Half an hour south of Perth, Mandurah glimmers with waterways, foreshore paths and stretches of coastline that catch the light at every turn. In this guide, you’ll find Mandurah’s most beautiful and best walks, complete with exact routes and simple directions to help you explore with ease.
Credit: Tourism Western Australia / BBQ Boats and Waterbikes with Sea West, Mandurah
Walking the Waterways of Mandurah
Mandurah’s name comes from the Noongar word Mandjoogoordap, meaning “meeting place of the heart”.
For the Bindjareb Noongar people, this region has always been a place of connection with water. In their creation story, the rainbow serpent Wagyl shaped the curves of the estuary, giving life to the land and its people.
You can still feel that story today, in the way the light shifts across the water and the calm settles over the shore.
Built around the vast Peel-Harvey Estuary, which is roughly twice the size of Sydney Harbour, Mandurah today is shaped by its water. Canals, inlets and open stretches of estuary reach their long arms into the city, connecting it with the Indian Ocean, providing endless opportunity for water activities, and making homes for beautiful wildlife.
So other than swimming, the best ways to get to know Mandurah is by walking. Its many boardwalks and coastal trails lead you along the foreshore, through bushland and beside the estuary, where dolphins sometimes glide close to shore.
Mandurah’s Most Beautiful Walks
Every path in Mandurah offers a slightly different view of the same story; water, light and movement. In this short guide, we cover the top walking routes in Mandurah, which trail through and past its shores, estuaries and the city itself.
Credit: Tourism Western Australia / Living rock-like structures known as thrombolites have formed on the edges of Lake Clifton, and can be viewed from a boardwalk, near Mandurah
1. See the Thrombolites in Yalgorup National Park
Length: 5 km loop
Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
Trail class: Grade 2, easy and mostly flat
Start point: Car park at the end of Mount John Road, Lake Clifton
Highlight: Boardwalk views of ancient, living thrombolites along the lake’s edge
A little south of Mandurah, the Lake Clifton Thrombolites Walk is one of Western Australia’s most fascinating short trails.
It winds along the edge of Lake Clifton in Yalgorup National Park, home to one of the largest living thrombolite colonies in the Southern Hemisphere. These rock-like structures are actually ancient microbial communities that have been growing here for thousands of years. Slowly shaping the lakebed, they offer a glimpse into the planet’s earliest life forms.
So whilst you’re in Mandurah, you should carve out a morning just for this.
The gentle loop begins at a timber boardwalk that leads over the shallows, where you can see the thrombolites just beneath the surface, before continuing through quiet bushland filled with bird calls and paperbark trees. This is an easy, peaceful walk that connects science, history and landscape in a way few places can.
Credit: Tourism Western Australia / Lake Goegrup, Mandurah
2. Lake Goegrup Walk: Joseph and Dulcie Nannup Trail
Length: 8 km return
Time: 1.5 – 2 hours
Trail class: Grade 2, easy, flat and also accessible
Start point: Riverside Gardens Reserve, Greenfields (near Mandurah)
Highlight: Peaceful wetland walking with views across the Serpentine River and Lake Goegrup
Following the Joseph and Dulcie Nannup Trail is one of the most relaxed ways to explore Mandurah’s wetland edge.
The path runs beside the Serpentine River before reaching Lake Goegrup, part of the Peel-Yalgorup Wetland System recognised under the Ramsar Convention for its international ecological importance.
Wide, flat and easy underfoot, the trail passes through paperbark and sheoak trees, with open views across calm water where pelicans, swans and egrets gather.
The walk is named in honour of local Noongar Elders Joseph and Dulcie Nannup, who worked to protect this area and share its cultural significance. This is a quiet, reflective walk that shows a softer side of Mandurah’s landscape, where life revolves around the wetlands.
Credit: Tourism Western Australia / Children cycling along the coastal trail near Mandurah
3. Halls Head Coastal Trail – Mandurah
Length: ~10 km one way (about a 20-km return)
Time: 2 – 4 hours (depending on pace and turn-back point)
Trail class: Moderate, mostly flat shared path, with some undulating sections
Start point: Janis Street car park (adjacent to Victor Adam Park), Halls Head, Mandurah
Highlight: Sweeping Indian Ocean views, limestone cliffs, and a wide shared path running along the coast.
The Halls Head Coastal Trail offers one of the most compelling ways to experience Mandurah’s wild and inviting ocean side.
The path begins near Victor Adam Park and traces the coast of Halls Head, looking out towards the Indian Ocean on one side and quiet residential foreshore on the other. Walkers are rewarded with wide views of the ocean, limestone outcrops, and the occasional dolphin surfacing off-shore.
The shared path here is comfortable enough, with plenty of length to choose how far you go before turning back.
Whether you pick this one on a winter’s day or sunny summer one, the salt air, coastal vegetation and show you Mandurah’s beautiful west side. Bring your swimmers because there’s always time for a dip!
Credit: Tourism Western Australia / BBQ Boats and Waterbikes with Sea West, Mandurah
4. City Centre to Soldiers Cove Walk – Mandurah
Length: About 2 km one way (a 4-km return)
Time: 25 – 40 minutes
Trail class: Easy, flat urban path
Start point: Mandurah city centre, near the City of Mandurah administration buildings
Highlight: Foreshore views, quiet inlets, bridges, and a peaceful finish at Soldiers Cove.
When you’re looking for an inland walk with a little less nature and more site seeing, this walk is calling your name.
This gentle path leads you from the heart of Mandurah down to the calm waters of Soldiers Cove, following the edges of the estuary and passing Mndurah’s Eastern Foreshore before opening out to quieter views. You’ll find a mix of boardwalk sections, bridges, and sheltered pockets of water where birdlife gathers.
The distance is short enough for a relaxed stroll, yet still gives you that feeling of moving from the lively centre into a softer, more peaceful corner of the city. This is a simple, scenic route perfect for a quick break.
5. Mandurah Estuary Bridge to Dawesville Cut Walk
Length: 8 km one way
Time: 1.5 – 2 hours (each way)
Trail class: Grade 2, easy with a flat shared path
Start point: Mandurah Bridge, Mandurah Terrace
Highlight: Long, scenic path tracing the Peel Inlet with views of canals, birdlife and open water.
Not tracing the ocean, but the wetlands, this peaceful trail follows the edge of the Peel Inlet from Mandurah Bridge south to Dawesville Cut, offering constant water views and a sense of open space.
The path is wide and flat, so it’s perfect for walking or cycling. You’ll pass through quiet stretches where pelicans rest on sandbanks and boats move slowly through the canals.
You’ll cross small bridges and follow the curve of the estuary, with plenty of spots to pause for coffee or to watch the tide shift. Towards the end, you’ll also meet Mandurah’s giants.
A somewhat scenic and longer walks, this easy to follow trail combines the calm of the water with the gentle energy of the inlet’s daily life.
Where to Stay in Mandurah
The Atrium Hotel sits right in the heart of Mandurah, an easy walk from the foreshore, marina and local cafés. With a relaxed feel, it’s a very practical base for your stay in Mandurah, with spacious rooms and apartment-style options that suit longer stays.
Guests can make the most of the indoor heated pool, spa and tennis courts, or unwind at the on-site restaurant and bar after a day exploring the coast.
Book your stay here.
