Famous for Australian SeaLions and Great Whites, to beign named the Seafood capital of Australia and the largest town on the Eyre Peninsula, we’ve discovered the Top 8 things to do in Port Lincoln.
You might recognise the name Port Lincoln as being the home of Great White Shark Cage Diving, or as being the ‘Seafood Capital of Australia’, but a week spent in South Australia’s Port Lincoln town provides visitors with so much more.
Navigator Matthew Flinders discovered this township in 1802, and named it after his childhood hometown back in the United Kingdom.
Being the capital of the Eyre Peninsula, the city of Port Lincoln has endless amounts of things to see and do.
Port Lincoln is a great spot to base yourself when you visit Whalers Way or spend a night camping under the stars in Port Lincoln National Park. Funnily enough this place grew on us a ton, and by the end we were very sad to be leaving.
READ MORE: Check out our brand new South Australia guide to help you plan the perfect road trip!
Incredible Things to do in Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln Visitor Centre
As with any big city you visit, the best place to stop to find out all the best things to do and logistics is by visiting the Port Lincoln Visitor centre where you can grab information brochures, pay for entry fees into national parks, and get a feel for where you should head next.
Important information can be obtained from here, as you will need a key or permit to enter Whalers Way or any of the privately, or publicly owned national parks.
The visitor centre can be found at 3 Adelaide Place Port Lincoln, Ph: 1300 788 378
How to get to Port Lincoln
Driving from Adelaide will take you just under 7 hours following the A1, the Princes highway till you get to Port Augusta. From here you begin the drive down south into the Eyre Peninsula using the Eyre & Lincoln highway.
If flying is your thing there are a number of flights to choose daily from Adelaide to Port Lincoln using either Rex Air or QantasLink.
Interstate flights will usually fly into Adelaide and require a flight change to get to Port Lincoln Airport.
Google Flights offers the best initial starting point to look up flight times and frequency, however make sure you double check and confirm with the airlines directly.
You can look up the latest flights for QantasLink here
Top 5 best attractions in Port Lincoln
Port Lincoln Tours
Great White Shark Cage Dive
Australian Sea Lions adventure tour
Full day tour of Port Lincoln
Eyre Peninsula & Flinders Ranges 6 day tour
1 day Coffin bay Tour
What to do in Port Lincoln – Events
Here’s our list of the top rated events held on South Australia’s Port Lincoln events calendar
- Tunarama Festival – 24-27 January
- Teakle Auto Sprint – 11-12 April
- SALT festival – 17-26 April
For more information head to visitportlincoln.com.au
Accommodation in Port Lincoln
In between our travels to Whalers Way & Coffin Bay we used Port Lincoln Tourist Park to base ourselves for a week or so at a time.
We don’t normally stay at larger caravan/camp sites but these guys were really awesome, providing all the amenities we need to recoup and relax for a few days like laundry services, dryers, fully stocked kitchen and toilet blocks with showers.
The site offers a camp kitchen, free wifi, a dump point for caravans, a fish cleaning table, cabins, camping sites, and caravan spots both powered and unpowered- we truly felt it was one of the best accomodations in Port Lincoln for our budget.
You can grab a powered site for as little as $36/night.
They even have their own private pier and beach overlooking Boston Bay and Porter Bay.
The Parnkalla trail runs through the tourist park if you want to jump on it from here also.
Check these guys out at 11 Hindmarsh street Port Lincoln | Ph (08) 86214444
Park office hours: 8am-6pm Monday to Friday
For an alternative stay whilst visiting Port Lincoln, the Port Lincoln Hotel is also another great choice instead of the Caravan Park, and its conveniently located right on main st.
Best Cafe in Port Lincoln
Depending who you ask, we got told to head to Rogue and Rascal and it quickly became our new favourite local cafe.
Beautiful indoor seating with an outdoor patio area on warm days overlooking Boston Bay; oh and they make killer coffee!
Enjoy a beer in Port Lincoln
Honestly one of the best things to do in Port Lincoln, you know aside from diving with sharks and seals is to spend an afternoon at Beer Garden Brewing; a dog friendly beer garden just outside the main strip with a massive grassed outdoor area, very chill and friendly local south aussies & beer tasting paddles for $12.
Hot tip: visit on a friday night at 5pm and sit on the couches and have a chat with Linda and Alpha, they have a very unique story to tell and make great drinking buddies on a Friday night; trust us.
Incredible things to do in Port Lincoln
High on a very long list of Port Lincoln tourist attractions is a swim with Australia’s rare and endangered Australian Sea Lions.
Considered the puppies of the ocean, these playful marine creatures are more than happy to engage you in play, and even appear more curious than you are!
There’s no need to fret, however, the crew at Adventure Bay Charters take you to protected waters far away from the prying eyes (and teeth) of the natural predator the Great White.
It was honestly one of the best port lincoln tours we did and such a unique wildlife experience; we highly recommend swimming with the Australian sea lions on your next trip to Port Lincoln.
Dive with Great Whites
One of only 3 places on earth you can safely swim with Great Whites behind the protection of a cage, the Neptune Islands play host to a breeding colony of Great White Sharks.
Cage Diving with Sharks is an adrenaline fuelled experience that you wont soon be forgetting after you leave Port Lincoln.
Winter is generally considered to be when you’ll find the most sharks, but the weather can get a bit hairy, so some expeditions will add days on in the chance of inclement weather.
Thousands of people each year flock to South Australia’s Port Lincoln to witness these incredibly beautiful giants of the ocean, topping our list of incredible things to do in Port Lincoln for sure!
Seems only fitting that we ask if you have considered Travel Insurance before? Everytime we travel we personally use World Nomads Travel Insurance.
