Bells Beach is Victoria's most famous surfing beach and one of the world's great surfing breaks. The excellent break is due to a combination of clean waves, that have refracted around the Otways, and particularly a gently sloping limestone reef off the southern point that produces one of the world's best right handers. It can handle anything from 1.5 up to 7 m. The world's longest running surfing contest began at Bells in 1961 and continues every Easter. In recognition of its surfing status, the Victorian government proclaimed it the state's and Australia's first Surfing Reserve in 1971. Bells is now serviced by a good road, a large car park, viewing areas and facilities. The walk to the beach is still, however, down the gully at the southern end of the beach. The beach is just 300 m long and faces south-east, with prominent, 40 m high, limestone headlands at each end. Waves average 1 to 1.5 m and the beach is composed of coarse sand which, even under high waves, stays steep and barless. A normally low shorebreak becomes very heavy in high waves. read more

Beach Length: 0.3km