Exploring Second Valley | Fleurieu Peninsula | Review

Put the mid-year Europe trip on pause. Just over an hour’s drive from the Adelaide CBD is a beach that’s every bit as stunning as any you’ll find overseas. 

Review by Carla Caruso

Second Valley Beach should really be called Secret Valley.

If you’re a local or a regular Fleurieu Peninsula holidaymaker, you’ll know it. Otherwise, it feels like a hidden gem you can’t believe has been on your doorstep all this time.

Dubbed one of South Australia’s most Instagrammed locations by the SA Tourism Commission, Second Valley lives up to the hype. It’s like a slice of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, without the eye-watering airfare.

Just over an hour’s drive from the Adelaide CBD, it lies beyond Myponga and Carrickalinga, near the HMAS Hobart wreck (a former guided-missile destroyer scuttled to form an artificial reef and dive site).

Expect coastal cliffs (despite the warning signs, some still jump), sea caves and turquoise waters in the protected bay, attracting snorkellers, scuba divers, kayakers, paddleboarders and more.

We tackled it as a family of four on a long weekend during a brutal heatwave – 45C in Adelaide, a cooler 37C at Second Valley. Unsurprisingly, we weren’t alone. We arrived around 11am and were lucky to join friends who’d already claimed a patch of sand. The beach – and carpark – are tiny, so we ended up parking in a backstreet about five minutes’ walk away.

The first impression is a burst of colour: striped beach shelters on the sand, boats bobbing offshore and a lively buzz of people. What’s great is how much of a leveller it is – those partying on multimillion-dollar yachts share the same water as locals, families, teens, migrants and tourists.

After cooling off, we explored. Our first stop was Second Valley Jetty, often used as a warm-up by those planning to cliff-jump. The water here is deeper than at many city jetties, which can be safer, but conditions vary, confidence is essential, and authorities advise against it.

Next, we followed friends to the cliff-jumping spot known as Sharkies. From the jetty, you head left along a worn coastal trail, scrambling over rocks to a hidden cove via a pebble beach and steep goat track (Crocs required). It feels remote, until you round the bend and find the crowd.

Jumps range from one to 25 metres, with six, 10 and 15 metres the most popular. Participants must clamber down the cliff and swim across to access the jump points. Fatalities and serious injuries have occurred here, and it’s considered a high-risk activity. If you’re like me, you may prefer to watch from a safe distance as braver souls take part.

Please note: Sharkies is named for the broader Second Valley area, where sharks, including great whites and bronze whalers, are occasionally sighted near the jetty and surrounding waters. In light of recent interstate shark attacks, visitors are advised to exercise caution.

While Second Valley may not have beach bars like Europe, people here bring their own vibe – boomboxes and spontaneous boat parties included.

After all our adventuring, we grabbed lunch at the Second Valley Jetty Store, part of the caravan park: hot chips with gravy and cheese (!), followed by Magnum ice creams.

Sorry, Second Valley, the secret’s out — we’ll definitely be back!

Fun fact: Second Valley is so named because it’s the next valley north of Rapid Bay, the site of Colonel William Light’s first camp on the South Australian mainland.

What we like about it

• A taste of European-style beach life, without the airfare or hassle
• Second Valley Jetty Store, part of the local caravan park, is nearby for takeaway and ice creams
• Public toilet facilities are in the beach car park

Things to consider

• Jetty-jumping and cliff-jumping are not for the faint-hearted, and the hike to the Sharkies cliff-jumping spot is only suitable for older, more experienced kids (with appropriate footwear)
• Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap — with sand, rocks and water all around, the reflective surfaces can make hot days there especially intense

Location:

Second Valley Beach (Finniss Vale Drive, Second Valley) and Second Valley Jetty Store (2 Park Avenue, Second Valley)

Discover more South Australian Beaches

See our Top Parks & Playgrounds Around Adelaide

For more information and all enquiries, please visit the South Australian Tourism Commission website.

All photos by James Elsby for Play & Go Adelaide. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).

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