Take it outside
Open air? Yes please. Doing things outside has never been more on point, and when it comes to options, Fremantle is brimming. ‘Al fresco’ is our preferred position – and we don’t just mean dining. Read on for more ways to breathe easy.
Drinks with a view
Seen the Freo skyline lately? Head to the National Hotel’s rooftop bar where sawtooth rooves, heritage facades and the port’s famous cranes make up the view. Take the lift, or enjoy the art bonus as you climb four flights of staircase gallery.
At Bathers Beach, you can pull up a deck chair at Perth’s only licensed patch of sand, Bathers Beach House, and watch the sun go down near Rotto. Hear water lapping on jetty timbers when you perch on the vast deck at Gage Roads Brewpub, right on the port. If it’s a river vibe you’re after, try Jetty Bar and Eats, where prime views of the passing leisure craft are a bonus.
A picnic and a stroll
Fremantle has plentiful parks, not least The Esplanade at the city’s heart. Shaded by giant Norfolk Island pines and flanked by a skate park and ferris wheel, it’s a lush place to spend some down time. Barbecues, playgrounds and picnic tables make BYO lunch a no-brainer on the lawns at South Beach, whose gazebos are coveted. Walk off lunch on the long stretch of sand (or path) heading south. Booyembarra Park is another green idyll, with landscaped nooks dotted around a central lake.
Hoof it
Walking the streets is the best way to uncover the real Fremantle. Not sure where to go? Fremantle Tours is operated by passionate locals, and you can opt to either walk or cycle with them for a chatty spin through the local food, coffee, art and history scene.
Photographers: bring a camera and stroll through magic hour with Venture Photography. Want to get abreast of Freo’s history and heritage? A Fremantle History Walking Tour will bring you up to speed. Find more Fremantle walking and cycling tours.
The big outdoor gallery
You can’t go far without encountering street art in Fremantle. There’s the famous Numbat mural near Fremantle Markets (see it before it’s gone), an eclectic range of pieces in Paddy Troy Mall, the chiselled stone and paintwork alongside the Norfolk Hotel, and the incredible, sprawling trompe l’oeil at East West Designs in South Fremantle.
Eat out
Most eateries in Fremantle offer al fresco dining, but some have a distinctly open air spirit. At Fishing Boat Harbour, the outdoor decking at Kailis and Cicerello’s gives the seafood that straight-from-the-water feel.
Want a green buffer? Try Clancy’s Fish Pub and The Old Courthouse. Both have vast stretches of fenced grass, bringing a spacious feel and a place for kids to safely roam while the grownups enjoy some fresh air with the sound of clinking glass.
