What is Wineglass Bay?
Wineglass Bay is a curved, white-sand beach with turquoise water in Freycinet National Park on Tasmania's east coast. It is one of Australia's most photographed beaches.
The bay's almost perfect crescent shape gives it its name. Seen from the lookout above, the beach curves like the bowl of a wine glass between the granite peaks and the sea.
A walking track from the car park climbs about 1.5 kilometres to the Wineglass Bay Lookout, taking most people around an hour return. Fitter walkers continue down to the beach itself.
Name and history
A common explanation for the name is that the bay once turned red with blood during whaling in the 1800s, filling it like a glass of red wine. Its shape is also thought to have played a role.
Today the bay is a protected and peaceful place. Visitors swim, picnic and camp at the beach campground. Boat and air tours also visit the bay.
Wineglass Bay often appears in lists of the world's best beaches. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to avoid crowds.
Did You Know?
The Wineglass Bay lookout track includes hundreds of steps cut into the granite slopes.