My favourite lazy afternoon in North Fremantle: a swim at Leighton or Port Beach, lunch at Bib & Tucker, then a beer at the 1920s Swan Hotel.
My kind of lazy afternoon
Everyone heads straight into Fremantle, but some of my favourite afternoons are spent just north of the bridge in North Fremantle. It sits on a skinny strip of land between the ocean and the Swan River, so you can swim at a white-sand beach, have lunch looking at the water, and finish with a beer at a pub that’s been pouring them for over a hundred years, all without moving the car much.
Quick facts
- Where: North Fremantle, between the Indian Ocean and the Swan River, just north of Fremantle.
- Beaches: Leighton Beach and Port Beach, with white sand and safe swimming.
- Lunch: Bib & Tucker, 18 Leighton Beach Boulevard, above the surf club.
- Pub: The Swan Hotel, 201 Queen Victoria Street, built in the early 1920s.
- Best time: A warm afternoon, staying on for the sunset over the ocean.
- Getting there: North Fremantle train station is on the Fremantle line.
Start with a swim
Leighton Beach and Port Beach run together along the coast here, and they’re both lovely for a swim, with white sand and clear turquoise water on a calm day. Leighton has the surf club and is the busier of the two. Port Beach, further north towards the harbour, is usually quieter. Look out to sea and you’ll see Rottnest on the horizon and the big ships waiting off the coast to come into port.
Lunch at Bib & Tucker
Once you’ve dried off, walk up to Bib & Tucker, which sits above the North Fremantle surf club on Leighton Beach Boulevard. It’s one of the best-reviewed restaurants around Freo, and it’s all about the view and the seafood. Get a table looking out over the beach, order a few plates to share, like the octopus, cray tacos or scallops, and take your time.
“The food was as exquisite as the service and the location.”
Vly N, Tripadvisor review
It’s also open for breakfast, if you’d rather do an early swim and a big plate of eggs instead.
“The seafood was superb – freshly cooked and accompanied with delicious flavours.”
Ed T, Tripadvisor review
A beer at the Swan Hotel
Then it’s a short drive or a decent walk across to Queen Victoria Street, the main street of the old North Fremantle village. The Swan Hotel, at number 201, was built in the early 1920s after an earlier pub on the site burned down, and it’s still a working pub today. Look up at the front of the building and you’ll spot the two swan emblems in the stucco. It’s a proper old local, and a good spot for a cold one after a day in the sun.
“A swim, a long lunch and then a pint in a hundred-year-old pub is about as good as a Perth Sunday gets. If I’ve come down on the bike, I keep it to one and switch to coffee.”
Alex Hamilton, Editor
Wander the village
If you’ve still got some time, wander along Queen Victoria Street. There’s coffee at Ooh Coffee and Bruce Town, gifts and homewares at the little shops along the strip, and Old Bridge Cellars for a bottle of something to take home. Then head back to the beach for sunset, because the west-facing coast here gets a beauty.
Getting there
North Fremantle is about 20 minutes from the city by car, and North Fremantle station on the Fremantle train line is close to the village. There’s parking at Leighton Beach and Port Beach. The Visit Fremantle website has more on the area.
Make a weekend of it with my slow Saturday wander in East Fremantle, or find more fish and chips by the water.
Featured image: Sam Wilson, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions
Swim at Leighton Beach or Port Beach, have lunch at Bib & Tucker above the surf club, have a beer at the historic Swan Hotel, and wander the shops and cafes on Queen Victoria Street.
