Things to do in Strahan, Tasmania: Where to Eat, Drink, Stay & Play

The remote West Coast town of Strahan is truly one of Tasmania’s hidden gems. You’ll drive through kilometres of untouched wilderness along the Lyell Highway to get there, and while it feels like you’re driving to the end of the earth, it’s worth it once you arrive.

Strahan was once one of Tasmania’s most populous towns with about 10,000 people living here. The bustling port was a transport hub for the nearby tin mines, but now it’s a sleepy fishing village with a fascinating convict and industrial past. Strahan is also the gateway to the rugged, beautiful Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, which is a must-visit for outdoorsy types.

While it’s only a small town with a population of about 700 people, there’s plenty to do and see in this historic place. Read on for your guide of things to do in Strahan.

Risby Cove

Part of the Risby Cove boutique hotel, this waterfront restaurant has a delicious menu to go with its equally delicious view of the marina and Macquarie Harbour. With a commitment to using local produce in its dishes, you can expect lots of seafood given the roaring fishing trade in Strahan – try the locally-caught crayfish tagliatelle, the cured Tasmanian trout or the Nori tempura oysters. Each dish on the menu is helpfully paired with a local wine for a true Tassie experience.

The Esplanade, Strahan

Things to do in Strahan, Tasmania: Eat & Drink

The Coffee Shack

Local favourite The Coffee Shack is a cute little cafe run by two local sisters, serving up much-needed caffeine to Strahan residents and tourists alike. During summer The Coffee Shack, located opposite the cruise terminal, is open from 6am-4pm – the perfect time to grab coffee and a snack before you hit the road on your adventures, or for a pick-me-up on the way home. While they don’t have a sit-down breakfast, they have lots of yummy bites available, like toasties and various delicious-looking cakes.

19 Esplanade, Strahan

View 42°

It’s all in the name, but View 42° is a bar with a spectacular view across the harbour. Perfectly positioned to get the best vantage point for Strahan’s glorious sunsets, make sure you head up there on a clear day, order a Tasmanian wine, whisky or gin and settle back in a window seat for the main event. The bar serves food too, so you can pair your Tassie beverage with some local cheese or oysters.

41 Esplanade, Strahan

Things to do in Strahan, Tasmania: Stay

Captain’s Rest

Strahan has a lot of beautiful accommodation options, but Captain’s Rest is by far the best-known. This iconic one-bedroom property has been featured in both local and international design publications and paved the way for the “renovated coastal shack” trend that emerged on Airbnb over the past few years. Its crisp white walls, antique decor and luxe linens – not to mention waterfront position and resident ducks – will have you wanting to stay forever.

63 Lettes Bay Road, Strahan

Seaforth Shack

Seaforth Shack is a perfectly-positioned Strahan Airbnb – secluded and surrounded by 10 acres of bushland, it’s just a 30-second walk down to the water and has a large deck that makes the most of the stunning mountain view in the distance. This two-bedroom property also has an outdoor shower and fire pit for the warmer months, and a wood fire inside for snuggling up during winter.

Lot 3 Seaforth Street, Strahan

The Quarters

A relatively new accommodation option in Strahan, The Quarters consists of four cabins located down on the Esplanade, right in the town centre. The cabins are all cosy and rustic, with wood-panelled walls, comfy bedding and vintage knick-knacks dotted around the spaces. Some of the cabins come with sweet little Juliet balconies off the main bedrooms, so you can enjoy your morning coffee as the sun comes up.

79 The Esplanade, Strahan

Rosy Summers

This adorable pink shack is situated in the same Lettes Bay enclave as Captain’s Rest and is another perfectly renovated old miner’s house. With white-washed walls, the pale-pink facade and thoughtfully decorated with vintage treasures, Rosy Summers is the perfect little haven to go back to after a long day of exploring the area. While it’s set back from the water, it’s only a short walk down to the jetties of Lettes Bay. It also has a sister accommodation in the form of Bushy Summers.

