Ten walks to do in Mallacoota

Mallacoota walks free digital walking maps created by Victoria Walks Quarry Beach (see Betka River to Pebbly Beach walk below) - Image: Visit Victoria

Nestled on the far east Victorian coastline, Mallacoota is a fabulous place to visit, particularly if you like walking. Its beautiful inlets and bush trails make it a walker’s paradise, with options for different abilities and interests. 

At a little over 500km from Melbourne Mallacoota is the last real town before New South Wales. Unlike some of the bustling seaside towns to the north and south, Mallacoota has about 1000 residents so it feels intimate and friendly (and unspoilt by its natural glamour!) 

It's a great place to base yourself for a walking holiday, with a range of shops and services to cover daily needs including two independent supermarkets, a butcher, baker, service station, pub, bank, golf course plus some cafe options (and op shops, plural!)

There's more to Mallacoota than great walks. It's a popular spot for birdwatching, fishing, surfing, swimming and  boating too. Renting a boat or canoe and gently navigating around the Bottom or Top lakes is a popular choice.

We've mapped some of our favourite walks in and close to the township. Many of these walks are interconnected, giving options of short strolls, loop walks or longer day walks that can take in several sections at a time. 

Click on the name of the walks below to get a preview, with photos of the route, plus directions to the start and of course a digital Walking Map.

The Mallacoota walks

The Lakeside walk is a fabulous 5km one-way walk that reveals the beauty of Mallacoota's Bottom Lake and includes boardwalks and viewing platforms to watch the abundant birdlife. 

The Narrows is one of the must-do walks of Mallacoota that showcases the waterway connecting the Bottom and Top Lakes of the Mallacoota Inlet in Croajingolong National Park. 

Buckland’s Jetty to Captain Creek is a beautiful and longer version of the Narrows Walk that meanders along the picturesque shoreline of the Mallacoota Inlet and through some sections of predominantly eucalypt bush. 

The Mallacoota Coastal Walk is a 9.5km, one-way walk that takes you through some amazing bush and heathlands, and past many beaches with some really stunning ocean views. Better still, it’s a series of shorter walks so you can choose how far you want to wander each time (see below). 

Casuarina Walk is a beautiful short walk that starts in the Mallacoota township and goes through some amazing bushland on a well-formed path. 

The Heathland Walk is a nice, short 800m walk highlighting the changes in vegetation from forest to coastal heathland. 

Davis Beach to Bastion Point walk: if you like the sounds and smells of walking along a beach, then this might be one for you. 

Davis Beach to Betka River loop is a lovely short loop walk passing through stunning coastal bush, dunes and back along a beach (or continue on the Coastal Walk). 

Betka Beach loop track is a fabulous short loop walk that includes river views, heathlands, and impressive views along the coastline and out to sea. 

Betka River to Pebbly Beach is a very enjoyable walk that features absolutely stunning ocean views, coastal woodlands, heathlands and secluded beaches. It is a favourite of many and is the final stage of the Coastal Walk. 

Mix and match

The 9.5km Mallacoota Coastal Walk is a series of shorter walks, so you can choose when or how far you want to wander each time.       

We recommend starting the Coastal Walk with the 1.8km (one way) ‘Casuarina Walk’, which then connects to the short 800m ‘Heathland Walk’ to Davis Beach.

From there you can choose to head back to town via the ‘Davis Beach to Bastion Point’ walk or continue on the Coastal Walk via the ‘Davis Beach to Betka River loop walk’. 

When you reach Betka River you can return back to Davis Beach via the loop, but before you do, consider the stunning 2km ‘Betka Beach loop track’. The other option is to complete the final stage of the Coastal Walk via ‘Betka River to Pebbly Beach’.

For walks a little further afield, including longer overnight hikes, the nearby Croajingolong National Park provides some of the best walks Victoria has to offer. See Parks Victoria information. 

Note: The Mallacoota community was hit very hard by the devastating 2019–20 Eastern Victorian bushfires resulting in mass evacuations of residents and visitors. Over 130 homes were lost as well as many businesses. Our thoughts are with community members still recovering and rebuilding their lives (and homes). But you can assist by visiting and enjoying Mallacoota’s wonderful walks (which were largely unaffected) and contributing to the town’s economic recovery.

More information on walks in and around Mallacoota can be found at the Visit Mallacoota site. 
See walks we have mapped in other parts of East Gippsland here.