Somerton Beach is a hidden little gem. Situated in between the touristy Glenelg Beach and the…read moreequally as busy, Brighton Beach, it is usually a beach that only the locals and misplaced visitors go to soak up the sun. The beach itself is flat and not too sandy, with the sea in easy walking distance from the steps. There are often beautiful sandscapes as the water ebbs. This often forms little wading pools that are lovely and warm and great for the kids. If you venture off the beaten track to this beach, you will often see the locals just walking down from their houses and meeting their neighbours for a catch up. It has a nice lazy vibe and generally lots of space to spread out and not be bothered by anyone if that is your thing. The Somerton Surf Life Saving club is at the top of the strip and have safe areas to swim between flags on the weekends or in the summer holidays when it is patrolled. There is also a Somerton Sailing club that uses part of this beach on a Saturday. Parking has become a little more difficult since they widened the footpaths. Now you can only park on one side of the street or down the side streets which is still fairly convenient compared to other beaches.

I agree with the reviewer who mentioned that Somerton Beach is a hidden gem ... that's definitely…read moretrue. While the crowds pack Brighton, Seacliff and Glenelg, Somerton is relatively quiet. I work nearby, and there's one thing here that is a definite advantage - lots of bench seating along the Esplanade. Thank you, City of Holdfast Bay! While I'm not a beachy-type person (and hate summer!), I love to walk along the Esplanade and soaking up the fresh air and sea breeze. Grabbing a coffee from the nearby Kiosk at the Somerton Surf Life Saving Club, sitting on one of the benches and staring at the ocean for a while is my idea of a perfect lunch break ;)

I do like beaches that are close to railway stations, namely because they are easy to get to. Then…read moreagain, they are also easy for everybody else to get to as well. Anyway, another thing I like are beaches near pubs, and this is certainly one of those beaches. When I was here it wasn't all that crowded, which does say something because it was a nice day, and I do rather appreciate those beaches that aren't all that crowded. Yeah, this beach was nice, and even though I never came down here as often as other beaches, I do like it.

What's not to like about a beach in Adelaide? We are spoilt,…read moreno doubt about that! This one has the beautiful white sand and is great for swimming. Just across the road is a fab pub (Seacliff Hotel). In the mornings it's a haven for dog walkers. A few minutes down the road is Jetty Road, Brighton, filled with cafes and a jetty to stroll on. Gets pretty busy in summer (as you'd expect). Beautiful, just beautiful.

You know those "beach scenes" in the midday movies or soap tv shows? After visiting Pt Willunga…read morebeach I am now convinced they have all been filmed here. I can't help but pontificate about the ridiculous perfection that SA is lucky enough to have on it's south western coastline. Protected by rugged, undulating cliff faces a long and wide golden sandy beach gives way to quite large waves perfect for surfing and fishing but shallow enough at the beginning to allow kids and dogs plenty of naked frolicking on the shoreline. Put simply, this is the bestest beach in SA. There are 2 toilets near the car park and a restaurant that overlooks the beach (Star of Greece). I didn't notice a canteen whilst here but that may have been further along down south. It is dog leash free, but not too crowded that you feel like you are going to be mauled by an over-excited pup dashing along the sand. The sunrise and sunset reflect off the cliffs to create a gorgeous yellow hue in the warmer months and it's not full of bogans, tourists or anyone really, meaning you can stroll along this too good to be true setting for every romance novel in peace.

This is my favourite beach. I'm not one for flash, busy beaches like Bondi or even Glenelg. I love…read morethe quieter beaches where you can do your own thing without having masses of people everywhere. The beach has a shallow section due to a bit of a sandbar, then in drops off, but this makes it great for families. The little kids can play in the shallows while the big ones can body surf the waves. And we can't forget the most photographed ruins in SA, the old jetty pillions. Head down around sunset and you'll see a mass of photographers all trying to get the perfect shot! Get on down, but keep it secret, can have everyone knowing about this gem ;)

