Where the Vines
Meet the Tide.
An editorial guide to South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula - where world-class estates overlook the untamed Southern Ocean. 450+ places to see, taste, walk and remember.
Your complete guide to the Fleurieu Peninsula
An hour south of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula folds world-class wineries and cellar doors into rugged coastline, surf beaches, the Heysen Trail and seasonal whale watching. From McLaren Vale to Cape Jervis and the Coorong, here is everything worth your time — things to do, where to eat, and where to stay.
On the Fleurieu today
Wednesday, 10 June · live from Fleurieu Peninsula
Wind 13 km/h
5.7 mm forecast
What's on next
Visit today
Cellar doors, cafes and trails currently open across the peninsula. Live from Adelaide local time.
d'Arenberg
Fifth-generation family winery famous for the Dead Arm Shiraz and the architecturally striking five-storey d'Arenberg Cube tasting room.
Open today 10:00 - 17:00
Wirra Wirra Vineyards
Heritage winery established in 1894, famous for The Angelus Cabernet and the award-winning Harry's Deli bistro in the ironstone cellar.
Open today 10:00 - 17:00
Coriole Vineyards
Family-owned estate famous for pioneering Sangiovese in Australia, Fiano, Nebbiolo and a celebrated garden restaurant overlooking the McLaren Vale hills.
Open today 11:00 - 17:00
S.C. Pannell
Stephen Pannell's renowned cellar door and restaurant high above McLaren Vale, specialising in Grenache, Tempranillo and other Mediterranean varietals.
Open today 11:00 - 17:00
Chapel Hill Wine
Certified organic winery housed in a restored 1860s hilltop chapel, known for flagship Shiraz and Cabernet and expansive McLaren Vale views.
Open today 11:00 - 17:00
Samuel's Gorge
Boutique winery by Justin McNamee in an 1853 stone barn overlooking the Onkaparinga Gorge, specialising in Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz.
Open today 11:00 - 17:00
The Peninsula's Pillars
From world-class wine to marine encounters - several distinctive worlds collide on one coastline.
McLaren Vale
South Australia's flagship premium wine region, a patchwork of over 80 cellar doors set between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Gulf St Vincent coastline.
Aldinga & Port Willunga
Golden limestone cliffs, the haunting remains of the Star of Greece jetty, and long drivable beaches where the McLaren Vale vines meet the sea.
Victor Harbor
The maritime heart of the south coast - home to southern right whales, Granite Island, the iconic horse-drawn tram and the Encounter Coast.
Itineraries & Guides
The Port Elliot walking trails: a coastal loop through the town
The Harbourmasters Trail is the short answer to 'what should we do for an hour in Port Elliot?' It is a sealed 1.9-kilometre loop that starts in the main street, hugs the granite cliffs, and takes in a half-dozen bays, a restored 1830s whaling lookout and one of the top bodyboarding breaks in Australia - and you can keep walking east from there all the way to the Murray Mouth.
April 2026 · 6 min read
Heritage trail: Strathalbyn to Willunga
The eastern Fleurieu was settled early and well - Strathalbyn was laid out in 1839 by Scottish free settlers, Willunga grew up around slate quarries in the 1840s, and Old Noarlunga is older still. A day's drive connects the three.
April 2026 · 5 min read
Whale watching on the Fleurieu
Each winter, southern right whales return to the Encounter Bay coastline to calve and mate in the sheltered waters where they were once hunted to near-extinction. Here is where to see them.
April 2026 · 5 min read
Top 10 lists
Our editorial shortlists - the best beaches, walks, wildlife moments and free things to do across the Peninsula.
Top 10 Fleurieu beaches
From the long sweep of Sellicks to the hidden cove of Blowhole
Top 10 Fleurieu walks and trails
Cliff sections, riverbeds, granite domes and one whole national park
Top 10 free things to do on the Fleurieu
Beaches, walks, lookouts and a steam train you can wave at for nothing
Top 10 Fleurieu wildlife experiences
Whales, seals, penguins, sea eagles, kangaroos and one paddock full of pelicans
The Whole Peninsula
Every place we've curated, plotted on the map. Click a marker to explore.
Recently added
Kleinigs Hill Lookout
A clifftop lookout above Victor Harbor offering one of the best elevated views over Encounter Bay, Granite Island and the western coastline.
Mount Breckan
A heritage 1881 stone mansion above Victor Harbor designed by William McMinn, set on landscaped gardens with elevated views across Encounter Bay.
West Island
A small uninhabited granite island sitting in Encounter Bay west of Wright Island - part of the Encounter Bay Marine Park and an important seabird breeding site.
Wright Island
A small offshore granite island sitting in Encounter Bay west of Granite Island, with a rocky shoreline that forms part of the bay's signature view.
Pullen Island
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.
Coorong National Park
A 130-kilometre lagoon and dune system stretching east from the Murray Mouth - one of Australia's most significant wetlands, reachable from Goolwa via the barrage and across Hindmarsh Island.
Places we love
Ingalalla Falls
Tiered cascade and rockpools in Second Valley Forest
A family-friendly tiered waterfall and rockpool just a short stroll from the carpark, set in the lush Second Valley Forest Reserve south of Normanville.
Aldinga Reef Aquatic Reserve
One of South Australia's most accessible snorkelling reefs
A protected limestone reef system off Aldinga Beach and Port Willunga, fully protected since 1971 and home to wobbegongs, blue devils, schools of reef fish and dolphins.
Sellicks Beach
A long sweep of sand below the cliffs
A wide, family-friendly drive-on beach at the southern end of the metropolitan coast, famous for its cliff-backed sands and clifftop sunsets over Gulf St Vincent.
Blowhole Beach
A wild, remote cove inside Deep Creek National Park
A secluded sand-and-pebble cove on the southern Fleurieu coast, reached only by 4WD track or a steep 3km return walk down from Cobbler Hill - and gloriously empty when you get there.
Carrickalinga Beach
A wide white-sand beach north of Normanville
A wide, flat, white-sand beach stretching 3km along the Gulf St Vincent north of Normanville - safe for swimming, excellent for beach walks and one of the Fleurieu's best family beaches.
Urimbirra Open-Range Wildlife Park
Hand-feed kangaroos and wombats at Victor Harbor
A family-run open-range wildlife park 5km north of Victor Harbor with kangaroos, wombats, koalas, dingoes and over 70 bird species - most of them close enough to feed.
Strathalbyn Historic Town
South Australia's Scottish heritage town
One of the prettiest towns in Australia: a riverside heritage town settled by Scottish pioneers in 1839, with over 30 heritage-listed buildings and a reputation as the state's antiques capital.
St Andrew's Uniting Church
One of Australia's most photographed churches
The bluestone landmark of Strathalbyn - a Presbyterian church consecrated in 1848, standing on the high bank of the River Angas above the Soldiers Memorial Gardens.