Family Activities
For Kids & Parents
The best family activities in Fleurieu Peninsula
The horse-drawn tram at Victor Harbor, steam trains at Goolwa, calm bays for swimming, farm animal experiences and playgrounds - the Fleurieu is a family holiday legend.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is a brilliant place to travel with children, with a stack of things to do that work for all ages and most weather. The classic family day out is at Victor Harbor: ride the heritage horse-drawn tram across the causeway to Granite Island, then hop aboard the Cockle Train, a historic steam-and-heritage railway that runs along the coast to Goolwa.
There's plenty more to keep kids busy. Think mini golf and foreshore playgrounds, the trout farm at Tooperang where you can catch your own, wildlife parks, and gentle, swimmable beaches up and down the Gulf St Vincent coast. Markets, farm gates and pick-your-own orchards turn a simple drive into an adventure, and the region's many short, flat walks and rail trails are easy going for little legs and prams.
Rainy days are well covered too, with museums, galleries, indoor play and family-friendly cafés in the larger towns. Most attractions are close together and easy to string into a single outing, and lots of beaches, walks and parks are free. For the most popular activities and the Cockle Train, check seasonal timetables and book ahead during school holidays.
Browse family activities by area
13 places
Bristow Smith Reserve
A riverside nature playground with a wooden boat
Goolwa's premier riverside park features an award-winning nature playspace built around a 10-metre restored wooden fishing boat, right on the Murray River with BBQs, shelters and a shallow swimming beach.
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.
Coast to Vines Rail Trail
Thirty-seven flat kilometres from sea to slate
A 37-kilometre sealed rail trail along the old Willunga railway corridor, running from Marino on the coast through the McLaren Vale vineyards and ending on the edge of historic Willunga township.
Encounter Bikeway
30km sealed cycling and walking path
A mostly flat 30km sealed path running along the Encounter Coast between Victor Harbor and Goolwa - perfect for families, casual walkers and cyclists.
Glacier Rock (Selwyn Rock)
A 280-million-year-old glaciated river bed
A Permian-era glacial pavement carved into 510 million year old bedrock on the floor of the Inman River - one of the oldest and most accessible glacial sites in Australia.
Goolwa Wharf Rotary Market
Riverside market on the Goolwa Wharf
A community market on the Goolwa Wharf with over 80 stalls of fresh produce, crafts, food and music - held on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month.
Granite Island
Victor Harbor's penguin-island
A small rocky island off the Victor Harbor foreshore, home to a little penguin colony and accessed by the iconic horse-drawn tram causeway.
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.
Middleton Beach
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.
Myponga Reservoir Reserve
Walking, kayaking and fishing at a SA Water reservoir
A 250-hectare SA Water reservoir opened to the public for walking, kayaking, fishing and picnics, with a spectacular lookout over the dam wall and spillway.
Signal Point Gallery
Contemporary gallery on the Goolwa Wharf
A contemporary and touring exhibition gallery housed in a landmark building on the Goolwa Wharf, looking out over the Murray River.
Soldiers Memorial Gardens
Riverside park at the heart of Strathalbyn
A beautiful riverside park at the centre of Strathalbyn, following the River Angas through the heritage town with lawns, ponds, picnic tables and the town's war memorial.
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.