Yorke Peninsula
Adelaide's Boot-Shaped Beach Peninsula
On the lands of the Narungga people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
A boot-shaped peninsula west of Adelaide, between Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent. The Yorke is famous for its ring of empty beaches, the historic copper mining triangle in the north, and the wild coast of Innes National Park at the southern tip.
Yorke Peninsula juts south-west from Adelaide, around 220 kilometres long and 50 kilometres at its widest. The peninsula is on Narungga country and the Narungga have lived here for at least 6,000 years. The northern end of the peninsula was the heart of South Australia's copper mining boom in the 1860s, with the so-called 'Copper Triangle' towns of Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta becoming Cornish enclaves at the time. The Cornish Festival, Kernewek Lowender, is still held every odd-numbered year.
The southern half of the peninsula is mostly farmland and beach. Innes National Park at the southern tip has the most dramatic coastline, with cliffs, surf breaks, and the wreck of the Ethel which has been slowly disappearing into the sand since 1904.
The peninsula is famous for its pristine beaches, especially around Marion Bay, Pondalowie Bay (a renowned surf break), and the Daly Head area. It's around 3 hours' drive from Adelaide and is one of the most popular school holiday destinations for South Australian families.
Tourist locations
Places to visit in Yorke Peninsula.
6 locations to explore
Edithburgh Tidal Pool
Tidal swimming since the 1880s
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardInneston Historic Village
Ghost town in the bush
Vehicle entry fee applies (check parks.sa.gov.au for current rates)
Full guide arrow_forwardMoonta Mines State Heritage Area
Australia's Little Cornwall
Museum $8 adult, $4 child. Railway $12 adult, $5 child
Full guide arrow_forwardPoint Turton Foreshore and Jetty
Sheltered bay, historic jetty
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardWalk the Yorke Trail
500 kilometres of coastal walking
Free
Full guide arrow_forwardWallaroo Heritage and Nautical Museum
Copper Coast maritime history
$7 adult, $4 child
Full guide arrow_forwardScenic views
Lookouts near Yorke Peninsula.
You may also like
Copper Coast (Kadina, Wallaroo, Moonta)
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Riverland
Rowland Flat
Thebarton
Limestone Coast
Naracoorte Caves
Murray Bridge
Magill
Mount Lofty
Mount Gambier
Annadale
Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (2)
- 1924 Yorke Peninsula Football Team.jpg · State Library of South Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Simple Scenes Yorke Peninsula, South Australia (23737706283)... · Dualiti Photos from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0
.png){kind=link}
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.