There are so many Mornington Peninsula activities that it’s impossible to get bored. The area is perfect for lovers of the outdoors, the sea, and wine, offering so much to anyone passing through.
As locals, we feel it’s only fair that we give an honest and true opinion on what it’s like to live on the Mornington Peninsula, given that we have some of the most insanely beautiful beaches, wineries, and parklands this side of Victoria.
For the adventurous and free-spirited there are plenty of multi-day hikes, stunning natural coastlines, and water-based activities. For those looking for a bit of rest and relaxation, you have a world-class selection of wineries, boutique spa houses and cideries.
In reality, however, some would argue that simply going for a drive along the water on a warm summer day is one of the best things to do on the Mornington Peninsula.
Best Time of Year to Visit the Mornington Peninsula
The warmer months in Victoria are generally from December through to late March. If you have ever been to Melbourne, you’ll soon realize there are four seasons in one day, so predicting weather can be a little tricky… but, we recommend booking your trip through this time.
This is coincidentally our Holiday season also, hence schools and classes are out and families flock en-masse down to the beaches of the Mornington Peninsula, which is home to some of the best beach towns in Australia!
1. Flock to the Rye foreshore
There’s a reason the summer months in Rye are jam-packed with Melburnians from around the state, seeming to congregate to one specific location on the peninsula and that’s down in Rye.
Rye is the central local/tourist hub of the entire Peninsula. The main street is filled with delicious Italian restaurants, pizzerias, gelaterias, and an abundance of cafes.
The Rye foreshore is booming during the day. Visible from the main street, the calmer front beach of Port Phillip Bay is where adrenaline junkies take the boats and jet-skis out for a day on the water.
The front beach stretches the entire length of the northern side and is a great location to set up a tent or umbrella, pack a few beers and settle in for the rest of the day.
Check out also the best Mornington Peninsula Beaches for surfing, swimming and relaxing – going to the beach is the most important of the Mornington Peninsula activities!
2. The Pillars in Mount Martha
This is just a secret between you and me, okay? A local favorite hangout place that’s very busy during summer is The Pillars – a difficult-to-find cliff jumping spot nestled behind the coastal shrub in Mount Martha.
What you’ll find here is a series of large rocks and cliffs that lead down to the turquoise blue water’s edge where most people go to jump off the rocks and into the pristine water below.
The easiest way to access the pillars is by driving into Mount Martha along the Esplanade and finding a car park along Deakin Drive on the left-hand side as there is no parking on the main road.
The locals aren’t too fond of people parking here to attend the pillars so bear that in mind also!
Location: 412 The Esplanade, Mount Martha
3. Wineries at Red Hill
Our top recommendations for Mornington Peninsula activities include a stop at one of the dozens of Mornington Peninsula wineries located centrally in the region.
The cooler climates of both sides of the Peninsula provide for an ideal vineyard climate to grow slightly more acidic wines.
Hot days between November and March are cooled by the on-shore winds from Phillip Bay and Westernport Bay meaning winegrowers see successful fruiting year-round.
If you’re looking for a beautiful, outdoor winery that’s dog-friendly, offers cooking classes and delicious wines and tapas, the Green Olive at Red Hill is a great place to start.
Their outdoor patio and seated dining area mean you can enjoy a bottle of cool-climate shiraz with a delicious charcuterie board filled with local cheese, bread, olive tapenade, and a trio of dips on their 27 acre farm in Red Hill.
Other wineries in the region to visit here are the ever popular Montalto and the Epicurean, that both offer sit down meals with vegetarian and vegan options available. Check out more Mornington Peninsula Wineries here, or if beer is your thing I also have a list of Mornington Peninsula Breweries (there are a lot)!
You can even make a day trip out of food and wine in Mornington from Melbourne on a tour — meaning you don’t have to drive and can visit multiple locations.
