Port Vincent Foreshore Caravan Park Yorke Peninsula review | SA’s Great Travel Planner

There is something enduringly wonderful about Port Vincent. For starters, it’s only about a two-hour drive to get there from Adelaide.

There is something enduringly wonderful about Port Vincent. For starters it’s only about a two-hour drive to get there. No stress there for either parents or children. For another, it has one of the more appealing approaches to any of the beach towns on the Yorke Peninsula.

You take a left turn off the St Vincent Highway, head down the Limekiln Rd and watch the bright blue sea rise up to meet you. The stress of life begins to fall away even before the car stops.

Today the first stop is the Port Vincent Foreshore Caravan Park. It’s been a very last-minute decision to try to escape from Adelaide for a few days and it was more in hope than expectation that a call was placed to see if any vacancies existed.

Our luck was in. A late cancellation meant a cabin had unexpectedly become free. So we booked in for three nights and set out the next day. In summer there is a pleasant air of busyness about Port Vincent. It’s not big enough to feel crowded, not small enough to feel dead. Certainly, though, the caravan park is predictably busy at this time of year.

Every space appears full, underscoring our good luck in finding a vacancy.

The cabin at Port Vincent Caravan Park overlooked the ocean. Picture: Michael McGuire

Adding to our feeling of fortune, the cabin we have been allocated is right on the edge of the park overlooking the ocean. The large front window in the lounge room gave a lovely view of the comings and goings of the tide and the many people fishing and crabbing.

Even before we had unpacked the kids decided, with the tide out, we had to go for a walk and explore our new surroundings.

Outside of the view, the cabin itself is well-presented, functional and clean.

The living area is roomy with a sofa and a dining table and chairs. There is reverse-cycle airconditioning, a DVD player, TV and ceiling fans. There is also a separate kitchen to make your own meals.

There are two bedrooms. One with a just-about-squeezed in queen-sized bed, the other with bunk beds, of which the bottom is a double. But, of course, nice as it is, it’s only a base from which to explore Port Vincent. It was a delight to park the car when we arrived on Monday and not start it again until we left Thursday morning.

The cabin at Port Vincent Caravan Park was comfortable. Picture: Michael McGuire

The rest of the time was spent walking to and from the beach. The kids spent hours in the flat-as-a-tack sea, swimming out to the pontoon and jumping off, or building vast elaborate sandcastles on the beach.

They also gradually worked up the courage to jump off the jetty, although only at high tide, and into mercifully deep water.

Port Vincent also carries just about enough shops to keep you in place. A decent supermarket, a serviceable pub, which is worth a try just to stare out the window at the sea, and the Chill Out cafe, which does an excellent breakfast and coffee.

Reviews are unannounced and paid for by SAWeekend.

This review was first published in February 2017 and details updated in March 2021.

• 12 Marine Pde, Port Vincent
• [phone]
• portvincentfcp.com.au
• LOCATION About 200km west of Adelaide on the Yorke Peninsula
• ACCOMMODATION A variety of cabin types, caravan spaces and camping sites and a villa.
• FACILITIES Queen size beds, bunks, fridge/freezer, microwave, gas stove and oven, iron and ironing board, television, DVD player, airconditioning, ceiling fans.
• PRICE (based on two people) Cabins from $113-$160 a night depending on season. Villa $260 to $330. Powered sites $32-$42 a night.