The Bare Facts About Sawtell
Sawtell Simple Facts:
- Beachside town with leisurely manners and a keen sense of style
- Framed by beaches and national park to the south
- 546 km north of Sydney, population 14,000
Sawtell Beach
Why visit Sawtell?
Just south of Sawtell, Bongil Bongil National Park is a relatively small coastal park, yet it encompasses an array of rich and diverse plant and animal communities. With it’s unspoiled beaches, forests, wetlands, rain forest and pristine estuaries, the park offers an ideal setting for recreational activities.
Sawtell’s beaches range from stunning to superb, and since the new millennium, Sawtell has awoken from its seaside slumber to find that it’s been put on the style map. The town’s main street is divided by a median strip planted with enormous fig trees, which now provide shade for the chic cafes and designer stores that have taken root there. Today Sawtell is smart and relaxed, and far removed from the bustle of nearby Coffs Harbour, even at the peak of summer.
Sawtell Accommodation is ample but if you want to stay right on the beach be sure to book in early especially in the summer months.
A Short History
European settlement began in the 1860s, but Sawtell was always overshadowed by Coffs Harbour, which lies just six km to the north. It is only in relatively recent times that Sawtell has been discovered by a new kind of traveller who treasures its sleepy, barefoot character.
Annual Events
- Sawtell Art Group – Annual Art Exhibition
- International Buskers and Comedy Festival
- Sawtell Chilli Festival
- Foreign Film Festivals at the Sawtell Cinema
- The Barney Miller Surf Classic
Don’t miss!
- Street markets, last Saturday of every month
- The waves on Sawtell Beach
- Picnic at the Boambee Creek Reserve
- 18 holes at the superb Bonville International Golf Club
- Coastal walks in Bongil Bongil National Park
- ….and just chillin’ in the main street!
