The white sandy beach at Port Willunga is beautiful, rugged, large and uncrowded and there are some incredibly unique caves here. These caves are a popular attraction in South Australia both amongst visitors as well as locals, and over the years Port Willunga has developed from a working port into an unspoilt holiday destination and a great place for photography!
Related South Australia reading: Adelaide photography locations
How to get to Port Willunga Caves
Port Willunga is a 45 minute drive from Adelaide on The Fleurieu Peninsula.
CAR:
The most convenient way to get here is by car: type in ‘Port Willunga Beach Caves’ into Google maps – click here to see the location.
Head down The Esplanade and just off the road you’ll see a small parking area near to the Star of Greece restaurant. Here you are literally parked on top of the caves. Walk towards the restaurant and you’ll see some wooden steps down to the beach on your left hand side.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
If you are coming on public transport from Adelaide it will take about 1.5 hours to reach here. From Adelaide Railway Station take the train to Seaford. At the interchange go to Zone A for the 750B Bus to Aldinga/Port Willunga. Ride on the bus for about 20 minutes until you get to The Esplanade (stop 109). This is where you get off – right next to the top of the stairs that go down to the beach.
Port Willunga Beach
As you walk down the steps to the beach you’ll see the jetty pylons in front of you, which are the only remains of the old Port Willunga Pier that was built in 1868. ‘The sticks’ as they are known locally make a popular spot for photography especially at sunset. The old jetty lies in front of the caves, so if you turn around to your left you’ll then see the caves.
Port Willunga Caves
What makes Port Willunga Beach incredibly unique is the beachfront caves. There are several caves carved into the rock face and this was previously where local fishermen would have stored their boats. Nowadays people use them as a place to sit and have a picnic when they want some shade from the sun. They also make for a great photo spot!
Where to get food at Port Willunga
The only option for food at Port Willunga Beach is The Star of Greece restaurant just behind the beach. This is a great place to have dinner – it is an upmarket fine dining seafood restaurant although they also have a great kiosk open during the warmer months where you can get fresh seafood, casual food, snacks and drinks. The prices of the fish and chips from the kiosk is very reasonable.
If you can drive to nearby Aldinga a few minutes away – there is a large selection of shops, places to eat, and a supermarket available here.
Accommodation options at Port Willunga
Many people choose just to visit Port Willunga for a few hours, however lots of people enjoy it as a holiday destination or somewhere to go for a weekend away as the beach is incredibly beautiful and clean.
There are several airbnb options here as well as a caravan park nearby. Alternatively, stay at Aldinga Beach or Victor Harbor that offer a greater selection of accommodation options. If you will be camping, Rapid Bay Campground is 60km south-west of Port Willunga (close to the ferry for Kangaroo Island) but has stunning beachside views and is only $9 per person per night.
Port Willunga makes a great little stop if you are driving from Adelaide down to Cape Jervis to get the ferry to Kangaroo Island as it is on the way. If you are planning to do an Adelaide to Melbourne road trip, Port Willunga is a tiny bit out of the way, however The Fleurieu Peninsula is a beautiful part of South Australia, known for it’s beautiful, serene rugged beaches (great for photography!) and it is definitely worth a little detour.
Nearby places to Port Willunga include the wine region of McLaren Vale (make sure to visit one of the wineries!) and Port Noarlunga (great for diving and snorkelling).
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