Things to do in Rye, Victoria – Best attractions guide

The best things to do in Rye, Victoria, include the pier snorkelling trail, the rock pools at Number 16 Beach and playing gold at the Dunes Golf Links.

Rye, Victoria, is one of the most appealing towns on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne. It’s sandwiched between Tootgarook and Blarigowrie.

This is at least partly because Rye has beaches on both the ocean side of the peninsula and the Port Phillip Bay side.

Rye accommodation options include the pool-equipped Rye Hotel and the Sunny Side Up B&B.

A sailing yacht moored off the coast of Rye, Victoria. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

Things to do in Rye, Victoria: Number 16 Beach

On the ocean side, Number 16 Beach is the star attraction. The rock formations here are pretty impressive – especially Dragon Head Rock, which gets its name for obvious reasons. Number 16 Beach in Rye is best visited at low tide, when you can explore the rock pools.

Also on the southern side of Rye is the Dunes Golf Links. This challenging golf course comes with luxury accommodation on-site, and is one of the top golf resorts within a short drive of Melbourne. The Peninsula Hot Springs spa centre is close to the eastern side of the golf course.

13 fabulous Mornington Peninsula experiences to book

There are dozens of Mornington Peninsula tours available from Melbourne. The experiences listed below are aimed at those staying on the Peninsula, or with their own transport.

Half day dolphin and seal swim from Sorrento.
Peninsula Hot Springs fire, ice and bathe experience.
Moonlit Sanctuary wildlife park entry ticket.
Guided e-bike tour in Arthurs Seat State Park and beyond.
Wildlife kayaking tour from Portsea.
Waterbike tour from Mornington.
Point Nepean National Park bike hire.
French cooking class in Fingal.
Dolphin and seal watching cruise from Sorrento.
Mornington Peninsula wineries hop-on, hop-off bus.
Montalto Vineyard discovery wine-tasting with lunch.
Enchanted Garden entry ticket.
Snorkelling with sea dragons in Portsea.

Best things to do in Rye, Victoria: Bay Trail and pier snorkelling

But most of the best things to do in Rye, Victoria, are on the Port Phillip side along Point Nepean Road. The town is on the 28km Bay Trail from Safety Beach to Portsea and a walking trail extends along the foreshore.

The Rye main beach is on Port Phillip Bay, and it is largely safe for swimming. Snorkellers should head to the pier, where there’s a 200 metre Octopus’ Garden snorkelling trail. There are signs along the way, explaining the aquatic wildlife you’ll encounter.

The White Cliffs Lookout and White Cliffs Foreshore campground are also along the foreshore, but if you want things a bit more lively, try Jetlet. This Mornington Peninsula jetski hire firm hires out boats as well as jetskis.

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