A self-drive 3-day foodie adventure in Portarlington

From enjoying fresh Australian blue mussels onboard a boutique tour to sipping award-winning wines with stunning bay views, experience locally grown produce at this coastal foodie destination on The Bellarine.

Getting here

Located on the tip of the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Portarlington is a 31-kilometre drive east of Geelong or 104 kilometres south of Melbourne.

Avalon Airport is the closest airport, which is just 25 minutes from Geelong and has regular flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast. Hire cars are available to be picked up from the airport when booked in advance.

Or you can take the car on a 45-minute trip across the bay with Searoad Ferries, departing regularly from Sorrento to Queenscliff – which is an additional 20-minute drive to Portarlington.

Highlights of tour

• - Enjoy mussels fresh from the bay onboard a boutique bay tour
• - Sample wine and the bay views at Jack Rabbit Vineyard
• - Take a wine tasting and share a charcuterie board inside a repurposed tram
• - Stay at a restored heritage boutique hotel

Day One

Morning: Start your journey towards Portarlington. Take a break from driving and have a pitstop at the Geelong Visitor Information Centre inside Geelong City Hall. Chat with the volunteers and get tips for your travels or inspiration for your next visit to the region before continuing the 35 minutes to Portarlington.

Midday: Arrive at Portarlington and get acquainted with this charming seaside town which was established in the 1800s. Take a stroll through the main shopping strip along Newcomb Street, be sure to stop by boutique store the Ducks Nuts for quirky and one-off gifts.

Lunch: Head down to the foreshore and take in the views at Pier Street Café. This water-side café is run by hatted chef Peter Roddy and he offers dishes showcasing the local shellfish such as smoked mussel chowder; Sri Lankan mussel curry; and smoked bacon mussels.

Afternoon: Check in for your stay with Portarlington Grand Hotel. Built in 1888 and known as the jewel of The Bellarine, the hotel reopened in 2022 after being impeccably restored with 18 boutique rooms. Keep an eye out for the room names, which are named after ships significant to the town’s maritime history. Relax inside your room and enjoy a beverage while sitting on the balcony. Rooms start at $255 per night.

Dinner: Book in for a prime dinner spot on the deck overlooking the bay at Arlo Wine Bar. This bar specialises in seafood, as well as pasta and wine from near and afar. Menu favourites include raw local flathead Véronique with lemon and capers and miso tuna crostini. The pasta is handmade fresh every day and the bay views from the deck are unrivalled.

Day Two

Morning: Get in early at Portarlington Bakehouse (open daily at 6:30am) for a light breakfast and to sample the popular woodfire baked goods. Walk the 350 metres to the foreshore and enjoy a stroll along part of the 17-kilometre Bellarine Coastal Trail, taking in the sights as you go. For the more adventurous and to take on the full trail towards Indented Head, you can hire a bike with Rent My Bike Australia and have it dropped off at the hotel. Bike hire starts at $45 per day.

Midday: Head back to Portarlington Pier and join Hop It Bellarine’s hop-on, hop-off winery tour which departs at 11:00am. Choose your own adventure with 11 wineries, distilleries and breweries to visit. Top picks include Jack Rabbit Vineyard with sweeping bay views and a choice of fine dining or casual eats or neighbouring Terindah Estate offers similarly impressive views and wines plus a restaurant and W-class tram which has been converted into a fun bar for wine tasting and charcuterie boards. Transport with Hop It starts at $89.95 with drinks and food not included.

Evening: After a full day of winery hopping (returning 4:30pm), settle in for a comforting pub classic in the front bar at Portarlington Grand Hotel. Or for an ultra-relaxing evening, get into your robes and order room service to be enjoyed in your room or balcony as the sun sets over the bay.

Day Three

Breakfast: Head around the corner to Staple Eatery and Deli for a full breakfast. Choose from a range of melt-in-your-mouth toasties (our pick is the slow-cooked beef brisket with sauerkraut, pickles and two types of cheese) or more classic items like eggs benedict and Belgium waffles.

After breakfast return to Portarlington Grand Hotel and check out before 10:00am ahead of your tour with Portarlington Mussel Tours. The Grand has an in-kind luggage service to hold onto your bags until you return.

Lunch: Walk the 350 metres to Portarlington Pier and meet at the Huon pine vessel Valerie in time for your tour with Portarlington Mussel Tours, which starts at 11:00am. More than 60 per cent of the nation’s blue mussels are harvested in Portarlington which are served at top restaurants around the country – the best way to try them is onboard this boutique tour. Join an intimate group for three hours and be hosted by local mussel farmer, Lance Wiffen, where you can pluck your own from the water before a chef cooks them up on board. The Classic Mussel Tour will set you back $295.

Afternoon: When the tour wraps up and returns you to Portarlington Pier at 2:00pm, pick up your luggage and make your way back home. Take a pitstop at White Fisheries if you’d like to pick up some local seafood to enjoy back home.

For more inspiration on your trip and help with bookings head to www.visitgeelongbellarine.com.au/the-bellarine/portarlington or call our visitor information team on 1800 755 611 during business hours.