Located on the coast west of Adelaide on St Vincent's Gulf, Adelaide's beaches stretch all the way down the coast from Outer Harbour in the north to Sellick's Beach in the south. Attractions and activities include swimming, surfing and boating, sailing, sail boarding and diving, fishing, golfing and tennis. The nudist beach is Maslin Beach, between Noarlunga and Aldinga.

North

North Haven Marina

Outer Harbour and North Haven are the most northerly beaches on the LeFevre Peninsula, and guard the entrance to Port Adelaide and Port Adelaide River. Gulf Pt. Marina at North Haven is home to a large sailing community. The marina, lined with exclusive and desirable houses, is protected by two artificial breakwaters. Attached to the marina is the Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia, one of Adelaide's largest yacht clubs, whilst around the entrance to the Port River lies the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron. The wide strip of clean sand that forms the beach stretches south to include Taperoo Beach, Largs North, Largs Bay and Semaphore.

Largs Centenary Cairn

Largs Bay is 16km to the north-west of the Adelaide CBD. A sailing club and a jetty are present on Largs Bay Beach. The Heritage-Listed Largs Pier Hotel Motel on the Esplanade is one of South Australia's most unique hotels. It was used as a historical landmark in earlier times by sailors.

Semaphore Beach is known for its deep ribbon of white sand, family-friendly shallows and a colourful foreshore make for a classic Adelaide beach escape. The beach is backed by low dunes rather than tall buildings, so it does not have a built-up feel. Behind the beach is 2 kilometres of public space preserved for recreation, offering mini-golf, water slides, a vintage carousel or ferris wheel, and a steam train that travels along the shoreline. Semaphore Road, one of Adelaide’s widest boulevards, is home to funky boutiques, old pubs and quirky cafes.

Semaphore

Tennyson Beach is the southern continuation of Semaphore Beach. The suburb of Tennyson was named by Governor Le Hunte on 5 January 1905, after Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, former Governor of South Australia (1899-1902) and Governor-General of Australia (1903-1904). No point in Tennyson is further than 400 metres from the beach.

Grange Beach is a southern continuation of Tennyson Beach. The suburb is named after the home of Charles Sturt which he built on 500 acres allocated to him in 1842. Sturt's farm was subdivided in 1878 by a private company intending to establish a beach resort. Grange jetty was built in 1882.

Henley Beach

Henley Beach is a popular beachside suburb, offering white sand, gentle surf, a popular dining square and regular live entertainment in the summer. Henley Jetty is as popular for pleasant walks as it is for fishing from. Henley Square is a popular Adelaide dining spot, offering fine cafes and restaurants including Thai and Greek.

West Beach is one of Adelaide's most popular seaside holiday destinations. It offers award-winning caravan park and holiday village accommodation, particularly suited to families. The beach is wide and the sand clean. West Beach is also close to popular Glenelg and Henley Beach precincts, offering restaurants, cafes and live entertainment during warmer months.

Holdfast Bay

An historic and popular Adelaide coastal area, Holdfast Bay encompasses Glenelg, Brighton, Seacliff and Kingston Park. Holdfast Bay is just 20 minutes from Adelaide's city centre and less than 10 minutes from the domestic and international airports. Its coast offers great opportunities all year for both business travellers and holiday seekers.

Glenelg beach

Glenelg is Adelaide's most popular seadside resort, located 11km south-west of the city. It's always buzzing with people enjoying the sun, sand, foreshore parks and summer entertainment. You can stroll along the jetty or browse through the hundreds of shops and dine at one of the many sidewalk cafes along Jetty Road. Glenelg is the terminus of Adelaide's only surviving tram service.
The sands of Holdfast Bay continue south, being named Glenelg South, Somerton Park Beach, Hove Beach, North Brighton Beach and Brighton Beach at each of those suburbs.

Five kilometres south of Glenelg along the Esplanade, is the seaside hamlet of Brighton, a popular beach playground, with a charming village atmosphere along its own Jetty Road. A good family beach, also popular for fishing and snorkelling.

Kingston Park is home to Kingston House is the oldest building in Holdfast Bay, built in 1840 and set on a three-acre reserve with stunning coastal views. On the foreshore, a striking monument by South Australia sculptor John Dowie marks one of the significant spring sites on the Tjilbruke Trail and a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk heads south to Marino Rocks.

Seacliff Beach from the balcony of the Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club

Marino Rocks beach has a steep cliff face and then a low and flat rocky beach, leading out to a reef on the southern end of Seacliff Beach. Fishing and snorkelling are common recreation activities. Marino is a suburb of Adelaide, and sits on coastal hills overlooking the Gulf Saint Vincent. The Noarlunga Railway Line passes through the suburb, and there are two railway stations: Marino and Marino Rocks.

South

Hallett Cove

Hallett Cove is a small beach, named after John Hallett, who came across it in 1837 whilst searching for missing stock. The Field River runs out to sea at the southern end. The cliffs to the north are part of the Hallett Cove Conservation Park, featuring Aboriginal artefacts used by the Kaurna tribe and several significant geological features. These include glacial striations on the clifftop. There are also a number of large glacial erratics on the beach. Hallett Cove railway station is on top of the cliffs to the north of the beach, and services the greater Hallett Cove area.

Christies Beach

Christies Beach is one of Adelaide's popular family beaches. It provides safe swimming for all ages, with a large foreshore reserve for picnics, gatherings and other outdoor activities. A well used, all season boat ramp provides access to many good fishing grounds near to Christies Beach. There's also a large shopping precinct providing an extensive range of services nearby. The area is scenic and hence popular with photographers as Witton Bluff provides a natural vantage point over the entire suburb and beyond.

Boomer Beach is suitable for experienced surfers due to its huge waves and strong currents. A great beach in Winter for whale watching as often humpback whales can be seen from the shoreline.

Aldinga Beach

Aldinga Beach is one of the few in Australia where cars are permitted to drove on parts of the broad sand, making it easier for you to reach the water and surf. Aldinga Beach is a top spot for scuba diving and snorkelling, with the beach overlooking a unique aquatic reserve established to protect a rare reef formation.

Seaford is a coastal suburb to the near south of Port Noarlunga. During the mid-twentieth century, numerous land developments in the area resulted from the movement of suburban population to the south of Adelaide and the rise of tourism along the beaches.

Moana Beach

Moana came into being in 1927, when the land was subdivided and blocks of land were sold due to the increased interest in tourism in the area. The land was divided into blocks suitable for holiday homes and wide streets were planned and laid out. But due to the Great Depression in 1929 development of the area was initially slow. The beach front at Moana is a combination of low cliffs, sand dunes, and hard compacted sand. The beach at Moana is accessible by normal passenger vehicles and is one of the few beaches where cars are allowed to drive onto the beach.

Maslin Beach and Blanche Point

Maslin Beach lies within the City of Onkaparinga local government area, and neighbours the suburbs Moana, Port Willunga, and McLaren Vale. The southern half of Maslin Beach was declared Australia's first official nude beach in 1975. The cliff-lined beach is some 3km in length, and so the area reserved for nude bathing is some distance from other beach users. Around Australia Day each year, the "Maslin Beach Olympics" are held, consisting of informal competitions such as three-legged races and the judging of "best bum".

Sellicks Beach

Sellicks Beach is at the southern most point the City of Onkaparinga and is where the Mount Lofty Ranges meet the sea. Here there are steep cliffs that give way to a long expanse of white sand. This part of the South Australian coastline is renowned for its plentiful fishing with good boat launching facilities. This is also a popular spot for surfers, particularly during the winter.