Local Attractions

The Mornington Peninsula provides an array of attractions to suit every traveller.

Explore the Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula provides an array of attractions to suit every traveller. Come and see a fragrant lavender farm, meandering hedge mazes and gardens with towering trees from the 1860s. How do you like your adventure? Ride, slide, zip or wander through adventure gardens, beautiful landscapes, or stroll along boardwalks through wetlands. Diving, fishing, swimming with dolphins. Try something you’ve never done before, like learning to scuba dive or kayak or bike ride around Point Nepean National Park. You can also go surfing, sailing or stand up paddle boarding, or just cast a lazy fishing line from a pier or book a fishing charter. For wonderful food, beer and wine Just drive through our region, and the Peninsula’s love affair with wine, fresh produce, seafood and bountiful food on the table is quickly revealed.

EAT

The Epicurean – The Shed Restaurant.

Red Gum BBQ – The most authentic Southern American BBQ in Australia and the Mornington Peninsula’s best BBQ and Beer Hall.

Merricks General Store – Café and wine store, Art Gallery.

Barn & Co – Barn & Co. is a casual and charming restaurant in a barn set on a stunning winery.

The Heritage – A beautiful heritage 1930’s building featuring original classic open fires, a spacious sunny deck and a huge beer garden amongst the 2-acre property in the heart of Balnarring.

Flinders Hotel & Zigis Bar – A casual bar and bistro serving seriously good fare to locals and visitors.

Portsea Hotel – An amazing location overlooking the bay with great food and drinks.

Sorrento Hotel – An award-winning restaurant, several exclusive bars and cocktail lounges, event spaces and premium accommodation. Set in the heart of Sorrento, walking distance to picture-postcard beaches.

FOOD & WINE

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm – Visit their café or choose to pick your own strawberries during picking season!

Montalto Vineyard – Award-winning wines with a fine-dining restaurant, cellar door, garden piazza and free Sculpture Trail.

Tucks Ridge – Enjoy blind wine tastings under their tree or linger over lunch on the terrace.

Pier 10 – Restaurant and Cellar Door. Enjoy a menu using local, regional produce or food from the Pier 10 organic, vegetable garden.

Pt Leo Estate – Bay views, sculpture park, cellar Door, sublime food, fine dining.

Panton Vineyard – A family-owned, boutique vineyard located on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula bringing you exceptional quality wines from a picturesque and intimate setting.

Green Olive – Tapas, including veggie options, in a farm-shop restaurant with a patio and views over a vineyard.

T’Gallant – Located on a former apple orchard nestled amongst the rolling hills of Main Ridge. With a large outdoor piazza, wine tastings and a menu full of classic provincial-style dishes including Roman style wood-fired pizza, it’s the perfect place to gaze and graze and enjoy a taste of la dolce vita on the Mornington Peninsula.

CIDER & BREWERIES

Mock Cider – A Cider Lounge that offers a unique tasting experience set up in the original wooden cool store built on the Orchard in 1945.

Red Hill Brewery – An award winning, independent craft brewery located amongst its own hop garden on top of Red Hill.

St Andrews Brewery – The centre of the old horse training facility is where you’ll find the brewery and beer garden. The stables, that were once home to some incredible racing pedigree have been converted into sitting areas.

Jetty Road Brewery – Jetty Road aims to create an educational environment that takes people inside the craft beer experience and makes the enjoyment of a fine ale accessible to all.

Bass and Flinders Distillery – Using a traditional alembic pot still and a passion for adventure Bass & Flinders set out to create a range of handcrafted spirits including brandies, gins and liqueurs.

Mornington Brewery – The Brewery Bar has a casual relaxed atmosphere where you can watch the brewers creating your favourite beer. Complemented by a rustic beer garden and a viewing mezzanine overlooking the industry of the brew house.

Harts Farm – Occupies 10 Hectares with Manton’s Creek flowing through. Perfect for cider and olives.

LAND ADVENTURE & ATTRACTIONS

Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens – Home to Australia’s oldest and most famous hedge maze, a beautiful circular rose maze, and the year-round flowering Lavender Labyrinth, all set among 25 acres of world acclaimed gardens.

Enchanted Adventure Maze Garden – Featuring hedge mazes, tube slides, an outdoor sculpture park, tree surfing and an indoor three-dimensional maze, this beautiful outdoor adventure park has something for everyone.

Heronswood House and Garden – Heronswood is a breathtaking historic property situated on two hectares of formal gardens in Dromana with a café.