With the peace of mind knowing your major expenses like Medical cover, personal liability, medical repatriation and lost or stolen luggage are covered, we always feel safe and comfortable with that added layer of protection.
Plus we carry a ton of expensive camera equipment, which lets be honest is the most important thing!! (only joking)
Why not check them out and see if they fit right for you?
Drive down Whalers Way
30 minutes from Port Lincoln and you will find some of the best coastline, rock pools and camp spots anywhere along the Eyre Peninsula.
Not only was this one of the more fascinating things to do in Port Lincoln, but also in all of South Australia!
Mysteriously enough not mentioned enough as one of the top port lincoln attractions by any info guides we read prior to the trip, this privately run land at the southernmost tip of the eyre peninsula is breathtakingly beautiful.
READ NEXT: Your mini-guide to exploring Whalers Way
Revealing hidden crevasses carved into the side of the limestone cliffs, grottos by the water, blowholes, rock pools at the end of a sheer cliff drop; if you ever get stuck wondering what to do in Port Lincoln, Whalers way should be top of the list.
Here are a few of the places you could visit in Whalers Way..
Old Whalemans Grotto
Baleen rock pool and blowhole
Cape Wiles
The Swimming Hole
Cape Carnot
One of the most incredible things to do in Port Lincoln sits behind lock and key, so head to the Port Lincoln visitor centre to grab a $40 permit, which includes one nights stay + entrance.
Alternatively you can purchase a pass online and use a 4 digit code to access the keylock at the gate.
Address: Whalers Way Road, Sleaford
Port Lincoln National Park
We only managed to spend one night at Fisherman’s Point, and the weather was mild at best but we have seen photos of nicer days and it looks spectacular haha!!
Surely the biggest and most accessible national park in all of the lower Eyre Peninsula, Port Lincoln National Park is accessible via Proper Bay road from the centre of town heading south, with the entrance to the park off Proper Bay Rd.
You can download a free version of the map from the parks.sa website to give you a better idea.
Surrounded by the waters of the southern ocean and the great australian bite, the Jussieu peninsula as it is geographically known has a few key points you’ll want to tick off.
Places like Memory Cove down south are only accessible via 4wd, therefore stick to the North of the park around spalding cove, Fishermans point and surfleet cove to avoid getting stuck!
While you’re here, don’t forget to hike up Stamford Hill for incredible Jurassic Park views of the waters and islands of Boston Bay.
Visit the Fresh Fish Place
This place couldn’t be recommended enough by everybody we met, so we decided to check it out for ourselves.
(Full transparency, Laura and I eat mainly plant based, but depending on what’s available and what helps support the economy we occasionally dip our toes)
The idea of seafood being sustainable in 2021 is a topic for another article in the future, but to sum up what this place is, think of a mix between a fishmonger, restaurant, and casual fish and chips diner.
So this isn’t a review of the fresh fish place, but if you are hardcore about getting your seafood, we recommend going here.
Address: 20 Proper Bay Road, Port Lincoln. Ph 86822166
Open from 8:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8:30am to 2pm Saturday.
READ MORE: Here’s our brand new guide to exploring the Eyre Peninsula
Greenly Beach – Best beach on the Eyre Peninsula
Bold statement, sure.
There are a myriad of beaches hidden along the coastline almost everywhere you look, but none are more stunning and have so much to offer than Greenly Beach.
Whilst this is not exactly in Port Lincoln, options in life are important and you won’t find that in the city, which is why we mention that here!
Beautiful golden sandy beach, beautiful rock pools at the far end, and most importantly Dolphins!
A group of 3 bottlenose dolphins visited us here on our last day as we SUP’d (stand up paddle board) around the coast, overlooking from our vantage point.
There’s a large car park at the entrance to the beach where van-lifers come to park for the night and set up shop, by far offering the best views of Greenly Beach.
Seeing dolphins is undoubtedly the most fascinating attraction to South Australia’s Port Lincoln coastline, as it is reported to be more diverse than the Great Barrier Reef.
Address: Greenly Beach, Coulta South Australia 5607
Explore Coffin Bay
Deserving honourable mention and a highly rated Port Lincoln tourist attraction is Coffin Bay, where beautiful coastal scenery meets a thriving Oyster industry.
47km northeast of Port Lincoln is both the township of Coffin Bay and the national park.
We only ventured through the city to get to the national park but it’s very well worth it for those seeking calmer, less touristy vibes.
Almonta Beach and Golden island lookout were by far the highlights of this trip, and if you are limited by not having a 4WD then head to Yangie Bay Campground, the only campground you can access by 2WD.
It does sell out quickly in the peak season so make sure you book ahead using the booking system here.
Address: Yangie Bay Campground, Coffin Bay National Park, Coffin Bay Rd, Coffin Bay SA 5607
Website: www.parks.sa.gov.au
More information contact – Natural resources department ph: 0886883111
www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/eyrepeninsula
Mikkira Station
A restored historic homestead on the rural pictures of the Eyre peninsula, it;s also the only colony of wild koalas near Port Lincoln.
This private property located 30kms southwest of Port Lincoln, the Koalas favourite snack is the leaves of the Manna Gum Tree, but it’s also a great place for bird watching, seeing emus and reptiles scattered everywhere.
This port lincoln attraction is definitely worth the visit for half a day!
Mikkira station can be accessed via Mikkira lane of Fishery Bay rd
Best resources for exploring Port Lincoln
parks.sa.gov.au – the national parks of south australia official website will give you the most up to date information on park closures, fires, entry fees and permit requirements
naturalresources.sa.gov.au/eyrepeninsula – for information on flora and fauna, landscape management and sustainability practices for the Eyre peninsula
visitportlincoln.com – for more information on events, itineraries and parks information
