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.

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'm going to have to say that this is probably one of my favourite beaches in Adelaide, namely…read morebecause the water is pretty deep which means that you can actually go for a decent swim. I remember coming down here when I was much younger and jumping off the jetty, namely because it was really deep and you could do it without causing yourself significant injuries - until I got to a point where I started questioning what I actually achieved by jumping off the prefectly good jetty (as well as developing a concern about all of the fishing lines that happen to dangle of the jetty on most weekends). Okay, Brighton may not have the facilities of some of the other beaches in Adelaide, and if you don't live in the south then it can be a bit of a hike to get there, but I have to admit I've always have a pretty good time when I've landed up here.

Brighton Beach is one of my favourites in metropolitan Adelaide. Not too far from the CBD and…read moresituated along a row of eclectic eateries and shops, the beach is close to the obligatory Fish 'n' Chip stores and a super sweet gelateria. Parking at this beach is a breeze compared to Glenelg and Henley Beach, parks are scattered down Jetty Road with more down the Esplanade either side of the jetty. Parking lasts for three hours on average but parking a wee bit further down saves you from the parking inspector. For those opting for public transport, the Train station is a 10 minute walk away and the bus is of a similar distance. There are public showers and toilets scattered down the beach so that the sand doesn't come home in the car and their is usually enough space on the beach to run a cricket match without angering the odd grumpy old man or accidently hitting a six into the tourists' esky. Speaking of Eskys, the Espy's Bottle-O will sell you ice for $4 a bag if you need to stock up. For those looking for a sunset swim or beach walk, Brighton is a safe beach but I'd personally go for Glenelg or Henley as their are more people present and frequent police patrols.

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.

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.

I would say that this is the quieter reserve, but then again I probably could also describe it as…read morethe larger one as well. Yet, I'm not entirely convinced that one could consider it a foreshore reserve, especially since there are now a number of apartments located between it and the beach. Yet, it does have some facilities, including restrooms, and it is also next to the marina as well. It is a shame however that they removed the replica ship.

Wigley Reserve at Glenelg must suffer from the most mis-pronounced name of any park or reserve in…read moreAdelaide. I don't know why but many people insist on calling it Wrigley Reserve. There's actually nothing wriggly about it! It was named after H.R. Wigley who was the Resident Magistrate of Adelaide and a resident of Glenelg back in the 1840's. Mis-pronunciations aside, visit Wigley Reserve any morning around 6 in the morning and you'll find the place a hive of activity. It's a favoured venue for 'bootcamp' training aka people who like to be flogged by a trainer early in the mornings. There's a collection of exercise equipment there that gets plenty of use at other times of the day as well. Located at the end of Anzac Highway and on the corner of Adelphi Terrace, the reserve is on the shore of the Patawalonga right near the river's mouth. The Pat as its known by locals can get a bit stinky at times but this doesn't seem to deter the hive of activity that takes place on the reserve. Over the years its been the venue for events like the start of the Walk to Cure Diabetes, Lance Armstrong's Twitter Ride, and a gathering place for car enthusiasts to name but a few. It is after all a big space and is open for hire to all sorts of people for all sorts of community events.

Colley Reserve at Glenelg has been a centre for activity at the Bay for many years. Famous for…read morebeing the home of the Bay Sheffield athletics carnival, Colley Reserve fills to saturation point every year on Proclamation Day with runners and spectators keen to watch the Bay Sheff. You could be forgiven for thinking that not much else happens here during the rest of the year but head to Colley Reserve early any morning and you'll find large groups of people training, boot camp style. They make me feel guilty every time I see them as I head off for my coffee. Framed on one side by Colley Terrace and its Norfolk Pines and on the other by an apartment building, the reserve is an odd dug out shape with the bulk of the lawned area being much lower than street level. I must say though I loved reading Michelle's recollections of rolling down the sides of the reserve - it brought back some great memories of doing exactly the same thing! Love it.

This was commonly referred to as "the flying saucer" because of the shape of the Reserve. It is…read morebasically a massive oval shape but it's about 3 metres lower than road level and has a grassy downward slope all the way around it. Which of course I spent many hours as a kid rolling down. My own lkids have rolled down it and I still have friends that take their kids to roll down it. It's just the done thing at the Reserve. You would get dizzy, you could roll too fast and start to go sideways, whatever the roll it was always great fun as a kid and a great laugh to watch as an adult. They do hold a lot of entertainment here like the Sheffield Shield races occur on this oval in the days after Xmas each year. The rotunda is right next to the oval, Wigley Reserve pretty much across the road, the Beachouse not far if you want to spend some money and if not how about just the beach itself, less than a minute from here. Plenty of shops to get anything your heart desires on Jetty Road only a short stroll away. It's a great central location and a nice place to just sit under the trees in the shade and have a bite to eat and lets the kids run around for a bit. And if you haven't tried it before, you definitely have to try rolling down the sides! It's truly iconic at this place.