No Shoes Required! Byron Bay is known for its alternative culture, laid-back surfers and new age off-the-grid hipsters. And the first thing we noticed when we got to Byron Bay were how many people walk around with no shoes on. And while you would expect that if you are headed to the beach, here it didn’t seem to matter. It was a little surprising to be honest. I am all about bare foot and fancy free but walking through town, crossing intersections and walking through the grocery store, no thanks, I will pass on that trend. Ha!
You will find people from all walks of life in Byron Bay. It seemed like every other vehicle was a campervan, there were lots of backpackers, and surfers galore. And while you can definitely pick out the locals, Byron Bay has been growing in popularity over the years so you will find the town full of sightseers and tourist as well.
There is a minimalist mindset for those living in Byron Bay. Most people are on foot or bike and in most cases, carrying their surf board with them. There are an handful of celebrities that own property here and Byron has become an influencer hotspot. But how can you blame them, every location here is instagram worthy!
While you may not need to bring much when coming to Byron Bay, plan on bringing a little spending money. There are tons of cute local boutiques, and plenty of cafes and restaurants, and while you don’t have to break the bank here, nothing is “cheap” in Byron Bay. And I would just like to add that there are plenty of shoe stores so that still doesn’t explain the infatuation with being barefoot.
Where is Byron Bay
Byron Bay is a tiny coastal town located on the northern coast of New South Wales (NSW,) Australia. Here is where you will find not only the iconic Cape Byron lighthouse but also Australia’s most easterly point! This area is also a popular whale-watching location but we missed the season by about a month as we were in Byron in early May. While we didn’t see any whales we did get to see what I would consider one of the most spectacular beaches in the region!
The town of Byron Bay is surrounded by hinterland, which I think helps keep Byron Bay bite sized. And because it is also wrapped by nation parks, there is almost a magnetic draw of the backpacker and camper-van communities to this area. Many locals will tell you it is becoming far too touristy and feel it is starting to take away from the historic laid back vibe that Byron is known for. But the good news is that while the town may be changing, locals are hard at work trying to preserve the community spirit that everyone loves so much. There are some newer luxury developments, like Jonson Lane, which showcases contemporary residential and commercial spaces. But new or old, this little town is does a great job of supporting local Bryon artisans.
Where we stayed:
We rented an apartment which was situated between the two best beaches in the area – Clarkes/The Pass and Tallows. Also located nearby was the Cape Byron Lighthouse and this area also provided plenty of walking trails to explore. It was a great location because it was close enough to walk to town (even though we had a car) but far enough away that it was quiet.
We had a 2 bedroom apartment with all amenities including washer/dryer, full kitchen and even a patio with a grill. What it did not have was WI-FI. This was a huge oversight on our part. That is something we don’t even think to look at when booking an airbnb. So not only did we have to rely on our international data and purchased E-sims for our phones, we also got quickly re-introduced to a DVD Player that was in the apartment. I was resourceful and found a few places to buy old movies on DVDs like the library that had a few for $1 each!
We were very happy to have a grill and patio. We found a couple of nice local fresh food markets nearby. Baz & Shaz is a family owned market located just a 10 minute drive away and Bay grocer was just down the road and carried plenty of locally sources produce. (Both also carried organic and vegan food options if that is your thing as well) Bay grocer had its own kitchen which was nice because they carried some take home meals which we enjoyed during our stay.
We also found Byron Gym which we were able to get weekly passes to. It was an old school gym but had plenty of equipment. They even offer a great selection of group classes that were included in our weekly membership. We drove there most mornings but in reality we could have walked there within about 15-20 minutes.
The Wifi situation
Unlike Brisbane, which had a bustling city vibe with workspaces throughout the city or people on laptops in coffee shops, Byron was the opposite. Very few cafes or restaurants even offered wifi. I had to make my way to the library a few days a week to keep up with email and touch base with people back home. While there were others in the library that seemed to be working, Byron does not seem to be a place to “work from home”. People are genuinely there to enjoy the laid back Aussie lifestyle that Byron Bay is known for.
Things to do
Surf, surf, and surf some more!
We found that Byron bay had the most electric group of people thus far. You could definitely tell the locals apart apart from the tourists. Primarily because they were the ones that would pull up to the beach for their lunch break, park their car and take off barefoot running toward the beach with their surfboard to catch a few waves before returning to get back to work just a short while later.
The beaches in Byron are spectacular. While we did our fair share of relaxing on the beach and watching the surfers. Pete even got in a few surf lessons in himself. He humbly admits now that it is much harder than it looks but I think he did pretty well for a newbie!
There are also beautiful areas that surround Byron. It was worth taking a day to check them out!
There is always something going on. Art, music, events, you name it. During our 2 weeks there we saw it all. Local weekend festivals, even the Byron Bay half marathon happened while we were there and we thoroughly enjoyed all of it!
Fun Stuff in Byron Bay
Byron is all about the beach but you will find other activities other activities if surfing isn’t your game. There are plenty of kayaks to rent and tours to go along with it. You can even sky dive if your are feeling adventurous! We took the opportunity to try out Hang Gliding and it was Awesome!
It was a first for both Pete and me and it was amazing. Pete saw dolphins when they cruised over the ocean and I saw kangaroos grazing in the park during my glide. Such a fun experience!
Nom Nom Nom
Even though we tried to cook and eat at home as much as we could we did find a few places we really liked while visiting Byron Bay.
- Light Years was one our favorite restaurants. It is located in the newly developed Jonson’s Lane area and had great Asian Fusion food!
- Twisted Sista Cafe – Located on Lawson Street which is in the heart of Byron. We passed it just about every time we walked through town so this was our go to for coffee!
- The Beach Kitchen is located on the corner across from the Main Beach. It has great views and live music. The fried calamari was my favorite but expect to pay for such a wonderful location.
- Trattoria Basiloco Byron Bay had the best brick over fire roasted pizzas.
- Sunday Sustainable Bakery was the winner by far for pasteries – both savory and sweet!
- Top Shop is a cafe located just up from town in a neighborhood. We had breakfast on our way out of town on the last day. It was great and apparently a lot of other people think so too because it was packed everyday we went by! Seating is limited but they have a nice lawn to relax while enjoying a coffee.
The Modern Nomads 
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