What To Do & Where To Stay In Coles Bay & Freycinet, Tasmania

Tassie really blew me away. We only had 4 days for our Tasmania holiday so spent most of our time on the Freycinet Peninsula, which juts out from the East Coast of Tasmania. Famed for its granite Hazard Mountains and world-famous Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park is paradise for hikers, foodies and beach lovers alike. These are the things we loved the most.

Best Things To Do In Freycinet National Park

Wineglass Bay Lookout

Wineglass Bay Lookout, Freycinet National Park, Tasmania
Wineglass Bay Lookout, Tasmania

First thing on our itinerary was a hike to the Wineglass Bay Lookout, to get an aerial view of what is considered one of the world’s best beaches. It’s a moderately challenging climb from the car park to the viewpoint, but if this gym-shirker can do it in 35 minutes I’m sure you can too. (Kids were racing past me!) You’ll bump into wallabies and birds along the way and get a pretty vista of Coles Bay on the way down. The viewpoint offers a view of approx. 85% of the perfect curve of Wineglass Bay, and on a clear day the waters will shimmer enticingly.

Make sure the weather on the peninsula is ideal before setting off though or you may end up with an experience like this.

Wineglass Bay Scenic Flight

Wineglass Bay by Tourism Tasmania
What you COULD see on a scenic flight with Freycinet Air – Wineglass Bay by Tourism Tasmania

To fully appreciate nature’s mastery in Freycinet National Park you can take to the skies with Freycinet Air. Freycinet Air offer aeroplane and helicopter scenic flights from 20 to 45 minutes long, all of which will cover the full sweep of Wineglass Bay and the magnificent lumps of the Hazard Mountains. I read a lot of Trip Advisor reviews which said this is absolutely the best way to see Wineglass Bay but I unfortunately cannot vouch for that personally due to bad weather cancelling our booking. All communication I had with the pilot, Pascal, was super easy and straightforward though. Hopefully I’ll get to see Freycinet from the sky next time. Prices start from $130 per person for a 30 minute flight.

Wineglass Bay By Boat Or Hike

Tasmania Travels: Freycinet & The Illusive Wineglass Bay
How inviting does that water look?

You can also hike to Wineglass Bay and take a dip in the sheltered waters. This is a more challenging walk, approx. 2.5 hours return or 5+ hours if you do a loop via Hazards Beach, with some sections exposed to the elements so pack supplies and lots of sunscreen. You can also sail to Wineglass Bay with Wineglass Bay Cruises – prices start from $140 per adult.

Friendly Beaches

Friendly Beaches Freycinet National Park
Soaking up the scenery at Friendly Beaches (don’t you just love that name!)

We stopped at Friendly Beaches purely by chance as the airfield for Freycinet Air was right near the turn off. This rugged stretch of amber rock, white sand and cobalt blue waters is just how I imagined Tassie would be. You can camp just behind the sand dunes here but there are basic facilities only. (Pit toilets, no water, fuel stove only area.) National park fees apply, but there is no camping charge.

Honeymoon Bay

What to do in Freycinet and Coles Bay Tasmania
So many great snorkelling spots in Freycinet National Park

Honeymoon Bay is a gorgeous protected cove close to Coles Bay (technically it’s a bay within a bay as it sits within the wider Coles Bay). Due to its enviable position between Coles Bay and the Hazard Mountains it can be incredibly popular and campsites during peak season are allocated via a ballot system. We found it difficult to get a parking spot (we visited in January) but if you’re game you can cycle from Coles Bay in about 40 mins instead.

Where To Eat In Freycinet

Self-catering

What to do and where to stay in Coles Bay and Freycinet Tasmania
Bacon sarnie on the balcony – my kind of self-catering!

Most visitors to Freycinet prefer to self-cater and you’ll see lots of places to buy local produce including wine and oysters on the drive between Hobart and Coles Bay. There are 2 small convenience stores in Coles Bay – we preferred the one on Garnet Avenue – or a larger IGA a little further up the coast in Bicheno.

Devil’s Corner Winery

Devil's Corner Winery Tasmania
Devil’s Corner cellar door, lookout and eatery in one

Shortly before you turn off the Tasman Highway for the Freycinet Peninsula you’ll spot the vineyards of Devil’s Corner. It’s a great place to stop as not only do they have free wine tastings and a cellar door but there’s a lookout and eatery with stunning views of the Peninsula. Stop here for a wood-fired pizza or freshly shucked Freycinet oysters washed down with a glass of sparking while watching the clouds roll over the mountains.

Géographe Restaurant + Espresso Bar

Géographe Restaurant + Espresso Bar in Coles Bay
Pizza feast at Géographe Restaurant + Espresso Bar in Coles Bay

For your gourmet coffee fix head to Géographe in Coles Bay. They have a takeout coffee stand in the garden and a restaurant serving all-day food, including wood-fired pizzas, with views of the Hazards Mountains.

Where To Stay in Freycinet & Coles Bay

Whale Watches Coles Bay Freycinet Tasmania
Wish we lived here! At Whale Watcher Coles Bay

We found our Coles Bay accommodation on booking.com pretty last minute and absolutely loved it. The Whale Watcher Apartments (there are 2 you can book separately or as one for families) are situated in the north of Coles Bay, which make them slightly more affordable than the lodges nearer to Wineglass Bay. (We saw some places going for $2000+ per night – I kid you not!)

Compare all accommodation in Coles Bay

Whale Watches Coles Bay Freycinet Tasmania

The 1-bed apartment we booked had direct ocean views (I barely left the balcony) and is a short walk from a beach, which rarely had anyone else on it. You can also see Dolphin Sands from the balcony, which turns an incredible shade of teal when the tide goes out.

Sunset in Freycinet Tasmania
Enjoying some Devil’s Corner on the balcony at Whale Watcher

You’re set up with everything you need to self-cater here – including a bbq & utensils – and basic provisions like tea and coffee are provided. The bed was super comfy, shower powerful but most memorable of all are the sunsets.

Know Before You Go

You will need a Parks Pass to enter Freycinet National Park. These can be purchased online in advance or at various National Park Visitor Centres – we bought ours at Friendly Beaches by popping cash in an envelope. It costs $24 per car per day or $60 for up to 8 weeks.

Read next: We went to Freycinet & didn’t see Wineglass Bay 

Our trip was self-funded. This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on the link, I may receive a small commission. Read disclaimer for details.

About the author

I’m Jayne, a travel blogger, content creator and mum to a 4-year-old son. I’ve been blogging since 2010, travelled to 65 countries and share travel guides and tips to help you plan stylish, stress-free trips.

1 thought on “What To Do & Where To Stay In Coles Bay & Freycinet, Tasmania”

  1. Love this post! We are currently in Freycinet and love it. It is so beautiful! We completed the Mt Amos hike today and the views were absolutely stunning from the peak. Did you make that climb?

    We are going to do the hazards walk tomorrow and wineglass bay lookout, hopefully get some snorkelling in (we didn’t realise that you could do that). And Devils corner sounds great, we may have to stop in for a couple of wines on the way down south!

    Once again great post and thanks for giving us a couple extra things that we didn’t know about

    Reply

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