Hit the water

Cost: free

Byron Bay is home to some of Australia’s most spectacular coastline, a 30-kilometre stretch of golden sand and azure waves that draws tourists from around the world. It’s the best way to spend a day without paying a cent. Start at Main Beach, right in the centre of town, and good for swimming, surfing, sunbaking or sandcastle building. Further around the cape are a string of ever more gorgeous coves – Clarkes Beach, Wategos Beach and Little Wategos. If you’ve got a dog (or just want a quiet patch of sand) head for Belongil Beach.

Belongil Beach, Byron Bay

If you prefer your waters flat, Lake Ainsworth in Lennox Head is a large freshwater lake surrounded by tea trees that’s ideal for swimming, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Surfers will want to catch a wave at The Pass or The Wreck, two iconic breaks just offshore from Byron. More world-class waves can be found just south at Lennox Head, named one of Australia’s official National Surfing Reserves. If you don’t have your own gear, you can hire a surfboard from Lets Go Surfing for just $25 for two hours.

The Pass, Byron Bay

Explore the nearby national parks

Cost: free or $8 per day vehicle entry fee

Head inland to discover lush, subtropical landscapes that are ripe for exploring. Reserve a day to spend in one of the many nearby national parks, free or low cost for all to explore. With kids? Take them on the magically named Unicorn Falls Walking Track in Mount Jerusalem National Park, which leads you to a peaceful waterfall surrounded by trees. If you don't have a lot of time, Arakwal National Park is close to town yet feels remote. This secluded strip of coast is a lovely spot to soak up the sun while spotting osprey and white-bellied sea eagles

Tallow Beach, Arakwal National Park - Credit: John Spencer

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Copyright: DCCEEW

Border Ranges National Park is a magnet for animal lovers and keen photographers; part of the Gondwana Rainforests, this heritage-listed park is home to the rare Albert's lyrebird, the jewel-coloured Wompoo fruit-dove and the long-nosed bandicoot, among others. Seeking a spiritual journey? Marvel at the glow worms and swim under waterfalls at Nightcap National Park.

Minyon Falls Track, Nightcap National Park

Hand-feed animals on a farm

Cost: animal feeding is free. Guided farm tours are $15 per adult, $10 per child under 10 years, free for kids under five.

The Farm Byron Bay is a local institution and a great affordable option, especially with kids. A working farm that houses several eateries, they hold daily free animal feeding sessions, where you'll learn fun facts from the farmers as the animals feast. Interested in regenerative farming? Guided farm tours take place from Friday to Sunday, where you'll visit the flower fields and marvel at the produce grown on site. Free, self-guided tours are encouraged, too. Finish with a gelato or smoothie at Baylato, using locally grown ingredients.

The Farm Byron Bay - Credit: The Farm Byron Bay

Stay in (affordable) style

Cost: dorm rooms from $34 per person a night, private rooms from $109 a night

Wake Up! Byron Bay is a modern, bright and bohemian hostel and one of the most affordable spots to stay at when visiting the top tourist town. Opposite Belongil Beach, just a 20-minute walk from the town centre, it offers a variety of options including shared dorms and private rooms. As well as the hostel mainstays like the on-site restaurant, bar, kitchen facilities and free Wi-Fi, there’s also a resort-style pool and a new wellness centre with complimentary sauna and ice baths. Take advantage of the free surfboard hire, daily yoga classes and shuttle bus into town when staying here.

Wake Up! Byron Bay, Byron Bay - Credit: Wake Up! Hostels

Do an iconic walk

Cost: free

Have you even been to Byron Bay unless you have photo evidence making it to the summit of the Walgun Cape Byron walking track? You'll see why a walk to this historic lighthouse – or the 'lighty' as it is known to locals – is so popular as soon as you start. The 3.7-kilometre track meanders through rainforest and across clifftops, teasing you with glimpses of stunning ocean and hinterland views. Keep your eyes trained on the deep blue and you might see dolphins, and if in season, whales. The Pass Cafe is the perfect stop to refuel afterwards, with cheap all-day dining options such as acai bowls, bacon and egg rolls, and burgers for under $20 – plus more gorgeous views for free.

Cape Byron Lighthouse, Byron Bay

Float beneath a sparkling waterfall

Cost: free

The Byron hinterland hides some of the best swimming holes in the region, tucked into rainforest just a short drive from the coast. Closest to town is Killen Falls, about 20 minutes from Ballina in the Big Scrub rainforest, where an easy 330-metre walk leads to a lookout over the falls. There’s a steeper track down to the pool below and a small cave behind the cascade where you can stand and look out through the falling water. Further into the hinterland, Minyon Falls tumbles 100 metres into a palm-shaded gorge in Nightcap National Park. The lookout alone is worth the drive, but follow the walking track down to the base and you'll find a deep, cool pool that's the perfect reward after the climb back up.

Minyon Falls, Nightcap National Park

For something more secluded, Unicorn Falls in Mount Jerusalem National Park is the region’s best-kept secret – a small, intimate waterfall that cascades gently into a waterhole just over an hour from Byron. It's a proper adventure to reach (a 4WD is recommended for the final stretch, and the walking track is a solid six kilometres return), but that's exactly why it stays so quiet. Pack a picnic, take your time on the rainforest walk in, and you'll likely have the swimming hole to yourself.

Unicorn Falls, The Tweed - Credit: Cape Productions | Tweed Tourism Group Australia

Join a community yoga class

Cost: classes are free or $89 for a half-day retreat

While it's true Byron Bay is now known as the epicentre of Australia's wellbeing industry and is home to many glamourous resorts, there are affordable options too that speak to Byron's culture of humble spirituality. If you're seeking some inner calm, head to The Byron Yoga Centre. Established in 1988, it is set on a breathtaking 12 hectares just outside of town. Free community yoga classes run regularly – check the website for details. If you’d like something more in depth, a half-day retreat includes yoga, meditation, mindfulness and nourishing food for $89. Walk out with a sense of peace that will stay with you for the rest of your holiday.

