Sailors Falls, Daylesford: Victorian waterfall lookout and walk

Sailors Falls near Daylesford, Victoria, tumbles into a pretty, ferny gorge. You can get mineral water from the pump in the picnic area and walk the 1.4km loop to the base of the falls.

What is Sailors Falls?

Sailors Falls is a seasonal waterfall just to the south of Daylesford, Victoria. It sees Sailors Creek plunge about 20 metres into a small, ferny gorge.

Where is Sailors Falls?

Sailors Falls is just off the Ballan-Daylesford Road. It is 6km south of Daylesford – a seven minute drive. You’ll go past on the drive from Geelong to Daylesford or Geelong to Bendigo.

The lookout is a very short walk from the Sailors Falls car park.

Sailors Falls Walk

To get to the bottom of Sailor Falls, you can take the 1.4km loop walk from the picnic area. There are a fair few stairs on this walk, but it mostly follows the creek to the base of the falls.

The picnic area is right next to the car park. There’s a pump by the picnic area that pumps out fresh mineral water.

Can I swim at Sailors Falls?

It’s not really possible to swim at Sailors Falls, as there isn’t a big enough pool at the bottom. There are a few rock pools you can essentially sit in if the falls are in flow, but don’t expect to break out the front crawl.

Also, the months where the water is vaguely pleasant to sit in and the months where there’s actually water at Sailors Falls don’t necessarily coincide.

Generally, this Daylesford waterfall flows until around the start of summer, then returns with the winter rains.

Sailors Falls near Daylesford, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Other things to do in Daylesford, Victoria, include enjoying the views from the Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens and enjoying one of regional Australia’s best art galleries – the Convent.

Daylesford also offers private winery tours and paddleboating on Lake Daylesford.

Daylesford accommodation with character includes the Daylesford Art Motel and the Dudley Boutique Hotel.