Mornington Peninsula – the bays are waiting!

Being surrounded by water creates unique marine experiences on the Mornington Peninsula. This small peninsula to the south-east of Melbourne offers a mind-boggling array of sea activities: there are picturesque rocky coastlines leading to beautiful rolling hills, there are pebble beaches, and there is sand. There are sheltered beaches, there are open beaches, and there are beach resorts and vacation homes suitable for the rich and famous, many of them well known. Surrounded by Port Philip, Western Port Bay and Bass Strait, Mornington is known simply as the ‘peninsula’ to the locals or Melburnians.

Mornington is easily accessible by road and rail, and enjoys a favorable climate all year round, with water playing an important role in stabilizing the temperature. What this means for tourists is that, rain or shine, you are likely to enjoy your time on the beaches or wandering around the many options to try on the mainland. The protected bays and the peninsular geography also provide beaches for surfing.

This makes Mornington an ideal holiday location where the surfer can enjoy his favorite sport, use other family friendly beaches and relax and enjoy the many wonders of this special part of Victoria.

There are many charming towns within the peninsula, and Sorrento is without a doubt the most popular and well-known. It has good beaches and weather, fine limestone architecture, luxury hotels, fabulous restaurants, sidewalks, cafes, boutiques, galleries, nightlife and everything you can imagine.

There’s a long to-do list for Sorrento:

visit the various viewpoints, take the many trails, go on dolphin and seal tours, fish, surf, see the galleries and museum, or take part in the festivals that take place from time to time.

Portsea is another famous suburb: it has a population of just 330 and is known as a haven for the rich and famous with its multi-million dollar mansions. An enchanting location, it borders the Mornington Peninsula National Park where you can take exhilarating cliff top walks, swim or surf on the beautiful beaches, go scuba diving, play golf or enjoy fine dining.

Flinders is another suburb facing Philip Island on this side of the bay that offers stunning views of the island. A quiet vacation retreat, it has surf and family beaches, a charming curio market, golf course, adventure trails, and much more.

At the time of European colonization, the area was largely covered by oak forests, which were cleared for the timber they produced. The land was repopulated with orchards; for a long time, Mornington supplied many apples and grapes to the surrounding areas. Even today, it is these orchards that come out with the magical harvests: apples, berries, cherries and other fruits make not only magical drinks, but also chutney, jam and olive oil.

The cheese and meat products from this area are also very well known, so you can be sure that you have plenty to take home from the local market. The Red Hill area is particularly famous for local produce, wineries, and markets.

There are also a couple of must-see national parks in Point Napean National Park and Mornington Peninsula National Park, the latter being probably the most famous.

In short, the Mornington Peninsula offers a wealth of attractions for everyone and provides a welcome respite from the bustling city life while still being conveniently close to Melbourne.