Guide to Port Elliot South Australia Australia

Port Elliot sits on Horseshoe Bay, a near-perfect curve of sand between granite headlands, about 84 kilometres south of Adelaide and eight kilometres east of Victor Harbor. It was a port for a few years in the 1850s and is now one of the most popular holiday towns on the south coast.

The main street, The Strand, runs down to the bay past stone buildings, bookshops and cafes. It is smaller and quieter than Victor Harbor, with about 2,250 residents.

Known For

• Safe swimming at Horseshoe Bay
• Cliff-top walks and whale watching at Freeman’s Knob
• The Port Elliot Bakery and the Flying Fish on the beach

Things To Do in Port Elliot

Horseshoe Bay

The bay is sheltered from the ocean swell by Pullen Island and the headlands, making it one of the safest swimming beaches on this coast. It is patrolled in summer and has a small jetty, lawns and a playground.

Freeman’s Knob and the Cliffs

A path climbs from the bay to Freeman’s Knob and around the headland to Knights Beach and Boomer Beach, where the waves dump hard on the sand and only experienced surfers go in. From May to October the headland is a good place to look for southern right whales.

Maritime Heritage Trail

Signs around the bay tell the story of the port and of the ships wrecked here, four of them in 1856 alone.

Railway Station Museum

The National Trust museum is in the old station, which is still a stop for the Cockle Train between Goolwa and Victor Harbor.

Encounter Bikeway

The bikeway runs through town on its way from Victor Harbor to Goolwa, passing the whale lookout at Basham Beach on the way to Middleton.

Where To Stay

Pubs, a hostel and holiday houses cover most stays. YHA Port Elliot is in a grand old guesthouse on The Strand, a short walk from the bay.

BIG4 Breeze Holiday Parks Port Elliot, the former Port Elliot Holiday Park, is right behind Horseshoe Bay with cabins, powered sites and a dump point. It is one of the most sought-after parks in the state in summer, so book early.

Eat & Drink

The Port Elliot Bakery on North Terrace is known across the state, with a queue out the door on weekends for pies and the doughnut of the month. The Flying Fish on the foreshore has a restaurant and a kiosk for fish and chips on the sand. The Hotel Elliot has a big beer garden, and the Royal Family Hotel is the other pub. Crisp does pizza, and the surf club opens its bar and bistro from Wednesday to Sunday.

History

Port Elliot is on Ngarrindjeri country. Horseshoe Bay was proclaimed a port in 1851 to serve the Murray River trade, and in 1854 a horse-drawn railway from Goolwa, the first public railway in Australia, began bringing cargo to the jetty. The town was named after Charles Elliot, a colonial governor. The bay proved a dangerous anchorage, and by the mid 1860s the trade had moved to Victor Harbor.

Getting to Port Elliot

Port Elliot is on the coast road between Victor Harbor and Goolwa, about 80 minutes from Adelaide by way of Mount Compass. The Cockle Train stops here on running days.