Mornington Peninsula Accommodation & Travel Information
Mornington Peninsula, on the eastern side of Port Philip Bay, has been a favourite holiday destination for generations of Melbournians. A string of resort towns hug the sheltered beaches from Frankston to Portsea, while more rugged surf beaches face Bass Strait at the back of the peninsula.
Mornington Peninsula National Park has excellent coastal walking tracks and the undulating fertile hinterland now supports a burgeoning wine industry and its associated restaurants and galleries. The oldest town on the peninsula is Sorrento, the site of Victoria’s first settlement, where smart cafes and restaurants stand side by side with historic limestone hotels. Sorrento is also the departure point for the Queenscliffe ferry and scenic cruises around the bay.
Attractions:
- The exclusive holiday resort town of Portsea, 93km from Melbourne at the very tip of the peninsula. The town has gracious 19th century mansions and gardens, beautiful English trees, protected beaches with calm waters, and a long wooden pier popular with anglers. Back Beach can be rough but has good surfing.
- London Bridge and the Farnsworth Track. This natural rock formation to the west of Portsea Back Beach can be reached by a 3km clifftop walking track.
- The Coastal Walk – a series of walking trails link London Bridge with Cape Schanck, 28km east. The journey takes in jagged cliffs, interesting rock formations, tidal rock pools, sand dunes, spectacular views, dense coastal scrub and some well-known, beautiful and rugged (but dangerous) beaches such as Blairgowrie, Rye, St Andrews and Gunnamatta.
- Mornington – the main town for the peninsula, it retains the feel of an old fishing and boating port. There is a boardwalk overlooking Mornington pier and harbour at Schnapper Point and 25 million-year-old fossils at Fossil Beach. Of note is the National Antique Centre which covers 6000sqm with antiques, bric-a-brac, furniture, books, crystal, china, jewellery, linen, silver, tools and collectables.
- Frankston Foreshore Area and Kanahook Creek Reserve covers 43ha extending north to Seaford. It is a 12km return walk along the foreshore or the 6km walking track can be joined at various intermediate points. At Frankston there is a pier and a surf lifesaving club, picnic and barbecue facilities, a carpark and toilets. Boating, fishing, snorkelling, diving, sailboarding and swimming are popular.
- Hastings, on the western side of the peninsula, has a natural deepwater harbour and is the main centre for Western Port. It is a popular tourist destination with a pleasant foreshore area, a marina and fine swimming and surf beaches nearby. The Hastings Street Market is held every Tuesday and there are also markets every Sunday at the Bittern Railway Station in Bittern. The Western Port Festival is held each year in March and the Hastings Ocean Yacht Race in mid-September.
- Wineries – the Mornington Peninsula wine growing region has more than 100 wineries producing a vast array of quality cool-weather wines. The wineries cater for the tourist market with cellar door sales and restaurants.
For accommodation on the Mornington Peninsula, just visit our Mornington Peninsula accommodation page to search Mornington Peninsula accommodation listings, and make enquiries or bookings online. Our listings include motels and motor lodges, hotels, bed and breakfasts, camping grounds and holiday parks, resorts and lodges, backpackers and hostel accommodation.
For things to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula, just visit our things to see and do on the Mornington Peninsula guide to search for Mornington Peninsula listings, and make enquiries or bookings online. Our listings include tourist attractions, tours, and sightseeing in the area.