Summer is coming and our thoughts turn to long lazy holidays by the beach.

South Australia is blessed with arguably some of the most beautiful and swimmable beaches, so I thought I’d revisit an earlier story on my website and answer the one question I get asked most often, and that is where are the best places to caravan by the beach in SA?

Firstly I have to say we haven’t tried all of them, but that’s partly because we think we’ve found the best. When it comes to what we look for in a caravan park or off grid caravanning by the beach we have a few favourites that make it hard to look anywhere else.

The reasons they rate so highly for us are for a few criteria including how close you are to the water, great facilities, top fishing spots, dog friendly (mostly) and near towns and other attractions.  

So in no particular order I’ve updated my list of best beachside caravan parks and off grid places to enjoy in South Australia. I’ve listed them by regions to make your search easier.

Eyre Peninsula

Venus Bay Beachfront Tourist Park has sites as close to the sand as possible with walkways out to the beach. The fishing is fantastic with a jetty in walking distance and the park hires out tinnies which they even launch and retrieve for you.

There is an onsite souvenir shop, fishing tackle and some grocery lines and they cook takeaway food with the best fish and chips going around. Venus Bay also has a grocery store with a licensed cafe, and a clifftop walk with spectacular coastal views.

In the park there are good fish cleaning facilities, a camp kitchen with all you need, and you can have a small contained campfire at your site at certain times of year. It’s a pet friendly park and prices for sites start from around $36 per night.

Tumby Bay Caravan Park is right on the foreshore with no traffic passing in front of the park and a long sandy beach in front. Another dog friendly park, it has a camp kitchen and barbecues overlooking the bay and a walking path from the park leads all the way along the foreshore and into town.

Tumby Bay has great places to eat and drink with two hotels, a few cafes and a brilliant bakery. Walk around town to find street art which gets added to every year in March during the Colour Tumby Festival. Powered site prices start from $40 per night.

Coffin Bay has to be the best in SA for natural wildlife encounters. Stay in this park and you will have emus and kangaroos wandering around and through your site every day on dusk. They’re not the least bit worried by dogs in this pet friendly park.

This has location going for it too, being directly opposite Oyster HQ, a fabulous spot to sit on the deck overlooking the bay and enjoy oysters or other tapas plates with a wine or two. You can also try the locally made Coffin Bay gin here.

From here take the Oyster Walk, a trail that weaves its way around the bay and foreshore and takes you into the town which has a supermarket, hotel and more. There is a jetty to fish from and lots of land based fishing options nearby. Powered sites start around $43 per night.

Port Lincoln Tourist Park is perfectly situated on the waterfront just out of the centre of town, but best of all it has its own jetty which reliably provides fish and squid.  A pet friendly park which also has a coastal walking track to take for more spectacular views.

The sites in the caravan park are tiered so everyone gets a good view of the water and you can watch the professional fishers coming and going in their boats day and night. The park has a pool, barbecues, camp kitchen, fish cleaning facilities and a great playground for kids.

The town of Port Lincoln is big and there are wineries, a brewery, hotels and plenty of shopping and dining options to choose from. Powered sites start from around $47 per night.

Whyalla Foreshore Caravan Park has beachfront sites where you can take just a few steps and be out on the beach. The park has lots of fun things for kids with an activity room, mini golf, playgrounds and more, but we love this park for the view and because Whyalla has what I think is the best jetty in Australia.

Whyalla’s jetty is unique in the southern hemisphere, being the only round jetty. There’s plenty of room for everyone to fish, the lighting is incredible and it’s a beautiful structure while being very practical.

The park is dog friendly and there’s plenty of space for dogs to run on the beach. Sites start at $33 per night and Whyalla being a big regional town has all the shopping and dining options you could want.

Best off grid Eyre Peninsula for pure peace and stunning views can be found at Point Gibbon and coastline, Sheringa Beach, Walkers Rocks and Point Lowly. There are small fees to pay and stay in these places but they are worth every cent for the tranquillity.

Yorke Peninsula

Moonta Bay Holiday Park has location going for it, directly on the beachfront with a safe shallow beach for kids and dogs to enjoy. A jetty and water play park are within walking distance and the park has barbecues, playgrounds and a camp kitchen. The fishing and crabbing at Moonta Bay is the reason this one is a favourite as well as the camaraderie with other regulars in the park.

The town of Moonta is only a few kilometres inland and has a supermarket, tackle store, lots of charming shops and places to drink and dine. Powered sites at Moonta Bay start from $47 per night.

Port Hughes Holiday Park has brilliant views, a long jetty that’s very popular with fishers, as well as a heavily used boat ramp. The best thing about staying here is that the Port Hughes Tavern is walking distance at the end of the park and serves the most delicious food.

Port Hughes also has a general store right next to the Tavern which has a great range of products and you can get takeaway food and drinks.

Foreshore powered sites start from $49 per night and there is a camp kitchen, activities for the kids and it’s pet friendly too.

Best off grid Yorke Peninsula spots include Barker Rocks and Stenhouse Bay which is in the Dhilba-Guuranda National Park so not one that’s pet friendly. Both have excellent fishing.

Fleurieu Peninsula and Metro Beach Adelaide

Port Elliot Holiday Park has the best views and location on the Fleurieu, set right on Horseshoe Bay and just minutes walking to the village feeling town. This is a surf lifesaving patrolled beach at peak times of year, so there are safe swimming spots in the bay.

This rates highly for the beaches on either side of the park and nearby surf lifesaving club on Horseshoe Bay. There’s also the Harbourmasters walk which is a path that hugs the headland and is an easy circuit walk back into Port Elliot town.

It’s a great base for exploring other towns on the Fleurieu Peninsula and there are plenty of scenic drives to other beach spots nearby.

Port Elliot has terrific hotels, other dining options, boutique shopping and a supermarket all within walking distance of the park. The bakery is legendary for its terrific food and people travel the 80 kilometres or so from Adelaide for their donuts and pies of the month. Powered sites in the park start at $44 per night.

Brighton Beachfront Holiday Park is my pick of suburban beachfront parks. A beautiful beach directly in front of you, a walking path for great coastal views which leads into the trendy suburb of Brighton, and places to eat with great views within walking distance.

Next to the park is the Seacliff Surf Lifesaving club, and next to that is the Brighton and Seacliff Yacht Club, both terrific venues for food and drinks. Only a short walk further is the Seacliff Hotel, another good spot for meals.

The holiday park is pet friendly, has a fantastic camp kitchen and seating area and sites start from $50 per night.  This park is less than 20 kilometres from Adelaide making it a terrific beachside holiday close to the city.

Enjoy any of these fabulous South Australian beach holiday spots but get in quick to book for summer holidays.

Glenys