Tasmania's East Coast is a string of beaches and coastal ranges, with small seaside towns strung like beads along a spectacularly scenic highway. In summer it is the best beach destination in the state, and it has the mildest weather year-round. The wilderness areas here are smaller than on the West Coast, but there is excellent hiking, climbing, and cycling.
The East Coast is easiest to reach from Hobart — head north past the airport and you hit the coast at Orford. The main stretch extends from there to St Helens in the northeast, with Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay as the centrepiece. Wineglass Bay is regularly cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and the short but steep walk to the lookout is one of Tasmania's classic day hikes.
Other highlights include the Bay of Fires, a stretch of coast north of St Helens famous for its orange lichen-covered boulders and white sand, and the historic convict-era village of Bicheno with its fairy penguin colony.
