Carrickalinga Beach

A quintessential Fleurieu beach

Carrickalinga Beach is a long sweep of white sand stretching roughly 3km north from Haycock Point to Sellicks Beach, along the Gulf St Vincent. It sits in front of the tiny coastal village of Carrickalinga - a seaside holiday retreat that has quietly become one of the most sought-after stretches of coast on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Why it works

The beach is broad, flat and gently shelving, with soft white sand and typically calm water protected by the gulf. Unlike the wild south coast, Carrickalinga is a safe, classic family swimming beach, and the long walk from Haycock Point to Lady Bay at the northern end is one of the best flat beach walks in South Australia.

What to do

• Swim in the protected gulf waters
• Walk the 3km stretch between Haycock Point and Lady Bay
• Surf cast from the beach at either end
• Rockpool at the southern Haycock Point end at low tide
• Stand-up paddle - the gulf is usually calm enough for beginners
• Sunset watching - Carrickalinga faces west and has some of the best gulf sunsets on the Fleurieu

Getting there

Carrickalinga is about 70km south of Adelaide, a 15-minute drive past Normanville. There are multiple beach access points from the Carrickalinga township - all with free parking. The main access is at the end of Gold Coast Drive.