10 Best Beaches in Adelaide

The most popular beach on Adelaide’s metropolitan coastline is Glenelg beach, just a 20-minute scenic trolley ride from downtown. Jump off at Moseley Square for easy access to the ocean, where swimmers and sunseekers might spot dolphins at play in the water.

The golden sands and clear waters hold plenty of appeal, but Glenelg’s allure doesn’t end there. Feet-in-the-sand restaurants and bars offer many options for post-swim refreshments. Jetty Road is a famous shopping, drinking and dining strip where visitors can revamp their wardrobe before enjoying a sundowner as the sun dips over the ocean. In summer, visit Australia’s only official beach bar, Moseley Beach Club, to enjoy a Coco Loco cocktail from the comfort of your sun lounger.

Semaphore Beach contains white, sandy coastline with plenty of grassy picnic spots nearby. It’s a popular day trip from Adelaide itself, located in the pretty northwestern suburb of Semaphore, around 10 miles from the city. The beach here can be busy on summer weekends but is often blissfully quiet during the week. Although surfers tend to give this beach a swerve, the calm waters make it a good option for families, and the long, picturesque jetty is a popular spot for fishing.

After enjoying the wild nature of the water and the dunes, visitors can admire the famous Art Deco architecture along the seafront, and refuel with fish and chips, a chilled glass of wine, or a cooling ice cream.

Less than a 30-minute drive (or 45-minute trolley ride) from downtown Adelaide, Brighton Beach is an enduringly popular excursion for a family day out. It’s patrolled by surf lifeguards during the hot summer season. The beach is popular among swimmers when temperatures soar, and the foreshore is a stunning place for a beachfront stroll or jog in cooler weather.

The famous jetty is a prime location for fishing Busy Jetty Road has convenient parking as well shops selling merchandise including buckets and spades as well as chic beachwear. There’s a lively drinking and dining scene here, too, with plenty of opportunity to feast on ice cream, fish and chips, cocktails or a formal three-course meal.

Maslin Beach is famous for two things: its spectacular cliffs and coastal scenery, and its status as Australia’s first official nude beach. It’s about a 40-minute drive south of Adelaide. Don’t be tempted to strip off as soon as you arrive, though, as only one section of the beach is designated swimwear-free.

The northern section of the beach is a family-friendly, clothes-on spot, popular for swimming, snorkeling and diving thanks to clear waters and fascinating marine life (you might even spot the famous leafy seadragon). The southern end was declared the country’s first official nude beach in 1975. It remains hugely popular with naturists and sunseekers seeking an all-over tan.

The pleasant suburb of Largs Bay is popular with day trippers from the city thanks to its long sweep of sandy beach. It’s around a 25-minute drive north of downtown Adelaide. The nearly three-mile stretch is a continuation of the coastline that reaches south to become the busier Semaphore Beach; energetic visitors can take a breezy coastal walk between the two.

It’s popular for family picnics during the summer. Largs Beach is also known for its picturesque jetty, which provides shade in the heat of summer, and is a sought-after location for fishing. The gentle waves that lap the shore are generally safe and child-friendly, but things can get cold outside of the summer season.

The picture-perfect Aldinga Beach is a short hop from the attractive coastal town of Aldinga. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula coast. It’s famously one of the most accessible beaches in the region – a vehicle pass lets you drive right onto a parking area on the sands. It’s also one of the most photo-worthy beaches around.

An offshore reef and the famous ‘Aldinga Drop Off’ underwater cliff make this a popular spot for diving. Younger adventurers can have great fun exploring the rock pools that appear at low tide. With the famous McLaren Vale wine region nearby, there’s plenty of opportunity to raise a glass of chilled white at sunset.

Scenic and sophisticated, Henley Beach is just a 15-minute drive west of Adelaide. It’s an appealing mix of city chic and natural beauty, thanks to a wealth of smart bars and restaurants that have cropped up just steps away from the seemingly endless shoreline.

Sunsets here are spectacular, and Henley Beach is a nice option for a stroll along the foreshore even when the weather’s not warm enough for swimming. It’s busy with daytrippers during the heat of summer, but the expansive stretch of sand means there’s always plenty of room on the beach. For facilities such as picnic tables and toilets, grassy Henley Square is a few steps from the waterfront and is a major social hub.

Less than 40 minutes by car from central Adelaide, Moana Beach is one of several jewels in the crown of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The clear waters attract swimmers, surfers and active types looking to run, cycle or stroll the long coastal path. Kids can enjoy a paddle in the shallows.

With parking right on the beach for a small fee, there’s no need for long hot walks with heavy sunshades and beach chairs. It’s quiet during the winter but a busy spot during the summer holidays, when bars and cafes do a roaring trade in ice cold drinks and hot fish and chips, surf classes are open for kids and adults, and nearby campsites are filled with visiting families.

Divers and snorkelers will be in their element at Noarlunga Beach, which sits just outside the pretty coastal village of Port Noarlunga, 20 miles south of Adelaide. The sandstone cliffs, offshore reef and photo-worthy jetty make it a memorable destination for a dive. Those doing so might spot leafy seadragons among the 200-plus species of marine plants.

The designated safe swimming beach is patrolled by members of the Port Noarlunga Surf Lifesaving Club during the summer high season, and even visitors sticking to dry land might catch a glimpse of Australian sea lions, dolphins and even whales on the horizon.

Breezy Seacliff Beach is a favorite weekend destination for Adelaide families, who make the 25-minute drive to enjoy an area that’s well equipped with playgrounds, picnic areas, barbecue equipment and public toilets. Within scenic coastal walking distance of the busy Brighton Beach, Seacliff has a relaxed, neighborhood vibe, with locals and visitors gathering at the oceanfront Seacliff Beach Hotel to enjoy the famous beach sunsets accompanied by cold beers, wine and ice cream.

While younger swimmers can happily splash in the shallows of this patrolled (in summer) beach, more adventurous types can dive and snorkel among the colorful marine life of Kingston Park Coastal Reserve, which harbors the southern end of the beach.