Hove beach is located merely 100 metres North of the Brighton beach jetty and hence is often…read moremistakenly referred to as Brighton beach. The beach is excellent for swimming and fishing from the shore, and the rocks nearby is excellent for what my friend's and I refer to as gollumn-rocking. This precious beach is also overlooked by Wattle Reserve which is in the midst of construction. At present there is at least a basketball court remaining, which is definitely used. As the ocean views and houses are beautiful and the road extremely flat, the Esplanade Road stretch from Wattle Reserve to the Jetty, is particularly popular. People walk, run, or cavort with their pooches all year long in the morning and in the evening. Some choose to walk/run along the sand, but others use the sidewalk. Cyclists also like this beach as there is a great bike track. As I say on all my beach reviews, all SA beaches have a chance of shark sightings, although attacks tend to be much further south than at Hove. Allay any fears by checking out PIRSA's shark log http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries/fishwatch/sharks/shark_sighting_log Surf Reports will also report sharks so call for one before going to any beach if you're especially worried.

Nice beach that's close and accessible to the Adelaide cbd. There are cafes and restos nearby…read more When we went here on a Saturday morning there were people playing with their dogs on the beach which was fun to watch. The premises were clean.

Too many people, to put it lightly. It actually is a bit of a cringe worthy walk along Glenelg…read moreBeach in the summertime. leathery old ladies wearing next to nothing, over weight men wearing budgey smugglers, idiots throwing volleyballs at your head. get lost everybody, I'm trying to be peaceful. It's not a long beach, 15 mins max from one end to the other, there are some shells but most of the good ones have been snaggled already if you aren't early enough. There is a jetty you can walk along and get your hair blown into a catwalk fashion, good for a walk along after dinner. Did I mention there are too many people here.

I won't necessarily say that this is a particularly popular beach, namely because it does tend to…read morebe rather quiet when I end up here. However, it was one of those beaches that my friends and I tended to gravitate to on those rather nice summer days that we seem to regularly get down in Adelaide. Well, one of the reasons is that the beach is rather quiet, but it is also quite close to the city as well, meaning that it is a short drive to actually end up here. Okay, there doesn't really seem to be much in the way of facilities round here, but as a beach, yeah, it isn't bad at all.

30/12/2011 It's the day before New Years Eve 2012, and I…read morejust had a long drunk night in the city clubs last night. So what other way to recover from a hangover than to go surfing at West Beach!! LOL Just as I was getting ready for another one of my favourite TV series marathon in the cosy lounge room, I heard my older brother telling to get my ass off the couch and into the car, 'cos the three of us were headed down to West Beach again (we've been here a dozen times before, it's that good!). Everytime we all go there, we love bringing back the old school art of 'Skim Boarding', with one board each. Yes, it's dangerous. But it's oh....sooo fun!! (I don't recommend you try it unless you are sure you know what you're doing, this review is promoting the beach!) I hope I start the New Year without nearly breaking my wrist, lower back or ankle though, so I always stretch up these parts before pretending to be Kelly Slater. I'm always in the zone when I come to this beach. Back to the beach: This beach is normally empty with lots of space, but when there are lots of people, they are quiet, and considerate when they walk past us - which is saying a lot considering that we were too busy being real aggressive with our boards towards the waves. A few do stop and say hello, and start a conversation, appreciating how we were having a good time. The best part? This beach is so fun that several hours are lost being here and you'll head home hungry from all the calories you burnt. I especially love the clean water here, and the occasional hot chicks in bikinis that walk past! *wink* On New Years Eve 2011-2012 tonight, I am exceptionally thankful for my older brothers and cousins for the time we've spent here in West Beach and all the awesome times we had together here! Cheers! To end, here's a summary of this beloved beach... Speechless. West Beach, everytime I leave, I miss you too much or you make me not say anything at all. Heart-pounding, dangerous, breathtaking, pleasurable, bliss, sexy! It's the range of activities that anyone can do here that makes it 5 stars. Apologies for this long review, this beach is really that good. Lucky this didn't turn from a beach to a hospital review.