SPA & WELLBEING

Peninsula Hot Springs – Peninsula Hot Springs is an award-winning natural hot springs and day spa. Natural thermal mineral waters flow into the pools and private baths at the coastal oasis, providing an idyllic setting for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Hot Hut Yoga – The Hot Hut is a small boutique yoga studio, immersed deeply into the natural environment of Red Hill. Classes are gently heated to 30 degrees using FIR.

Silver Leaf Yoga – Located at Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula, yoga is offeres 7 days a week in their beautiful, purpose-built facility.

NATIONAL PARKS & WALKS

Cape Shanck Lighthouse Reserve and Bushrangers Bay – Visit the lighthouse museum, explore rock pools, see some of the best coastal scenery near Melbourne when you follow the Bushrangers Bay Nature Walk.

Coolart Wetlands and Homestead – Coolarts historic mansion is set in a delightful garden with wetlands, woodlands and pasture nearby. Paths take you to the beach, lagoon and wetlands.

Point Nepean National Park/Fort Nepean – Journey to the tip of the Mornington Peninsula to Point Nepean National Park and explore the rugged coastline, natural beauty and military history of the region.

Arthurs Seat State Park – Rising above the Mornington Peninsula, Arthurs Seat is the most familiar of all Port Phillip Bay landscape features. Its 314-metre summit, reached by road or on foot, gives spectacular views of the bay and Port Phillip Heads.

Millionaires Walk – Millionaires Walk features priceless bay views and the chance to quietly peruse some highly-priced private architecture.

Devilbend Reservoir – A haven for waterbirds and walkers, Devilbend Reserve comprises 422 hectares of native vegetation along with almost 250 hectares of water surface area. Devilbend can be explored by selected walking tracks.

BEACHES

Blairgowrie – Sandy bay beach with barbecue and picnic facilities in the foreshore reserve, a boat ramp suitable for small craft and a walking and cycling track.

Blairgowrie, St Johnswood Rock – On the back beaches of Mornington Peninsula sits the Blairgowrie jumping rock. A jagged cliff perches over a turquoise rock pool. Bridgewater Bay is incredibly scenic and there’s plenty of rock pools to explore.

Sorrento Front Beach – Popular bay beach and holiday destination. The departure point for the Queenscliff-Sorrento car and passenger ferry.

Portsea Front Beach – Popular bay beach and holiday destination features wide foreshore reserves with picnic and barbecue facilities.

Ocean beaches –

Sorrento Ocean Beach – Part of the Mornington Peninsula National Park, this popular surf beach features picnic and barbecue areas, kiosk and tea rooms.

Flinders Ocean Beach – Part of the Mornington Peninsula National Park, this protected sandy bay beach and foreshore reserve has picnic, barbecue and play facilities, plus boat ramp.

Flinders Blow Hole – Magnificent views can be seen of the wild surf and rocky Bass Strait coastline. There is a well-made track and a wooden boardwalk and stairway to the blowhole.

Shoreham Beach – Steep, sandy, pine-tree framed beaches are located around the mouth of Stony Creek and rocky platforms and reefs are popular for family exploration.

Point Leo Surf Beach – This popular surf beach has swells rolling in from Bass Strait, while the foreshore reserve has picnic, barbecue and play facilities, a kiosk and camping area.

Westernport Bay beaches –

Merricks Beach – A safe sandy bay beach with walking tracks through wide foreshore reserve to beach.

Balnarring Beach – Popular beach with well-vegetated sand dunes, camping and caravan parks, and foreshore reserve with picnic, barbecue and play facilities.

Somers Beach – Popular sandy beach with picnic and barbecue facilities within a wide foreshore reserve.

SHOPPING

Sorrento Main Street – Sorrento Village shopping centre offers all the ambience and charm of an historical seaside village with the sophistication & style of a city shopping strip.

Mornington Main Street – With over 370 fashion, dining and wellness destinations Mornington Main Street is the ultimate place to shop, eat, play and stay on the Mornington Peninsula.

Local Markets

The people and the produce are what makes our region such a special place to live and visit. A great way to discover the Peninsula’s finest artisanal products, freshest local produce, artists, local makers and performers is to head to one of our many celebrated community markets. We have listed some of our favourites below or please follow this web address for a calendar overview.

https://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/Activities/Whats-On/Markets

Red Hill Community Market

Emu Plains Market – Balnarring

Mornington Racecourse Market

Mornington Main Street Market – Every Wednesday

Sorrento Makers Market