Coral Bay Accommodation

If you haven’t read my post on Coral Bay, and you want some more general information, then you should probably do that first. Coral Bay is 1100km north of Perth, which takes about 13 hours. It is a tiny town located right on the water, which has absolutely stunning snorkelling and fishing.

There are only a few options for accommodation, which I will explore in this post. If you have stayed at any of these, please leave any comments about them. We stayed at the Bayview Caravan Park and used both a tent site and a large cabin.

At the end of the day you don’t go to Coral Bay for the accommodation; there is so many better things to do than spend all day inside! I must apologise for the lack of relevant photos, as I didn’t take as many as I would have liked of the various types of accommodation!

Coral Bay Accommodation prices

I will be blunt. Coral Bay Accommodation is expensive. If you are looking for a cheap holiday, then Coral Bay is not for you. You are looking at around $200 a week for just a tent site. The prices go up more depending on how many people you have staying with you, and the time of the year.

There are very few new houses at Coral Bay, and the older houses tend to be refurbished portable accommodation. You are looking at anywhere between $800 and $1800 a week to rent the houses out, which get booked up many months in advance.

Why spend so much to get Coral Bay Accommodation?

What it really comes down to is that Coral Bay is a very memorable and enjoyable trip. The underwater life is simply jaw dropping material, and you will have a lot of fun. If you can get over the price, then you will love the stay at Coral Bay. The main attraction is the Ningaloo Reef, which is huge and runs north, and through Exmouth.

The accommodation is cheaper at Exmouth, and the supplies are better but there is something special about Coral Bay. Being able to walk 5 minutes and jump in with big fish and great coral is not possible in most places in Western Australia, let alone the world. The town is friendly and very relaxing as well, even when jammed full of tourists!

What are your options for accommodation?

The land at Coral Bay is owned by the government and no more is being released, to keep the town as small as possible, with the least damage done to the environment possible. This in turn means that your choice for Coral Bay Accommodation is limited.

There are two Caravan Parks, a Resort and Backpackers that you can stay at. Alternatively, you can drive north to Exmouth (about an hour and a half) and stay there. You can find out more about Coral Bay Houses to rent, Ningaloo Reef Resort, Coral Bay Backpackers, Bayview Caravan Park and Peoples Caravan Park.

Bayview Caravan Park

When we visited Coral Bay this year, we stayed at Bayview Caravan Park. We were planning on renting a house out, but even a year in advance we struggled to find a suitable house. Instead, we rented the largest cabin and a tent site. The largest cabin at Bayview Caravan Park sleeps 8, and we had 3 in a big tent.

The tent sites are reasonably sized, with BBQ’s accessible and large green areas to relax in with chairs and tables too. There is a pool and tennis court, and the basic showers and toilets. The caravan park itself is only a few minutes’ walk from the beach, where you can jump in with the coral and fish.

I can’t say that there was anything that I disliked about the Bayview Caravan Park. The staff were friendly and helpful, the amenities were good and we had a lot of fun. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting Coral Bay Accommodation.

Going to Coral Bay with a large group

This seems to be a problem fairly regularly. The biggest house you can get at Coral Bay sleeps about 13, but the houses are booked out very quickly. If you want to go with a large group, you need to pre plan a year in advance, if not earlier. Alternatively, you can stay at a Caravan Park in tents, and if you pick the right time of year the weather is very pleasant. Just be prepared for rain at any time of the year as well!

Coral Bay Resort

The Resort overlooks the main beach, and has multiple rooms with different bed arrangements and extra’s. The resort is actually not too badly priced when you consider what you would pay for one in Perth, and it has a great restaurant downstairs. I can’t say whether or not it is good value, as I didn’t stay there, and this applies for the backpackers and the Peoples Caravan Park.

Coral Bay water supply

On a side note, all of the water that you use for washing dishes, washing clothes, showering and other general use comes from the ground, and is extremely hot. It also has a fair amount of salt in it, which is why it’s so unpleasant to drink! They have normal temperature filtered water which is used for drinking, but you need to use it wisely, as the supply is limited. Be aware of the salty water so you don’t bring your best clothes! Also, I wouldn’t advise using it to wash your car, as the salt will make it rust very quickly!

Is Coral Bay Accommodation easy to get?

For a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Coral Bay is incredibly busy. Of course, there are peak seasons, but in general it is a very popular place. You shouldn’t expect to arrive and get accommodation that day without pre booking, as chances are the caravan parks will be full, if not the other types of accommodation too.

During the school holidays you can bet that everything will be completely booked out, and there will be hundreds of cars and boats driving around.

Everything functions well, and having that many people in a small location never seems to be a problem, but bear it in mind when booking your Coral Bay Accommodation.

Coral Bay

The town itself is very easy to navigate around. The shops are in two locations, and there is only one petrol station. Everything is fairly well grouped together, except for the boat ramp which is a kilometre or so out of town. The shops will take care of any bookings for charters, hire equipment out and try to sell lots of bits and pieces to the tourists!

Make sure you take everything that you need and spares, because the cost of replacing fishing and snorkelling gear is quite a bit more expensive. If you can, go on one of the  Coral Bay Fishing Charters; they are well worth it.

I would rate Coral Bay as one of my favourite travel destinations, and it’s for good reason. Thousands of people visit Coral Bay every year, to see the Manta Rays, Whale Sharks, and Reef Sharks, dive with amazing fish and coral or pull in a huge fish. If you ever get the chance, try to save up some money for this trip of a lifetime. It’s something you won’t forget, especially if you love water sports!

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