Maslin Beach, SA: Adelaide’s nude beach
The first official nude beach in South Australia is a great bet for everyone else, too. The rainbow cliffs and proximity to the McLaren Vale wineries make Maslin Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula near Adelaide worth visiting.
Maslin Beach in South Australia is an undeniably spectacular stretch of sand. It comes with striking multi-coloured cliffs at the southern end, but these aren’t what this Fleurieu Peninsula beach is best known for.
The first nude beach in Australia
Maslin Beach was the first official nudist beach in Australia.
If you want to let it all hang out, Maslin Beach is the closest nudist beach to Adelaide. However, this clothing-optional status makes it surprisingly appealing for more conventional beach-goers, too.
The prospect of nude bathers scares a lot of people off Maslin Beach. They head elsewhere instead. Which means, fairly often, you can have this Fleurieu Peninsula beach to yourself.
15 fabulous Adelaide experiences to supercharge your visit
- DOLPHINS 🐬: Swim with wild dolphins, kayak with the resident bottlenose pod or watch them on a dolphin cruise.
- FOOD AND WINE 🍷: Indulge on Adelaide food tour including Adelaide Central Market. Or try a wine discovery tour with tastings at the National Wine Centre. Or the ultimate Penfolds Magill Estate experience with full estate tour & Grange tasting.
- WILDLIFE 🐨: Spot koalas on a guided Morialta nature hike. Or walk from Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty with entrance to Cleland Wildlife Park.
- CRUISES ⛵: Watch the sun set on a twilight coastal cruise, get to know the city on a Torrens River cruise or take a high tea cruise aboard the Popeye.
- SPORT 🏏: Dare to take on the Adelaide Oval Roofclimb or enter the fabled scoreboard on the behind-the-scenes stadium tour.
- ACTION 🚵♂️: Descend Mount Lofty on a downhill mountain bike tour or kayak along the Torrens River.
How long is Maslin Beach?
It’s a beauty of a beach, too, about 3km long and gradually curving to the west at the southern end at Blanche Point. At the southern end, the cliffs have something of a rainbow effect, with white, yellow, orange, pink and red rock strata clearly visible.
The southern end of Maslin Beach is the section set aside for nudists. There’s a white sign delineating where it’s OK to get your kit off and where it’s not the done thing.
The northern end, therefore, is a winner for everyone else. Here, you’ll find the car park and the Frank Hilton Reserve. This dune-top park has a children’s playground and public barbecues, plus a large expanse of grassy lawn.
Pick your perfect Adelaide day trips
- Barossa Valley tours: 1. Wine-tasting with lunch 🍷. 2. Food and wine tour. 3. Small group wine tour with exclusive VIP tastings.
- Kangaroo Island in a day – including sea lions 🦭, koalas 🐨and national parks.
- Adelaide Hills tours: 1. Sights plus Murray River lunch cruise combo. 2. Small group cheese, chocolate & wine tour with Hahndorf German village.
- McLaren Vale tours: 1. Small group wine tour with lunch. 2. Hop-on hop-off wineries tour 🍷. 3. Food and wine indulgence tour, including the gloriously weird d’Arenberg Cube.
- Victor Harbor and southern highlights tour – including the Granite Island horse-drawn tram.
Is Maslin Beach safe for swimming?
Maslin Beach is reasonably safe for swimming, although there can be some rips. Adelaide’s nude beach is no use for surfing except in very unusual conditions.
This Fleurieu Peninsula beach is about a 40 minute drive south of central Adelaide. Perhaps more interestingly, it is 8km west of the town of McLaren Vale, in the heart of the McLaren Vale wine region.
You can, therefore, go for a swim at Maslin Beach before heading to the McLaren Vale wineries for tastings. The likes of Serafino, Mitolo, Hugh Hamilton Wines and the Woodstock Winery have cellar doors open to visitors.
More South Australia travel
Stay at EOS by SkyCity – Adelaide’s casino hotel.
Meet at the Mall’s Balls on Adelaide’s Rundle Mall.
What is the tallest building in Adelaide?
What is Cold Chisel Lane in Adelaide?
Is the Adelaide Arcade Australia’s oldest shopping arcade?