Port Vincent Marina

Port Vincent has always looked across the gulf rather than inland — it was the main sea gateway to the peninsula until a decent road arrived in the late 1940s — and the marina at the northern end of the bay keeps that tradition afloat. Its 90 berths shelter yachts and cruisers from around the gulf, and the town remains a favourite passage stop for Adelaide sailors making the crossing.

For land-based visitors it's simply a lovely place to wander: pontoons of bobbing masts, the clink of rigging, pelicans supervising the fish-cleaning station. The all-tides boat ramp beside it is among the best on the east coast, which is why summer weekends see a steady procession of tinnies heading out for snapper, whiting and blue swimmer crabs.

The marina sits an easy stroll from the foreshore, the pub and the bakery, and the shallow bay in front of town is ideal for kids. For the classic east-coast evening, take a rod out onto the Port Vincent Jetty as the squid lights come on.