I think I like the fact that there aren't kiosks and that sort of thing on this beach. I think…read morethat's part of why it's about a million times nicer than somewhere, like, say, Glenelg. You can come here, relax on the sand, have a swim, and like Penny says, feel reasonably confident that your little pile of clothes, towel, wallet and keys aren't going to disappear. Then again, I'm pretty paranoid, so I lock most of that stuff in the car and carry a car key in the pocket of my shorts. Yet another reason to not wear budgie smugglers. Parking on the sand is pretty novel, for me. And it's so much nicer than having to walk over hot asphalt barefoot.

This beach is fantastic!…read more If you're happy to drive a little further than the regular metropolitan beach areas, then come to Silver Sands, otherwise known as Aldinga Beach. The sand is clean and white, and the water is clear. The biggest novelty however is the fact hat you can park the car on the beach. As in on the sand. Near the water. It's alternative like that. Craaaazy. I rather like this quality of parking on the beach, as it really sets it apart from other beaches. I also find it convenient, and I rather like being 100% at ease that my belongings are not going to be snatched by lingering beach thieves. The only associated negative is that there are no real beach front stores or kiosks. Well not in direct/close proximity anyway. Yet than again, this down fall, believe it or not, does help to preserve the seclusion and privacy that is evident in the mannerism of this particular beach. Good work Silver Sands!

oh, look at all the pretty millionaires drinking sunny cocktails on their million dollar luxury…read moreyachts. I like to pick one out, usually the biggest boat, and daydream about what it might be like to actually have the kind of money which enabled me to afford one of those baby's. The Marina pier is the right side of the tracks where glenelg is concerned, some of my favourite restaurants are along here, like Oyster Bar and Sammy's and Zucca... naturally most cost an arm an a leg to actually eat there but the setting is so lovely its worth the money. You should take a stroll through this part of town, makes you feel pretty inside.

I'm with Katie. There is an awful lot of ugly on Jetty Street, but once you're on Marina Pier, it…read moredoes get a fair bit nicer. There's about a dozen restaurants. The ones I've eaten in have been pretty good, thus far. One event that I recommend is the Yum Cha on the Marina, which is on Saturday and Sunday between 11.30am and 3pm. I'm pretty sure you need to book with the restaurant, though, so don't just turn up and expect to eat.

This is my ideal beach. Now, I do admit to some bias on that account because this is probably the…read morevery beach which has formed my idea of what a beach should be. However! That in no way detracts from its awesomeness. The sand is soft, the water is clear, the waves are the perfect height for boogie boarding and, while there is a rip, it's hardly a dangerous one just so long as you're aware of it. Visibility is such that parents could feel quite safe letting their kids have a swim by themselves. There has been a lot of work on re-vegetation along the sand dunes here too which adds an extra element for exploration as well as the water hole/creek just nearby. Because Carickalinga is still (relatively) undiscovered, standard beach problems like overcrowding and litter are not really an issue here. I feel I should warn any aspiring surfers that this is probably not the beach for catching sweet waves, although I spotted a few people in kayaks who looked like they were having fun.

When I tell you I love this place, I LOVE this Place! Water? Perfect. Sand temp? Perfect. Waves?…read morePerfect. This beach? Perfect. Would recommend for Family trips, Going with Friends, And just to relax, Everything about this beach is perfect.

It takes a lot for me to give a beach 5 stars, I mean... I really hate sand. I've never got the…read morewhole beach thing - the water always seems too cold, sand is annoying, and I'm always chucking glances over at my stuff to check someone's not stealing it. Despite this, I love Moana Beach. My family home is just 5 minutes up the road, so it's always been the beach I come back to. The best bit about the beach in my opinion, is the dog exercise area, a section of the beach where your dogs can just roam free all year round. For the hairy friend in my life, this is just absolute heaven. Outside of daylight savings hours the entire beach becomes leash free. My huge hairy border collie X old english sheep dog looks like a drowned rat in seconds. During Summer the beach is packed, and the Moana Surf Life Saving Club patrols the beaches. Across the road is a great little cafe (Deep Blue Cafe) where you can get a meal, or just grab an ice cream. Moana is definitely my favourite beach, but if we could just get the water the temp it is in Fiji perhaps I'd consider going in!