Beaches
Sheltered swimming coves and wild surf-washed bays.
The best beaches in Port Vincent
Wrapped by three gulfs, the Yorke Peninsula has a beach for every mood: calm, child-friendly bays on the eastern coast, long surf beaches on the wild west, and turquoise coves tucked beneath the cliffs of Innes National Park.
Read our guide to beaches ↓Browse beaches by area
Black Point
View →Long sandy spit famed for big swimming flats.
A narrow holiday settlement on a long sandy spit, with shallow safe swimming and a relaxed shack-life feel.
Pine Point
View →Crabbing flats and a safe family beach.
A small holiday settlement on the gulf coast south of Ardrossan, once a busy little port, now loved for its safe beach, crabbing flats and easy boat ramp.
Port Julia
View →A ketch port asleep beside its heritage jetty.
A tiny former ketch port between Ardrossan and Port Vincent, with a heritage-listed 1913 jetty, an old goods shed and some of the east coast's quietest water.
Port Vincent
View →Yachting harbour with calm swimming and a marina.
A pretty east-coast holiday town built around a sheltered bay and marina, with safe swimming and a lively summer scene.
About beaches in Yorke Peninsula
Yorke Peninsula is ringed by some of South Australia's most varied coastline, and its beaches are the heart of any visit. On the calm eastern gulf you'll find shallow, child-friendly bays at places like Stansbury and Port Vincent, where the water warms early and blue swimmer crabs can be raked from the shallows at low tide.
Drive to the rugged western and southern coasts and the mood changes completely. Inside Innes National Park, surf rolls in off the Southern Ocean at famous breaks, while sheltered coves like Shell Beach offer turquoise swimming pools framed by limestone cliffs. Anglers chase Australian salmon from the sand at exposed surf beaches, and rock pools at low tide reveal a world of marine life.
Whether you want a safe paddle, a long shore-fishing session or empty stretches of white sand, the peninsula's beaches reward every kind of beachgoer. Pack reef shoes, sun protection and a tide chart, and you'll have your pick of bays all year round.
Beaches in Yorke Peninsula - frequently asked questions
What are the best beaches on the Yorke Peninsula?
Wrapped by three gulfs, Yorke Peninsula has a beach for every mood. The calm eastern gulf has sheltered, child-friendly bays at Stansbury and Port Vincent, the wild west coast has long surf beaches, and the turquoise coves beneath the cliffs of Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park - including Pondalowie Bay and Browns Beach - are the dramatic highlight at the southern tip.
Which Yorke Peninsula beaches are best for families and safe swimming?
The sheltered eastern coast is the gentlest, with shallow, slow-shelving water at places like Stansbury, Port Vincent and Edithburgh that warms early in the season. The Edithburgh Tidal Pool is a standout for young children - a historic walled pool dating to the 1880s, only around knee to waist deep, with steps for easy entry, plus lawns, picnic spots and barbecues alongside.
Where can I surf on the Yorke Peninsula?
The exposed west and south coasts catch the swell, with most of the best surf inside Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park. Pondalowie Bay is the classic spot with consistent waves and a beach and reef break, Chinaman's is a powerful left-hand reef break for experienced surfers only, and Berry Bay near Corny Point is gentler for learners. The Yorkes surfing competition runs in the park each October long weekend.
Can you go crabbing on Yorke Peninsula beaches?
Yes - the sandy, seagrass shallows of the eastern gulf are prime blue swimmer crab country. You can rake them from the shallows or net them off the jetties at calm spots like Stansbury, Port Vincent and Ardrossan. Crabs move into the warm shallows from roughly spring to autumn, with the local rule of thumb being any month with an 'r' in it.
Do you need to pay or book to visit the beaches in Innes National Park, and can you bring a dog?
The beaches themselves are free, but Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park charges a vehicle entry fee (around $12 per vehicle per day) that you book and pay online, as cash is no longer taken at the park. Dogs are not permitted anywhere in the national park, so for beach walks with your dog stick to the many beaches outside it, where dogs are generally welcome off-leash provided they stay under effective control.