Byron Bay is surrounded by beaches, and they are not all alike. Main Beach and Clarkes Beach in the centre are the social hub — patrolled, warm, and sheltered enough for swimming year-round. The Pass to the northeast is a surfer's spot, with a long right-hand point break that draws longboarders and beginners. Tallow Beach stretches south from the cape for seven kilometres of largely empty sand, backed by national park, for those who want to escape the crowds. Each has its own character; it is worth walking between them to get a sense of the place.