Port Elliot

A quiet, family-friendly stretch of sand just east of Middleton, part of the Basham Beach Regional Park, with a clifftop walking trail and good rock pools.

A well-loved wholefoods cafe overlooking Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot, with strong vegan and vegetarian options and a coastal view from every table.

Beachfront caravan park at Horseshoe Bay

A family caravan park right on the beach at Horseshoe Bay, Port Elliot - cabins, ensuite sites, caravan and camping sites, and a direct walk to the sand.

A wide-ranging antique and collectables dealer in the heritage Old Registry Building on Port Elliot's main street.

A small sand-and-rock beach between Port Elliot and Middleton, best known as one of the most consistent surf breaks on the south coast.

All-day cafe on Port Elliot's North Terrace

Bright all-day cafe on Port Elliot's main street - good coffee, brunch standards and counter cabinet food from 7:30am.

A second-hand bookshop on Port Elliot's Strand with a strong art-book collection and a South Australian history focus.

Whaler's lookout with the best view of Horseshoe Bay

At the end of The Strand, the restored Freeman Lookout perches above Horseshoe Bay on a headland that whalers used as a spotting post in the 1830s. One of the Fleurieu's best whale-watching vantage points in winter.

A processing factory shopfront in Port Elliot selling fresh, de-sanded Coorong pipis (Kuti) year-round - operated in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri people.

A secret cove between the Port Elliot headlands

A tiny tucked-away cove between Rocky Bay and Knights Beach, reached via the Harbourmasters Trail. Calm days bring crystal-clear water for snorkelling; rough days bring dramatic wave shows.

An easy coastal loop past every Port Elliot bay

A 1.9-kilometre sealed loop trail along the granite cliffs of Port Elliot, linking Horseshoe Bay, Freeman Lookout, Green Bay and Knights Beach with sweeping Encounter Bay views.

The Middleton outpost of the cult Home Grain sourdough bakery from Aldinga, popular with surfers and weekenders for its famous pies and sourdough loaves.

Providore and licensed cafe on North Terrace

Part providore, part licensed cafe: a curated Fleurieu food store on Port Elliot's main street with a rustic courtyard cafe out the back.

World-class bodyboarding and a sheltered swim

Knights Beach sits on the eastern edge of Port Elliot's headlands and is rated among the top bodyboarding breaks in the world when a south-southeast swell is running. On smaller days it offers a safer family swim than neighbouring Boomer Beach.

Middleton's main pub - a relaxed coastal tavern and bistro on the main road, the social hub for surfers, locals and Goolwa-Victor Harbor day-trippers.

A multi-winery cellar door on the historic Waverley Estate at Port Elliot, pouring Thunderbird Wines and several southern Fleurieu small producers.

Inside Australia's oldest public railway terminus

The 1853 Port Elliot Railway Station, now home to the National Trust's Historic Railway and Seaport Centre, tells the story of the horse-drawn tramway that connected the Murray River to the sea.

A small offshore granite island just off Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot - a defining feature of the bay's view, accessible to experienced swimmers in calm conditions.

An independent Port Elliot bookshop on North Terrace specialising in literature, art and design titles - a destination shop on the main street.

South Australia's largest and longest-running surf school, based in the main street of Middleton - daily 2-hour group lessons, surfboard, SUP and wetsuit hire, and trailer-based hire on the beach.

A small artist-run cooperative gallery on Port Elliot's Strand, showing rotating work by a group of established and emerging local artists.

Surf beach village between Port Elliot and Goolwa

Small beachside village between Port Elliot and Goolwa on the Encounter Coast, with one of the Fleurieu's most consistent surf breaks and a famous pub.

The Fleurieu learn-to-surf beach

A long, gently-shelving sand beach between Port Elliot and Goolwa, widely regarded as the best learn-to-surf beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Port Elliot's big-wave reef break

A dramatic reef break at the western end of Port Elliot, named for the thunderous sound of its crashing waves. A classic South Australian surf spot for experienced riders.

On the sand at Horseshoe Bay

Beachside cafe and restaurant right on Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot - an icon of the Encounter Coast serving breakfast, lunch and summer dinners overlooking the beach.

Country bakery on North Terrace

Long-loved country bakery in the heart of Port Elliot, famous for pies, pasties, vanilla slices and coffee a short walk from Horseshoe Bay.

Casual country hotel & bistro on The Strand

Casual country hotel on The Strand with a bistro, beer garden, family-friendly pub meals and a short stroll to Horseshoe Bay.

Port Elliot's sheltered family cove

A near-perfect horseshoe of sandy beach framed by sandstone headlands at Port Elliot, one of the safest swimming beaches on the Encounter Coast.

Middleton tasting room with coffee & cakes

Small McLaren Vale producer with a charming cellar door in the old Middleton general store, open weekends and public holidays.