Victor Harbour

Things to do in Victor Harbour

Victor Harbour was once a major whaling town close to the bustling city of Adelaide. Today, it forms a relaxing retreat away from the city centre, complete with a range of nature-inspired activities and a rugged coastline famous for its huge rock formation, the Bluff.

If you’re in the area, there is plenty to keep you busy. Here are some of the best things to do.

• Go Whale Watching

  As a former whaling town, it makes sense that this part of Australia has plenty of whales to spot. In fact, Granite Island, which sits just off the coast of Victor Harbour, is one of the best places in the South of Australia to spot these majestic creatures.

  The best time to go whale watching is between May and September when more than 200 southern right whales come back to the warm waters of Encounter Bay to bring up their new young.

  Stay for long enough, and you’ll get to witness them frolicking about in the waves. Keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales, sperm whales, blue whales, killer whales, and dolphins while you’re in the area, too.

  You can learn more about the fascinating lives of the whales in Victor Bay at the South Australian Whale Centre in town.

• Grab a Bite to Eat

  All that whale watching will no doubt have helped you work up an appetite. If so, head to Eat at Whalers, one of the best restaurants in town that promise spectacular views over Encounter Bay while you eat.

• Visit the Urimbirra Wildlife Park

  For more nature encounters, hotfoot it to the Urimbirra Wildlife Park, which is set in the heart of the rolling Hindmarsh Valley just outside Victor Harbour. Here, you can get to know more than 70 species of native Australian critters, including kangaroos, emus, koalas, and snakes.

• Indulge in Some Wine

  While in the Hindmarsh Valley, take some time to delve into the wine culture at the Victor Harbour Winery. While on-site, you can tuck into a delicious selection of local wines and cheeses.

• Say Hello to Penguins on Granite Island

  Granite Island is connected to the mainland of Victor Harbour by a wooden causeway, which you can either walk across or travel across by the only horse-drawn tramway in Australia.

  Once on the island, you can marvel at the impressive granite boulders that give it its name, many of which are covered in vibrant orange lichen. This also forms the home for a colony of little penguins, and you can watch them make their nightly parade back up the shores to their nests when darkness falls.

• Check Out the Beaches

  Victor Harbour boasts some incredible beaches, the main one of which is a long and sandy strip of coastline that curves right the way around the town. From there, you can join The Heysen Trail, we takes in some of the most iconic sea views from Cape Jervis right the way through to the soaring peaks of the Flinders Ranges.