Port Elliot is a favourite holiday spot for many South Australians, being easily accessible at only 80 kilometres from Adelaide, it has a relaxed seaside town feel, plenty of shopping and great options for wining and dining.

The Big4 Port Elliot Holiday Park is the place to stay, situated right on the beachfront at Horseshoe Bay, with sites overlooking the beach or a little more sheltered further back in the park. There’s activities to keep the kids entertained as well as a nice camp kitchen for the adults to gather in and around, with seating indoors and out and BBQ’s to use.

You’ll find terrific coastal walks to take from the park, around the headland and into town or through Ratalang reserve towards Middleton, or you can just enjoy the sea air and views from your caravan. Here’s a few of our favourite things to do and places to eat when in Port Elliot.

Flying Fish Café & Restaurant

Walk off the sand and straight into this lovely café and restaurant, serving up absolutely delicious food and local wines with fantastic views of the beach, jetty and headland in its idyllic position. We’ve dined here a few times and always love the food and friendly service.

Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club

Another spot boasting spectacular views indoors and out, overlooking Horseshoe Bay, the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club also has a range of fabulous food on the menu. They’re open from Wednesdays to Sundays, but check their social pages for seasonal updates. It’s always nice to be able to support a terrific service like surf life saving by spending a bit of money in clubrooms like these.

Hotel Elliot

This hotel is on The Strand in Port Elliot and has a range of bar and dining spaces to choose from, including a popular outdoor beer garden. Another venue that we’ve always found to have great food, wines and service, and they cater well for group bookings.

The pick of spots to have a cold bevvy or two, is sitting at the large open windows overlooking The Strand, where you can watch the passing parade of people and if you time it right, the SteamRanger train passes right by the front of the hotel.

Port Elliot Bowls Club

For a cheap and cheerful dinner, head to the perfectly positioned Bowls Club, on the seafront, for excellent meals and good wines, all served by wonderful volunteers at the club on a Friday night. (Check social media for opening times and details)

Take a Hike

Port Elliot is an easily walkable destination and the encounter bikeway passes by the park as well. You can walk or ride the path in one direction to Middleton and further on to Goolwa, or towards Victor Harbor in the other direction, passing picturesque beaches in either direction.

For spectacular coastal views take the ‘Harbormasters Walk’ around the headland, starting from in front of the Surf Lifesaving Club and all the way past Lady’s Bay, the rocky breakwater where seals frolic, past Green Bay, and around to Knights Beach where you may see body boarders in the rugged surf. You can then cut back through Continental Park at the top of The Strand and back downhill through the Soldiers Memorial Gardens, for a different view over Horseshoe Bay.

Shopping on the Strand

The Strand is made for strolling and checking out the lovely boutique shops, homewares, second hand treasures, historic buildings and more. You’ll also find more cafes to try, more boutique shopping, another hotel and the famous Port Elliot Bakery on North Terrace, the main road through Port Elliot.

The bakery is easily spotted by the line of patrons waiting to try their freshly baked goodies, including the pie of the month and donut of the month. Follow their social media for all the updates.

Horseshoe Bay

All roads lead to the bay, this beautiful curved stretch of sand and crystal clear blue water is the main drawcard for visitors to the area with some pretty forceful waves suitable for body boarders and gentler areas of the bay for swimmers.

There’s a small jetty, a pontoon for swimmers and for the safest day out in the water, stick to where the surf lifesavers have set up their flags on weekends.

Enjoy this picturesque jewel on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Glenys