Green Olive @ Red Hill Location: 1180 Mornington Flinders rd, Main Ridge VIC
4. Relax at Peninsula Hot Springs
This is the ultimate place for a relaxing spa day in natural thermal pools and can be found somewhere in the middle of the peninsula between the front beach and the back beaches.
Peninsula Hot Springs offer a very wide range of spa and bathing options including massage packages, Turkish baths, hot and cold plunge pools through to a romantic couple’s retreat in your very own private bathing house.
After your spa, stay for a meal and champagne in the spa dreaming centre dining room, or enjoy a coffee in the bathhouse cafe or coffee hut.
Obviously, the best time of year to visit the hot springs is during the winter months in the middle of the year from June through to October.
Location: 140 Springs Lane, Fingal VIC
5. Admire the View from Olivers Hill
If it’s the views you’re looking for then look no further than Olivers Hill lookout. This posh and expensive suburb of the Mornington Peninsula sits on the hills of the Nepean Highway and overlooks the Frankston foreshore.
But for the most amazing views, you’ll want to head in a northerly direction from Mount Eliza towards Frankston. The Olivers Hill lookout point is on the left-hand side as you drive down and the view of the bay is simply stunning.
We personally recommend doing this drive either early morning or at sunset during golden hour, but on a bright sunny day, you can’t go wrong at any time!
6. Visit Cape Schanck
If you’re looking for the cleanest air in the world then you need to head down South into Cape Schanck.
But seriously, scientists make the drive to the southernmost point of the Peninsula to bottle the clean air that gets blown in from Antarctica!
The main attraction down here is the Cape Schanck lighthouse and the boardwalk along the Cape Schanck coastal reserve walking track that leads you to Pulpit Rock; a large rock formation that sits just off the coast.
Fishing and spearfishing are common down here but also a little dangerous as you are exposed to the strong currents of Western Port Bay.
Cape Schanck also serves as the endpoint for the Two Bays walking track that connects Cape Schanck and Dromana. Its over 26km long, one of the longest walking tracks on the Peninsula.
For a splurge weekend with your special someone, check out the RACV Resort – it’s stunning!
Location: Cape Schanck lighthouse, Cape Schanck road, cape Schanck VIC
7. Point Nepean National Park Self-Guided Tour
This former quarantine facility and military fortress, now turned into a national park, is one of the coolest places to visit on the Mornington Peninsula.
Located at the very end of the Peninsula after the ridiculously expensive suburb of Portsea, at the end of Point Nepean Road is where you’ll find this hidden gem of a park.
Getting here is pretty straightforward; you just take Point Nepean road all the way west until you reach the entrance gates of Point Nepean National park.
Stroll through the old military forts and quarantine facility that saw European settlers travel here by boat hoping to settle in Australia when it was a new land.
Previously regarded as the most heavily fortified and defended place anywhere in the Southern hemisphere from the 1880s to the 1940s, the sheer size and efforts the servicemen went to to defend this land is something to bear witness.
There are a number of walking tracks and hikes to do within the park, some that travel close to the water’s edge along the northern coast, while others traverse inland through the thick bush.
Make sure when you’re hiking through that you bring all the necessary essentials like a good pair of hiking boots, a good hat, and plenty of water.
Prefer a set of wheels? You can also bike through here on a self-guided tour (link below)!
Lastly, Point Nepean National Park is a great place to see true Australian wildlife. Wallabies and Kangaroos are common, as well as a variety of birds like cockatoos and kookaburras, all the way through to eastern brown snakes and tiger snakes.
Location: Point Nepean national park, defense rd, Portsea VIC
8. Explore Sorrento Town
The cute and quaint beachside village of Sorrento feels a little more Italy than Australia.
The name suggests it all! Named after the beautiful beachside village of Sorrento in Italy, this charming and chilled town seems to have escaped the hustle and bustle of her neighbor of Rye. Probably lending to the fact that it’s a further 20 minutes from Rye.
