillars rise from yellow sand like something from another planet. It's best at dawn or dusk when the shadows stretch between them.
Head south and you'll hit Yanchep National Park, where kangaroos graze on the lawns and you can walk through old-growth forest with cockatoos overhead.
Or just stay local and walk the bay — the full loop from the north point to the south point and back is 5.4 kilometres and most people knock it out in under an hour. The Indian Ocean Drive that brought you here is one of WA's most scenic coastal roads, and it's worth driving slowly.
True story: In 2018, the world's oldest message in a bottle was found just 30 kilometres north of Lancelin. It had been tossed from a German sailing ship called the Paula in 1886 — lost at sea for 131 years and 223 days before washing up on a dune.
All of This — Minutes From Your Door
Double View sits right in the heart of Lancelin. Five bedrooms, ocean views, and every adventure on this page within walking distance or a short drive.