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Shoal Bay and the Port Stephens shoreline from above

Shoal Bay accommodation

Calm water and Tomaree Head on your doorstep.

Where to stay

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Shoal Bay

Ramada Resort by Wyndham Shoal Bay

Kitchenette accommodation · Lagoon-style pool

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At a glance

Shoal Bay suits a beach holiday: the water is calm and sheltered, Tomaree Head rises at the eastern end, and Nelson Bay is a five-minute drive away. Choose Ramada Resort Shoal Bay for resort rooms and apartments with kitchenettes, Shoal Bay Holiday Park for villas near the sand, or Seaside Holiday Resort at nearby Fingal Bay for two- and three-bedroom family apartments with pools.

  • Calm, sheltered water: good for swimming and paddling.
  • Ramada Resort Shoal Bay: resort rooms and kitchenette apartments with a lagoon-style pool.
  • Shoal Bay Holiday Park: villas a short walk from the beach.
  • Fingal Bay, next door: Seaside Holiday Resort's family apartments sleep up to six.
  • Nelson Bay's marina and cruises are a five-minute drive.

Beachfront resort

Ramada Resort Shoal Bay is on Shoal Bay Road, facing the beach. It has resort rooms and apartments with kitchenettes and a lagoon-style pool.

Villas and cabins

Shoal Bay Holiday Park has villas a couple of minutes’ walk from the sand. It’s a good fit for families and groups who want their own space.

Fingal Bay

The next bay south, reached by road or the 5 km track from Zenith Beach. Seaside Holiday Resort Fingal Bay on Marine Drive has two- and three-bedroom apartments sleeping up to six, with two pools, a kids’ pool, a playground and barbecues. Don’t try to walk Fingal Spit to the lighthouse island: National Parks warns the sandbar is extremely dangerous.

Walking distance to town

Peninsula Nelson Bay sits between the two, about five minutes’ walk from Little Beach and Shoal Bay and ten from the marina.

What’s nearby

The Tomaree Head Summit walk is 2.2 km return and steep, with whale-watching platforms 161 metres up. Whale and dolphin cruises board in Nelson Bay, and dune tours meet in Anna Bay. See things to do in Port Stephens or Nelson Bay accommodation.

Common questions

Is Shoal Bay or Nelson Bay better to stay in?

Shoal Bay if the beach and Tomaree Head are the point of your trip; Nelson Bay if you want to walk to restaurants and the marina for cruises. They're about five minutes apart by car.

Is Shoal Bay good for families?

Yes. The water is calm and sheltered, and Shoal Bay Holiday Park and Seaside Holiday Resort at Fingal Bay both have family-sized stays.

Can you walk from Shoal Bay to Fingal Bay?

Yes. A 5 km walking track runs from Zenith Beach, under Tomaree Head, to Fingal Bay. Zenith Beach itself is unpatrolled.