Things To Do In Mandurah: Giants, Dolphins And Foreshore

Things to do in Mandurah at a glance

If you only have a day, do these: walk to one or two of the Giants of Mandurah, watch for dolphins from the foreshore or Dolphin Quay, eat fish and chips by the water, and finish with a sunset at Blue Bay Beach or on an evening cruise. With a weekend, add the other Giants, a beach with the dog, a canal cruise and a slow morning at a waterfront cafe. Most of the best things to do in Mandurah are free or low cost.

The Giants of Mandurah trail

The Giants are large wooden sculptures by artist Thomas Dambo, set out as an outdoor art trail. Visit Mandurah says there are 6 Giants in total, 5 in Mandurah and 1 in Subiaco, and the Mandurah ones are within 40 km of each other. Each one has its own short walk, from about 500 metres to 3.6 km return.

Four trail starts are listed on the Visit Mandurah page: Santi Ikto at Calypso Road, Halls Head (1.3 km, about 20 minutes return); Yaburgurt Cirkelstone at Coodanup Foreshore Reserve on Peel Parade (0.5 km, about 10 minutes); Little Lui at the Black Swan Lake carpark in Lakelands (3.6 km, about 45 minutes); and Seba's Song at Estuary Place, Wannanup (1.2 km, about 20 minutes). The Giants are spread out, public transport is limited and Visit Mandurah recommends your own vehicle, so plan to drive between them. It suggests setting aside a day and a half to see them all. They are free to visit, and dogs on a lead are welcome at most locations, except the secret Giant Jyttes Hytte.

The foreshore and the estuary

Mandurah Eastern Foreshore on Mandurah Terrace is the easy heart of a visit. Walk, jog, cycle or sit beside the estuary, use the free barbecues and swim at several spots with free facilities. The train runs frequently between Perth and Mandurah stations, with buses to the foreshore and boardwalk areas. Bikes and e-bikes can be hired from The Bike Kiosk if you want to cover more of the waterfront. Amaze Miniature Park, a relaxed outdoor attraction of miniature landmarks and gardens, is a good stop for families.

Dolphins and cruises

More than 100 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins live permanently in the Peel-Harvey Estuary. You do not have to join a cruise to see them: Visit Mandurah lists Mandjar Bay, the marina and the foreshore as shore viewing spots, and the best times are early morning or late afternoon. Cruises run daily from Mandjar Bay and suit all ages, and the Mandurah Cruises Dolphin Cruise and Views offers a free repeat cruise if no dolphins are seen. Please keep your distance: 50 m when swimming, 100 m in a boat and 60 m for drones. Fines for disturbing dolphins can reach 500,000 dollars, and up to 3,000 dollars for letting a dog chase wildlife.

For the full run of cruises, including the Christmas lights season, see our Mandurah dolphin and Christmas lights cruises guide. Visit Mandurah says more than 200 homes take part in the lights, from early December through January.

Sunset spots

Visit Mandurah names Blue Bay Beach, Avalon Beach, Falcon Bay Beach, Town Beach and Madora Bay Beach as good places to catch a sunset, along with the Santi Ikto Giant high above Halls Head Beach. On the water, it lists a Saturday Sunset Cruise from Mandjar Bay and Friday Floating Bar Cruises running from October to April, so check the operator for the 2026-27 dates before you book. Waterfront dining for after the sun goes down is covered in our Mandurah restaurants guide.

Beaches and dogs

The City of Mandurah allows off-lead dog exercise on over 17 km of coastline and 26 reserves. Keep your dog on a lead until you are on the beach or reserve itself, and treat any area with no sign as lead-only. Dogs are prohibited in all children's playgrounds. The City's brochure lists the Avalon Beach stretch from the Yeedong Road boat ramp south to Burna Street as a prohibited area, and it is dated November 2023, so read the signs on the day. Rangers are on 9550 3777.

Free and low cost things to do

Visit Mandurah's budget guide lists the Giants, dolphin watching at the foreshore, Dolphin Quay and Dawesville Cut, the beaches at Blue Bay, Pyramids and Avalon, the foreshore parks and playgrounds, and the self-guided Instagram Trail as free. The Mandurah Community Museum is usually open Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, free or by donation. Low cost options include kayak hire, bike hire and the Peel Produce Market. Crabbing is popular too, with the blue swimmer crab season listed as December to August; the rules, the closed season and the gear are in our Mandurah crabbing guide.

A note on Lake Clifton thrombolites

The Lake Clifton thrombolites at Yalgorup National Park, just south of Mandurah, are a famous stop, but Visit Mandurah currently shows the boardwalk as temporarily closed while construction works are underway. Check current access before you plan a trip around it. The best viewing is listed as January to May, when water levels are low.

Getting to Mandurah from Perth

The train from Perth Station takes around 55 minutes direct to Mandurah Station, and driving takes about an hour via the Kwinana Freeway, roughly 75 km return. A day trip works, but a night or two lets you see the Giants properly and catch both a morning dolphin watch and an evening sunset. Visit Mandurah's own day trip plan runs: breakfast at Wood and Stone Cafe, a marina walk and a canal cruise, fish and chips on the foreshore, two of the Giants, a drink at Boundary Island Brewery and sunset at Blue Bay Beach. Start at the Mandurah Visitor Centre for maps.

Where to stay in Mandurah

For a base near the water, Josh's Sea Breeze is a 2 bedroom home that sleeps 4 with a shared year-round pool, about a 5 minute walk to Silver Sands Town Beach, 7 minutes to the Mandurah Foreshore and 15 minutes to the Ocean Marina. Also see Sea Breeze Apartment in the same area, and check each listing for who it suits before you book.

Plan your Mandurah weekend

Pick a base near the foreshore, start with the dolphins and a walk, drive out to two Giants, and finish the day at the beach for sunset. Browse our Mandurah holiday home to check dates and book direct.