The beaches are the main reason tourists come to Byron Bay, home to some of the best surfing in the world. Byron Main, Watego’s Beach, and the Pass are the most popular beaches, with wave difficulty that increases in that order. Lesser known Tallow’s Beach on the south side of the Byron headland is popular with locals for its larger surfs. If you’re out near sunset, you might come across pods of dolphins riding the waves along with you. There’s a clothing optional beach north of Byron Beach Club at Tyagarah.

Kings Beach, one of the most beautiful nudist beaches anywhere, is the unofficial gay beach of Byron Bay. A  short drive to the south, along Pacific Highway toward Ballina, turn left at the Broken Head trailer park turnoff just past Suffolk Park. Just before the trailer park turn right onto the dirt road towards Broken Head nature reserve. At the top of the hill is a parking lot, from which a steep trail decends to Kings Beach. Around 800 meters long, the trail wends through lush nature reserve forest full of wildlife. The beach itself is stunning: wide expanses of sand punctuated by rocky outcrops, shelter from the sun beneath palm trees at the southern end, and cruisy trails to be explored behind the strand.

The Byron Bay craft and produce market at the Butler Street Reserve, is one of the region's best. Each first & third Sunday, October - March, 8am-4pm. Several acres of stalls are set up, selling hand crafts, local produce, artworks, food and beverages. At center ground there are fire-eaters, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, contortionists, performance artists, and musicians of many kinds. Stall keepers too, are decked out with color  - rainbows, sparklies and the wings of angels wings perhaps, harking back to counter-culture days of an earlier Byron Bay. Join in with candle making, face painting, tie dying, and there are rides for the kids.

The Byron Artisan Market at Railway Park, Jonson Street, each Saturday evening, 5 - 9pm. At the center of town, this showcase of local arts and crafts is accompanied by musical performances, and tidbits of regional foodstuffs.

The Byron Light House stands on a sheer rocky cliff on Australia’s easternmost point and has been welcoming travelers to the continent for more than 100 years. There’s a lovely walking path from town to the lighthouse that provides breathtaking vistas out over the Pacific, and locals will urge you to walk it before you leave.

Multiple operators offer diving and snorkeling trips at Julian Rocks Marine Reserve, just ten minutes from Byron Bay. The area is home to tropical turtles and manta rays and more than 400 species of fish, and has a range of depths that reward deep diving and snorkeling alike.