Cervantes is a peaceful beachside crayfishing town with a population of around 400 people plus many more holiday home-owners that are regular visitors. The town has a general store, service station, pharmacy, liquor store, post office, a tavern and country club, several cafes and restaurant options and a variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets.
Cervantes is home to the popular Lobster Shack. This is a must-see when you’re on the Turquoise Coast. This family-run business run fishing charters, sea-lion tours, and the popular crayfish pot-pulling tour. For more information visit www.lobstershack.com.au.
On the outskirts of town, visitors will find Lake Thetis and their ancient stromatolites. Lake Thetis is a saline coastal lake and one of only a few places in the world with living marine stromatolites. The Lake Thetis stromatolites exhibit unusual columnar branching. These narrow, closely spaced and almost parallel columns are extremely rare in modern stromatolites. Alongside the stromatolites, a diverse array of benthic microbial communities, such as algal mats, inhabit various layers of the lake. Some of these algal mats are associated with the stromatolites while most confine themselves to a particular area such as the high foreshore areas, splash zone or the central basin of the lake. The lake water is alkaline and nutrient poor but provides an ideal environment for bottom dwelling microbial communities. The lake contains some small fish, amphiods and a few crustacean species adapted to living in highly saline environments. Around the edge of the lake is a pleasant bushwalk trail stretching for 1.5km.
Cervantes is well known for its biennial art festival and thriving arts community. The Cervantes Art Trail is an ongoing project coordinated by the talented and artistic members of the Cervantes Cultural Committee and the trail is designed to highlight interesting features around the town as you walk, ride or drive around. You will see the first pieces as you drive into town along Cervantes Road but for a comprehensive map of the art trail call into the Turquoise Coast Visitor Centre in Jurien Bay or the Pinnacles Visitor Centre inside the post office on Cadiz Street in Cervantes. Please be aware that some art installations are on private property so access is limited.
Aragon Street Foreshore is the main beach of Cervantes and is great for a stop-over after your long drive. Get coffee and lunch at the small café adjacent to the playground or at the gas BBQs. The large grassed area contains public ablutions nearby and the beautiful white sandy beach is a peaceful spot to while away some hours on a sunny day.
If you head south from the foreshore you’ll arrive at Thirsty Point. This spot is very popular with kite-surfers and wind-surfers and a great vantage point to view the Cervantes islands.