So you’ve seen the Barossa’s vineyards and Kangaroo Island’s wild coast, and it’s time to discover the real South Australia.

Sticking out of the mainland in a rather Italy-looking boot-shaped form, the Yorke Peninsula was long on our bucket list as an off-the-beaten-track destination in South Australia. It’s only about 90 minutes from Adelaide, but most visitors don’t head this way.

But they should.

It’s quiet and packed with things to see. From otherworldly salt lakes to soaring silos with colourful murals, this 200km-long peninsula has more than enough to keep you occupied for a weekend, even a long one.

We’ve now been to the Yorke multiple times and can confirm, it was just as wonderful the second time around. And hope it will be the third, too. Here’s where we went during our visits:

• Port Vincent
• Edithburgh
• Yorketown
• Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park (Marion Bay)
• Point Turton
• Moonta

Port Vincent

What you’ll find here: A seaside walkway and the beginning of the water tower trail.
How much time you need: Not long, and it can be skipped if you’re in a rush.

The perfect spot to stretch your legs after about a two-hour drive from Adelaide, Port Vincent was our first stop along the Yorke Peninsula. There’s public toilets and an IGA if you realise you’ve forgotten any essentials.

On the way in or out of town, be sure to stop at the first water tower mural on the Yorke. Depicting an indigenous fisherman, border collie and a boat tied to a wharf, the tower is the works of artists Vans The Omega, Jasmine Crisp and Camilo Delgado.

Edithburgh

What you’ll find here: A colourful watertower and a matching, coral-covered jetty.
How much time you need: An hour or two, so you’re able to go for a swim, dry off and have a quick wander around town.

Used to the waters in Sydney, or the warmer waters up in Cairns, we were skeptical about how good the snorkelling could be along the coast of the Yorke Peninsula. But this turned out to be a hidden gem. Home to leafy sea dragons, octopus, plenty of fish and colourful coral, the Edithburgh jetty was an unexpected underwater gem for us.

Aside from local teenagers jumping off the jetty, there were barely any people in the water, let alone snorkelling.

Not keen on getting into the water? Get a glimpse of what lies beneath the surface by checking out the Edithburgh water tower. Depicting some of the local marine life, the vivid mural features a colourful cuttlefish, coral and even a local weedy sea dragon.

The town itself is small, but cute, and is perfect for a post-swim stroll to dry off in the sun. There’s classic South Australian sandstone buildings and, of course, a pub.

Yorketown

What you’ll find here: A wheat-covered watertower and pretty-in-pink salt lakes
How much time you need: About 10-15 minutes per lake, depending on how many you want to stop at.

We’ll be honest, we didn’t actually go into Yorketown, as the surroundings are what really puts this place on the map. This part of the Yorke Peninsula is dotted with salt lakes in an otherworldly pink hue that we just couldn’t get enough of.

While many of them are on private property, or inaccessibly by road (unless you want to hop some fences, which we certainly don’t condone), there are a few with viewpoints or paths leading down to them.

Depending on the road you choose into town, there’s a few routes you can take to tour the salt lakes. We started with the one off Stanbury Road, just before the water tower (which is also worth a stop!). We then moved onto Geitz Lake, which has a small bench to view it from and, finally, the aptly named Pink Lake. This one had an elevated platform, picnic tables and a few paths down to it where you can walk right onto the salt.

We were fortunate enough to have a sunny day and were able to witness a stunning reflection of the blue sky and clouds reflected onto the lake’s glassy surface.

Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park (Marion Bay)

What you’ll find here: Jaw-dropping coastal scenes, flocks of emus and immaculate beaches
How much time you need: A full day, if you have the time, otherwise you can power through the park in half a day and skip some of the longer walks. (But we strongly recommend spending more time here, if you can!)

This national park may be tiny, but it sure packs in a lot, and is probably well worth its own post. There’s dozens of beaches, multiple lighthouses, a historic settlement and more emus than we could count (!).

Where to go in the national park

We started our look of the park at Stenhouse Bay Jetty, which stretches out over crystal-clear, turquoise waters. The walk down to the jetty is a bit of a hill, but it’s not too steep and the track is firm. Next, we headed over to Cape Spencer/Narungga Lookout, which had a uniquely swirling track letting you take in 360-degree views of the park and ocean.

Continuing on, we drove over to Cape Spencer lighthouse, which had a short path toward it. Along the road to the next stop sits Inneston Historic Township, home to historic buildings that a few emus also joined me in exploring. Next, was Ethel Beach, a picturesque stretch of sand flanked by cliffs hosting the remains of a shipwreck.

Because one lighthouse isn’t enough, we then visited West Cape Lookout, which also had a walk out toward it on the tip of the coast. Our final stop in the park was Dolphin Beach where, unfortunately, we didn’t see any dolphins but had the entire place to ourselves.