81 Lettes Bay Road, Strahan

Visit Sarah Island

Tasmania has a rich convict history, with former penal colonies dotted all over the state. But Sarah Island was for the worst of the worst – convicts who re-offended once they’d been shipped out here. Remote and wild, inmates here must have thought they were at the end of the earth when they got here (and let’s face it, they kind of were). Cruise operators in the area run tours to the island, and it’s well worth a visit.

Though Sarah Island was one of the more secure penitentiaries, with the vast Macquarie Harbour on one side and kilometres of wild rainforest on the other, over 180 escape attempts were made. One story is retold in The Ship That Never Was, which is Australia’s longest-running play. Catch a performance at the Richard Davey Amphitheatre on the Esplanade – it plays daily at 5.30pm between September and May. In terms of things to do in Strahan, a visit to this heritage island is must-do. 

Sarah Island, Strahan and 12 The Esplanade, Strahan

Things to do in Strahan, Tasmania: Play

Check out Hogarth Falls

One of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks, this easy 2.4km return walk takes you from Strahan town centre through lush rainforest and towering gum trees to a lovely waterfall, which peaks in winter and spring after heavy rainfall but is active all year round. If you time your stroll to around dusk, you might be lucky enough to spot platypus in Botanical Creek at the bottom of the waterfall.

Peoples Park, Strahan

Ride the West Coast Wilderness Railway

The West Coast Wilderness Railway is a unique way to experience the Strahan area and learn more about its history. Board the heritage diesel train at Regatta Point for the 2.5 hour journey, which takes you along Macquarie Harbour before delving into the thick rainforest through the old port town of Teepookana and stopping at Lower Landing Station on the King River. Onboard guides will fill you in on everything you need to know along the way, so sit back with a glass of Tassie sparkling and enjoy the ride.

62 Esplanade, Strahan

Take a river cruise

A river cruise is a must-do when you’re in Strahan, with several local operators running tours of the area daily. You can choose your own adventure here, but consider picking a tour that takes in the aforementioned Sarah Island, the wild and beautiful Hell’s Gates, the lighthouse and the Heritage Landing before it goes into the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. Seeing this wilderness area from the river itself is absolutely breathtaking, with the river at times as smooth as glass, allowing you to take a “mirror shot” of the trees reflected in the water.

Strahan, Tasmania

Explore the ghost town of Pillinger

If you’re looking for a day trip out of Strahan with a difference, you’ll want to check out Pillinger. Once a thriving mining town in the 1800s, it was abandoned when bigger mines were set up elsewhere. Gordon River Cruises operates a tour to Pillinger, but you can also drive there and hike the 10.8km return Kelly Basin Track, one of Tasmania’s 60 Great Short Walks. You’ll follow the old railway line that used to service the mine and spot old railway sleepers, rusted mining equipment and ruined buildings as you go. It’s both fascinating and eerie at the same time. 

Kelly Basin Road, Southwest

Catch the sunset at Ocean Beach

Another popular day trip out of Strahan is Ocean Beach, which is less than 10 minutes’ drive out of town. Ocean Beach is Tasmania’s longest stretch of beach, an uninterrupted stretch of 30 kilometres of sand and when you stand on the shore and gaze out to the horizon, the next closest land is South America. This is a beach for exploring, beach-combing, 4WD-ing on the sand dunes and sunset-gazing, not a leisurely swim – out there is the treacherous Southern Ocean, and Ocean Beach is all huge, pounding waves and dangerous rips. But when you visit, you’ll really get a sense of how rugged and remote this area really is…making it one of the best things to do in Strahan. 

Ocean Beach Road, Strahan

After perusing through our guide of best things to do in Strahan, be sure to check out our Strahan accommodation selection. A little hungry? These Launceston pubs and Hobart restaurants will surely give you a little culinary inspo! 

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