High-rise apartments, bistros and cafés line the Esplanade of this busy coastal town, known for it’s family-friendly beaches and fresh seafood.

Mooloolaba is one of the busiest destinations on the Sunshine Coast thanks to its beautiful, family-friendly beaches and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Sip a coffee in a café along the Mooloolaba Esplanade and then browse the shops along the beachfront boulevard. Visit the Underwater World SEA LIFE Mooloolaba marine park or sign up for a scuba diving tour to a sunken ship.

Mooloolaba was built around the mouth of the Mooloolah River. Today the town has a population of around 12,000 residents. During summer the popular beaches are packed with families, couples and international visitors who come to soak up the sun.

Three separate beaches along a 1-kilometre (0.6-mile) stretch offer calm, small and medium waves. Lifeguards patrol the beaches every day of the year. Choose to paddle in the shallows or sign up for surf lessons. Bring a shade umbrella and sunscreen, as there is no shade on the beach itself.

Picnic underneath trees in the parks that overlook the beach. Use the barbecue facilities and picnic tables provided or buy takeaway fish and chips and eat on the grass. Wholesalers around Point Cartwright, or “The Spit”, sell some of the freshest seafood around. Try the famous Mooloolaba prawns. The park in front of Main Beach has a big playground for children.

Visit the Mooloolaba Wharf, a short walk from the Esplanade, where you’ll find Underwater World SEA LIFE Mooloolaba. There are restaurants, shops and markets surrounding the marina. Take one of the fishing tours or scuba diving trips that depart here regularly. Scuba dive around the HMAS Brisbane, which was sunk off the coast and turned into an artificial reef.

Mooloolaba is situated 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Brisbane, about halfway between Caloundra and Coolum. Get around by car or bus. There’s a mix of pay and display and free street parking, although spaces fill up quickly on weekends and during school holidays. Once in town you can easily move between beaches and restaurants on foot. There are paved walkways along the water.