Charming little shops line the street on either side, with boutique retail stores like Sandarne, and a ton of awesome little cafes and restaurants like Flat Blk, Baked in Sorrento, and Itali.Co. Sorrento is one of most favorite seaside villages to visit and one of the Mornington Peninsula activities you must see.
Sorrento has both a front beach and a back beach. The front offers calmer waters of the Bay, whereas the back beach is raw ocean, exposed to the swells and currents of Western Port Bay.
If you feel like visiting the Great Ocean Road but don’t feel like driving through the city for 2 hours then you can jump onboard the Searoad Ferry in Sorrento and journey across the bay towards Queenscliff for a 45-minute ferry ride.
9. Swim with Wild Dolphins
One of the most adventurous Mornington Peninsula activities that will leave you breathless is the experience of swimming with pods of wild bottlenose dolphins.
Port Phillip Bay is home to many pods of bottlenose dolphins and can be found closer to shore in the early mornings circling the piers with interested onlookers.
As the Ferry leaves from Sorrento, they are often found following the wake created by the boat.
There are two main companies that offer these intimate experiences, Polperro Tours and Moonraker Tours from Sorrento Pier next to the ferry terminal.
Both tours offer guests the experience of being underwater with the Dolphins, photo opportunities and even visit a local fur seal colony at Chinamans hat in Rye.
Both food, tea and drinks are offered onboard and both companies have accreditation in Eco-certified advanced tourism from Ecotourism Australia.
Bookings are essential to secure your spot as this is one of the more popular tourist attractions on the Mornington Peninsula so you don’t want to miss out!
Your captain of the day will let you know in advance if they need to reschedule your swim due to inclement weather forecasts… which can happen in Victoria!
Location: Sorrento Pier, Esplanade, Sorrento VIC
10. Scuba Dive at Mornington Blairgowrie Pier
A little different and unexpected on our list of awesome Mornington Peninsula Activities but make no mistake, as divers ourselves SCUBA diving is a whole new world!
Piers on the Peninsula are a fantastic introduction into the world of scuba diving, due to the abundance of natural underwater life that congregates here.
Only 4-6m in depth maximum, Blairgowrie Pier has all sorts of incredible wildlife from schools of puffer fish, stingrays, jellyfish, and occasionally sharks. Learn more about diving in Blairgowrie.
Annually, Blairgowrie Pier is known to host the world’s only known spider crab congregation in May, so it’s worth getting under the water at this time of year to witness this spectacle.
While you’re in the area, you should also head into Blairgowrie main street and grab a bite to eat and a coffee from the friendly folks at Saint Ernest, or bite into a delicious Italian pizza at Pizza Doh.
Location: Blairgowrie Pier, Point Nepean Road, Blairgowrie (next to the Blairgowrie yacht club)
Final Thoughts on Mornington Peninsula Activities
There is no doubt in our minds a trip to the Mornington Peninsula will leave you craving more. And whilst this is in no way an exhaustive list..it’s a great place to start as it covers quite a vast expanse of geography on the Peninsula.
We recommend spending at least one week to tick off all the activities you see in this article, but like any good travel adventure, your list will continue to grow, day by day.
Mornington Peninsula Accommodation
Check out this article on Mornington Peninsula Accommodation if you want to see options for hotels and Airbnbs both for couples and groups.
Thanks to Chris + Laura for the Guest Post!
Chris and Laura Travels is Australia’s Best Travel Adventure Blog – An Australian and Canadian couple based out of Australia. Our motto is we’re ‘A real couple doing cool s%&t in a responsible way’. We travelled the world in 2019 from South America to South East Asia and everything in between including Europe, North and Central America.
Our passion and commitment drive us to provide high-quality, reliable information and extraordinary imagery. Chris and Laura Travels evolved out of our love and admiration for the natural world, and our desire to share these places with our readers in the hope they too discover the beauty in the world and choose to protect it. We want people to have thrilling and beautiful experiences that keep them excited, curious and connected to nature and life itself.
