Where is the Mornington Peninsula?
The Mornington Peninsula is located 1 hour and 10 minutes south of Melbourne in Victoria. The Peninsula is surrounded by Port Phillip, Western Port and the Bass Strait. It is connected to the mainland from the north. Below is a map of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula.
Can you camp on the Mornington Peninsula?
Yes, you can! There are council-run camps along the natural foreshore reserves. The campgrounds have a wonderful sense of community and have been open for over 70 years! There are campgrounds in the following locations; Rosebud, Rye, Sorrento, Capel Sound Foreshore, Crib Point Stony Point Foreshore, Dromana Foreshore Reserve, Shoreham Foreshore Reserve, Whitecliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore & Somers Foreshore. You must book these campgrounds online.
We will give more details on the two campgrounds we have stayed at below in our Mornington Peninsula Itinerary!
Find more information on camping on the Mornington Peninsula here: https://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Activities/Camping/About-Foreshore-Camping
When is the best time of the year to visit?
Mornington Peninsula is a popular holiday destination! In the school holidays, it can get very busy, with many places booking out so be aware of school holiday dates when booking your holiday! In terms of climate, the best time to visit is generally February through to April.
What is there to do on the Mornington Peninsula?
The Mornington Peninsula is one of our favourite places in Victoria and purely for the number of activities, there are to do on the Peninsula!! It is an amazing location for swimming, surfing, snorkelling, kayaking, fishing, walking, cycling, relaxing & much more! The national parks and reserves are just a short drive away from the campgrounds and there are many surf breaks to choose from if you are a surfer! The campgrounds are also close to all local amenities including cafes and restaurants so you can treat yourself to a nice meal out!
Mornington Peninsula Itinerary
Where to stay?
As mentioned above there are campsites along the whole peninsula foreshore from Rosebud up to Sorrento. We have stayed at the Rosebud Camping Ground and also at Cameron’s Bight Campground in the White Cliffs Camp sites. We would recommend both these campgrounds as they were both in a good location, has access to the beach and close by to shops. If we were to recommend one over the other it would be Cameron’s Bite as it was closer to the Surf & the National Parks. We have driven along the whole peninsula and all campsites look great and all have their pros and cons, some are right on thew ocean by have no tree protecting them for privacy, but others have more privacy but no direct ocean access. Rosebud & Cameron’s bite were both $42 a night with power & water hook-up.
Things to do:
Mount Martha:
- Go for a swim at The Pillars or Mt Martha Beach
- Visit the colourful Beach Boxes
- Take a drive along the coastal road (Esplanade) from Mt Martha towards Sorrento – it is beautiful views!
- Have a drink at Two Bays Brewing Co – Located in Dromana
- Head up to Arthurs Seat and take a ride on the gondola if you are game enough! (we were not
)
Sorrento:
- Coffee in Sorrento – The Buckley or Smashing Sorrento (we loved the coffee at both of these places)
- LOTS of amazing beaches in Sorrento! Here are a few of our favs:
- Sorrento Back Beach – There are some beautiful rock-pools here (pictured below)
- Koonya Ocean Beach
Portsea
- Point Nepean National Park – Journey to the tip of the Mornington Peninsula & visit the beautiful Point Nepean NP.
- Quarantine station – Parks Victoria (See video below) – this was a spot that I actually had to force Keelan to come with me too because he said “that looks boring” and boy was he wrong! haha! He actually loved it and had just as much fun as me. So don’t miss this one!!
- Fort Nepean – we actually didn’t get to do this but are going to when we go back, it looks so cool & heaps of history! It is just up from the Quarantine station, but is a bit of a walk so wear some good walking shoes. There is a shuttle bus that also runs but it wasn’t running when we were there so that’s why we ended up skipping it.
- Point King Beach – Beautiful white beach boxes here (also pictured below)
- London Bridge – A stunning lookout or spot to go for a swim or surf. It is one of our favourite places to chill out on the Mornington!
- Head out on a scenic boat cruise to see the area from a boat! We went out with our friends on their boat (the video below) and it was magic, it is such a pretty area. We also did a coat tour from Queenscliff that explored this area, I’m sure you could get a similar experience from Portsea or Sorrento! The photo from below
Cape Schanck
- Mornington Peninsula National Park: Popular for swimming, walking and viewing nature, as well as surfing. A few places we have listed above are actually in the National Park such as London Bridge.
- Cape Schanck lighthouse: Built in 1859, the Cape Schanck Lighthouse was the second coastal lighthouse in the state of Victoria.
- Fingal Beach: This is a family friendly beach with gorgeous white sand beach.
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