Tip: Park entry is completely free until 6 April, 2026, to help encourage people to travel while the state is experiencing a devastating algae bloom. We recommend popping into the visitors centre to ask about the current conditions at the beaches. We were there on a day where the water was safe for swimming, and it was incredibly clear and inviting — if only we had the time!

With the convenience of staying in Marion Bay we were able to head straight into the national park early in the morning and spend the day exploring as many beaches and view points as we could. Unfortunately on our second visit, we were short on time and had to do a quicker visit in the afternoon.

Point Turton

What you’ll find here: Mouth-watering seafood and the stunning turquoise stretch of Flaherty Beach.

Home to some of the clearest water we’ve ever seen, Point Turton is a small, coastal community that may not have a lot to do… but that’s exactly the point. Stand on the jetty and watch the fish swim by and plenty of fiddler rays glide through the crystalline water.

Tip: On both visits to the Yorke Peninsula town, we made a point to stop here and see what we could find below the surface. We definitely recommend coming earlier in the day, a the way the light hits the water toward the evening makes it harder to see what lies beneath.

Just a few minutes up the road, lies the start of Flaherty Beach. When we first stepped onto the soft, white sand, this place immediately jumped up on our list to rival some of the best beaches we’ve ever seen — and that includes places like Fiji, Vanuatu and, of course, across Australia.

If you’re not one for swimming, but prefer just getting your feet wet or wading in shallow water, this beach is for you. It’s very dependent on the tide, with a very flat surface. We walked out for what felt like hundreds of metres and were still able to touch the bottom.

Moonta

What you’ll find here: A historical town and abandoned mine sites

Making our way back up to the top of the Yorke Peninsula, where our accommodation was for our second visit, we finished the loop tour in Moonta.

It’s a three-part town that, admittedly, we didn’t make it to the third part. To the west, sits Moonta Bay (where we’ll visit next time!), Moonta town in the middle, and Moonta Mines to the east (where we stayed).

Dotted around Moonta Mines, you’ll find remnants of the town’s historic past. Abandoned mine shafts, engine houses, a mining museum and even a train tour that takes you past some of the old mines in the area for just $12 for a 50-minute tour. We certainly would have given it a go if we weren’t on a time limit getting back to the airport!

But, that just gives us yet another excuse to come back to this beautiful part of South Australia.

Map of these spots on the Yorke Peninsula

Where to eat on the Yorke Peninsula

Salt at Lower Yorke Seafood

Where is it? 12918 Yorke Hwy, Warooka, South Australia

If you’re an oyster fan, you’ll want to stop here. Heck, you’ll want to stop everywhere that sells them on the Yorke Peninsula. Every one we had during our trip was incredible, and Salt was no exception.

Near Point Turton, Salt is the perfect stop before or after exploring the national park at the southern tip of the island. We fuelled up with a decent selection of seafood options including local fish, calamari, prawns and scallops.

More about Lower Yorke Seafood

Nook and Nourish

Where is it? 38 George St, Moonta, South Australia

Serving up one of the best cafe breakfasts we’ve had in a while, Nook and Nourish could easily rival a city cafe. It was much better than we had expected for a small, regional town and can highly recommend the sweet-potato and kimchi fritter with smoked salmon. We’re craving it just typing about it.

More about Nook and Nourish

The Port Hughes Tavern

Where is it? Port Hughes Tavern, 2 Minnie Terrace, Port Hughes, South Australia

Just across from the sea, the Port Hughes Tavern serves up pub favourites with an epic view. Unfortunately we dined a bit too late to enjoy it, but we did manage to squeeze in a stroll along the jetty across the street before it got too dark.

The pub is west facing, and would have been just perfect if we arrived before sunset.

Where to stay on the Yorke Peninsula

Marion Bay

For our first visit, we stayed in Marion Bay. It’s close to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, which allows you to maximise your time in the park. There’s plenty of hikes to do and beaches to swim at and our two-night stay here allowed us to dedicate an entire day just to the national park. It also splits up the drive nicely, as you’ll drive all the way to the tip of the peninsula one day, and back on another.

We stayed at Marion Bay Holiday Villas, which offered simple but comfortable cabin-style accommodation.

For our second visit we stayed in Moonta. If you need to be back in Adelaide or at the airport earlier in the day, staying here means a shorter drive back to the city. There’s also a lot more going on in Moonta, as it’s close to Moonta Bay, Port Hughes and Wallaroo (which we’re yet to go to!), so you’ll have more options when it comes to shopping and dining.

We stayed at Cousin Jack’s Cottage, which was quirky and suited our needs perfectly.

If we had to choose between the two, we’d stay in Marion Bay again.

Where to go next…