Put these Adelaide beaches on your list to visit this summer
Swimming? Snorkelling? Family fun day out? We found Adelaide’s best beaches, for every kind of summer fun.
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Adelaide’s coastline is home to some of the most stunning beaches, not just in Australia, but the world. So whether you’re looking for a swim, a catch-up with friends or a place to let your dog run free, we’ve found the best Adelaide beaches for every kind of summer fun.
FISHING - Semaphore Beach
Semaphore has beach and jetty fishing - and if you have the kids in tow there’s parks, playgrounds and a sandy beach for when they are done fishing. There’s easy parking and Semaphore Rd has loads of cafes and shop too. Anglers can fish for tommy ruff, trout, mulloway, bream, squid and crabs. And the breakwater down the beach to the south of the jetty is good for whiting and mullet. Just remember, when fishing in South Australia, there’s protected species, marine park sanctuary zones, minimum sizes, bag limits and licences with penalties if you break the law.
SURFING - South Port Beach
At the southern end of Port Noarlunga is South Port. There’s sand dunes and the Onkaparinga River mouth … and multiple surf spots to cater for beginners to the more experienced. Park up on the cliffs and walk down the stairs. It’s a beautiful spot. Christies Beach is also good for surfing.
SWIMMING - Seacliff
SA has sooo many great swimming spots that stretch from Seacliff through to Grange, where you’ll generally find safe conditions. But this little cove is next level. It’s great for kids and there’s paddle boards for hire too! Stand Up Paddles SA is right on the sand, with rentals starting at $25 an hour and they also offer lessons. And there’s nothing quite like a beer and chips on the balcony at the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club and the adjoining Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club, with carpark and boat ramp north of the sailing club. It’s a short walk to Angus Neill Reserve and the Seacliff Pub - another great spot to watch the sunset on the balcony.
SNORKELLING - Port Noarlunga
On the south side of the jetty you’ll find one of the best snorkelling spots in the state. It’s home to about 200 species of marine plants and 50 fish species. The water is shallow and about 400m out is the colourful Port Noarlunga Reef. This is a great spot for beginners. Elite Dive Academy offers snorkel and diving equipment hire and sales at 88a Esplanade, Port Noarlunga. You can go out from the beach and from January (fingers crossed) you’ll be able to head down the new jetty stairs, which were blown away in a storm in November 2018 and still haven’t been replaced.
CAFE CULTURE - Brighton Beach
Brighton is great spot for a latte, lunch and/or a spot of shopping on Jetty Rd - with loads of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. It’s got a relaxed vibe and is a top spot to meet friends for a coffee before a stroll south to Seacliff or north to Somerton - either on the beach or on the paved paths. Down by the shore there’s gorgeous white sand and the popular fishing jetty.
FAMILY FUN DAY- Glenelg
Glenelg is a great destination for families, just 25 minutes from Adelaide’s CBD. There’s the beach, jetty, shops, cafes and restaurants. Plus there’s the Beachouse, with its waterslides, dodgem cars, bumper boats, play castle and arcade games. But wait . . . there’s more! There’s also the Glenelg Foreshore Playspace. This $1.3 million playground on the foreshore at Glenelg, between the town hall and the jetty, was opened in 2016. It was recently voted one of the best playgrounds in Adelaide in our Messenger poll. This gem of a playground includes an extra-wide slippery dip, in-ground trampolines, a hammock swing, a sandpit with water activities and a cubby. And the best part, parents can enjoy a coffee at Boomers on the Beach opposite the playground while their children play.
LUNCH WITH THE GIRLS - Henley Square
Henley Square is awash with great restaurants - Melt, Thai Orchard, Stella, Estia and more. There’s Bacchus Bar for sunset cocktails and quite often, there’s volleyball on the beach. There’s the jetty to walk off the meal and there’s loads of lawned chill out spaces. The Square was upgraded a few years back and now has a water feature - which makes this a great family spot too.
Mattis and Lukas Vanzati have run café Malobo in the square for four years, but this summer they’ve also opened Seamore’s - a nod to the classic Australian surf club in the old Sandbar heritage-listed building. And the balcony that overlooks the ocean is a perfect new addition to the strip - and turns into a casual bar at sunset.
DRIVE ON - Aldinga Beach
Hands up all the parents who just love packing the spades, buckets, several changes of clothes, chairs, boogie boards, copious snacks and water (and then some more to replace the snacks and water that will get dropped in the sand), towels, balls, and more snacks. Just bring ALL of the snacks because most will end up in the sand, be the wrong size or colour or taste funny even though it was their favourite thing ever the day before. Then park the car and grapple with all that STUFF, while attempting to round up your children, who - as soon as they see the ocean - will be harder to herd than cats. Now, mum and dad, imagine driving straight onto the beach! All the stuff and the snacks and the soccer balls in the car, ready to pull out only when needed. This beach is a great all-rounder and regularly tops best beaches lists. There’s a boat launch area and divers and snorkellers can make the most of Aldinga Aquatic Reserve. Vehicle access is permitted on Aldinga (and Moana, Sellicks and Silver Sands beaches) between 5.30am and midnight. Non-residents and those unable to produce a beach permit can pay the $8 ramp fee to access the beach.
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CRABBING - Thompson Beach
There’s something quite meditative about wading through the shallows to go crabbing. And Thompson Beach on the tidal flats north of Adelaide is one of the best spots to do it. The experts inform us you should head out at low tide and follow the incoming tide back to shore. You’ll need tough footwear to prevent being stabbed by rocks and shells on the sea floor. Great for raking in blue crabs - just make sure what you take is of legal size!
DOG FRIENDLY - O’Sullivan Beach
Almost half of us own dogs and live within kilometres of the coast so a great dog beach is essential. During Daylight Saving most beaches are on-leash - at least from 10am-8pm. But there are a few that are always off-leash 24/7 all year round, including part of O’Sullivan Beach, which runs south of Selway Terrace for more than 1km down to the north side of Heather Street.
THE SOLID ALL-ROUNDER - Moana Beach
This beach is a great all-rounder. It is great for budding surfers and paddle boarders. The foreshore is dominated by towering Norfolk Island pines, there’s easy parking and also a leash-free area at the northern end for the family pooch. There’s a grassed area on the esplanade, shade and barbecue facilities.
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