Belongil Beach, Byron Bay

Book a distillery or brewery tour

Cost: Stone & Wood: $30 per person for a guided tasting, $45 for a brewery tour and tasting

Cape Byron Distillery: tastings from $25, tours from $40-43 for adults or $20 for minors/non-drinkers

Lord Byron Distillery: $25 per person for a guided tour

There's something in the water in the Northern Rivers region – or the terroir, if we're being accurate – that has borne a high number of exceptional food and drink products. If you've been to a pub anywhere in NSW you've probably seen Stone & Wood's bright logo – they've been making beer in a sustainable way since 2008. Tours of the brewery include a welcome beer and cover everything from the history of beer to the brewing process, or you can do a quick guided tasting, which will allow you to try their range and find out how they are made.

Stone & Wood Brewing Co., Byron Bay

Tucked within a macadamia farm in the hinterland, Cape Byron Distillery offers a true taste of the region, with 17 of the 25 botanicals used in Brookie's gin sourced locally. The rainforest and gin tasting tour is a unique experience, where you'll be taken through the subtropical rainforest, gin and tonic in hand. Lord Byron Distillery runs on renewable energy with a zero-waste policy, and also makes excellent spirits, especially rum. Learn more from the passionate makers on a tour and choose three products to try.

Cape Byron Distillery, Mcleods Shoot

Stock up at the markets

Cost: free entry

An affordable way to try the region's premium produce is to head straight to the markets to buy direct from the farmers and cook up a feast in your own kitchen. There's something infectious about the positive community spirit at the Byron Farmers Market, held every Thursday morning, and it's a fantastic way to learn more about the bounty of the local area. Further afield, the Mullum Farmers Market is on Friday, Bangalow Farmers Market on Saturday and the Ballina Farmers and Producers Market on Sunday.

Byron Farmers Market, Byron - Credit: Byron Farmers Market

If you’re more interested in fashion than fruit, there are plenty of markets that cater to you. The. Byron Community Market is held on the first Sunday of the month and has more than 300 stalls selling independent labels, vintage clothes, jewellery, art and much more. Bangalow Market is held on the fourth Sunday of the month. The grounds on which the markets are held are shadowed by giant camphor laurel trees, giving it a magical atmosphere. Find clothes, ceramics and art, as well as food and coffee.

Byron Community Market, Byron Bay - Credit: Byron Community Market

Ride the solar train

Cost: adults are $7, kids four to 14 are $5 and kids three and under are free.

A world first, the Byron Solar Train is evidence of the region's commitment to novel sustainable solutions and is also a completely charming experience. The 1940s-era heritage train has been converted to become the world’s first solar train and runs 364 days of the year (excluding Christmas Day), between the town centre and the North Beach precinct (home to Elements of Byron, Sunrise Beach and the Arts Estate, home to Stone & Wood Brewery). Glide past littoral rainforest, coastal wetlands and over the Belongil Creek on your journey.

Byron Solar Train, Byron Bay - Credit: Byron Bay Railroad Company Pty Ltd

Explore on two wheels

Cost: cycling trails are free, bike hire starts from $35

Byron's flat streets and palm-fringed backroads are made for two wheeled adventures. A gentle, fully paved ride south from town along Butler Street brings you to Tallow Beach – an easy there-and-back for families. More confident riders can head inland toward Mullumbimby and climb Coolamon Scenic Drive to Coorabell, rewarded with rainforest canopy and sweeping views back to the coast. For something bigger, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail follows a decommissioned railway line through hinterland rainforest, over historic bridges and through a 524-metre tunnel home to glow worms and microbats, with 24 kilometres currently open between Murwillumbah and Crabbes Creek.

Northern Rivers Rail Trail, South Murwillumbah - Credit: Kiff & Culture

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Copyright: Tweed Tourism Co

If you don't have your own wheels, Beyond Byron E Bikes hires premium e-bikes from its base in Mooball, opposite the southern end of the Rail Trail, and offers self-guided routes to Unicorn Falls in Mount Jerusalem National Park and to Husk Farm Distillery. Closer to Byron itself, Ballina Byron Bike Hire stocks town bikes, kids' bikes, e-bikes, mountain bikes and full carbon road bikes, with same-day, overnight and weekly rates, plus delivery across Ballina, Byron Bay and Evans Head.

Beyond Byron E-Bikes, Byron Bay

Sleep beneath the stars

Cost: from $43 per night

There's something special about swapping four walls for a tent flap and the sound of the ocean, and Byron has some of the best spots on the coast to do it. Flat Rock Tent Park sits right behind the dunes at East Ballina, about half an hour from Byron Bay, where 87 grassy, unpowered sites are tucked among the trees or set up close enough to fall asleep to the waves. Wake up, walk straight onto the sand for a sunrise dip, then wander over to Flat Rock itself, a natural tidal platform loved by surfers and fishers, before the day gets going.

Flat Rock Tent Park, East Ballina - Credit: Ballina Shire Council

Closer to town, Broken Head Holiday Park backs directly onto Broken Head Nature Reserve just south of Byron, so you can pitch your tent with rainforest at your back and the beach at your feet – ospreys overhead by day, a sky full of stars once the sun goes down. Both are simple, back-to-basics campgrounds rather than luxury stays, which is exactly the point: pack light, slow down, and let the coast do the rest.

Broken Head Holiday Park, Broken Head

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Copyright: BHHP