Tallow Beach runs for about 7 kilometres south of Cape Byron, past the Arakwal National Park and the old lighthouse keeper's cottages, down towards Broken Head. It is everything Main Beach is not: unpatrolled, largely undeveloped, and often almost empty except for surfers chasing the bigger swells that wrap around the cape.
The sea here is rougher than on the northern beaches and swimming is best in calmer conditions. Surfers come for the beach breaks that fire during southern and easterly swells. The long, straight beach is good for a morning run or a long walk without the crowds of town. There are no facilities for most of the beach's length, so bring water.
The northern end of Tallow, accessible from Lighthouse Road, is the most visited. For more solitude, follow the track south through the dunes into the national park, where the beach is backed by coastal heath and the occasional sea eagle makes an appearance overhead.