Stay

Where you stay on the Fleurieu Peninsula depends on the trip you're planning, and there's accommodation here for every style and budget. Wine lovers tend to base themselves in and around McLaren Vale, where luxury vineyard retreats, cottages and glamping put you within walking distance of cellar doors. Beach holidaymakers head for Victor Harbor, Port Elliot and Goolwa on the Encounter Coast, or the quieter western beaches around Normanville and Carrickalinga.

The range is wide: architect-designed coastal houses and adults-only retreats with plunge pools at the top end, through to family beach shacks, bed and breakfasts, farmstays and welcoming caravan and holiday parks at Victor Harbor, Cape Jervis, Port Willunga and Second Valley. Many stays make the most of the setting, with vineyard, ocean or hinterland views.

Because the peninsula is compact, you can comfortably explore most of it from a single base — nowhere is much more than an hour's drive from anywhere else. Book well ahead for summer, long weekends and the whale-watching season, when the popular coastal towns fill quickly. Mid-week and the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring offer the best value and the quietest beaches.