Holiday houses in Semaphore

Just 30 minutes’ drive northwest of central Adelaide, Semaphore is a relaxed coastal suburb with a great beach and a picturesque foreshore. Named for the high flagpole erected on a colonial-era hotel as a signal to approaching ships, Semaphore is all about fun in the sun.

Beyond lounging on sandy beaches and plunging into turquoise waters, there’s an expansive foreshore to explore, where you’ll find a skate park, a basketball court, a kids’ playground, and a waterslide complex with mini golf and sideshow games. Running inland from the jetty, Semaphore Road is lined with historic pubs, restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. The area is also dotted with Art Deco architecture, crowned by an iconic beachfront bar and bistro. A pathway hugging the coast is great for jogging and cycling, with windy days attracting kitesurfers and windsurfers to the shallow waters of Semaphore Beach.

Semaphore buzzes during the summer months, when Adelaideans flock to its beach, bars, and cafes. With a range of rides, sideshow games, and family-friendly entertainment, the Semaphore Summer Carnival, hosted on the foreshore during the summer school holidays, is another popular attraction. From October to April, you can also take a ride on the small steam train that puffs along the shoreline from the Semaphore Jetty south to the Semaphore Surf Life Saving Club.

Semaphore quiets down as the temperature drops, before springing back to action in October for the Semaphore Music Festival, which celebrates alt-country, roots, and blues music, while the last Sunday of November sees the Semaphore Street Fair, a family-friendly event with more than 250 stalls, live entertainment, and amusement rides.

Fort Glanville Conservation Park

Semaphore’s Fort Glanville was built in 1880 and remains largely unaltered today. The fort’s history as a crucial part of Australia’s defense strategy continues to come alive through members of the Fort Glanville Association, who reenact cannon firings and military drills.

Mudlanagga to Yertabulti Track

Gain a deeper understanding of the Semaphore region’s first peoples by downloading a map of the Mudlanagga to Yertabulti Track from the City of Port Adelaide Enfield website and seeking out the 24 stops on this trail, which extends for more than 20 kilometres. At each stop you’ll find an information panel sharing the stories of local Aboriginal people past and present.

Port Adelaide

Just a five-minute drive southeast of Semaphore, the historic port town of Port Adelaide has really come into its own in recent years. Steeped in maritime history, many of its historic buildings now house trendy restaurants and hip watering holes. Port Adelaide is also home to the National Railway Museum and the South Australian Maritime Museum.