St Kilda is arguably the most popular beach in Melbourne, with the hipster city life taking over the coastal capital of Victoria. We’ve stayed in St Kilda and it’s a lovely place there, both during the Summer and Autumn. Although its a little quiet in Winter, there’s definitely things happening at the beach. So what can you do at St Kilda other than lounge at the beach? We’ve listed out our top 9 favourite activities!

1. Luna Park

Located just beside St Kilda beach, Luna Park is famous for being home to the world’s oldest continually operating rollercoaster – The Great Scenic Railway. The entrance is distinctly marked with a giant insta-worthy clown face and its perimeter lined with the tracks of the famous century-old roller coaster that you definitely would not wanna miss. It is definitely an experience to ride a hundred year old rollercoaster but do note that it can be extremely bumpy and rickety as it runs on wooden tracks and is still operated by a brakeman. The park is opened in summer from Thursdays to Sundays and draws large crowds of tourists to its grounds so head on to the website and pre-purchase your tickets to skip the queue!

Luna Park | 18 Lower Esplanade St Kilda VIC 3182

2. St Kilda Beach

If you aren’t coming to St Kilda for the beach then I really don’t know what else would you be here for. St Kilda Beach would be what I would call the ultimate chill-out beach. The waters here are calm and shallow for a long way out making it the perfect place for a relaxing swim or just to lounge around. The sands are often packed with hoards of people getting in their weekend tan but rest assured, you will definitely find a spot to lay down your towels. Pack in some sandwiches or buy a couple of takeaways from the nearby shops for a picnic by the beach (but be wary of seagulls!) or bring along a ball for a beachside game. Have lots of fun but do note that there is an alcohol ban on the beach and beware of jellyfish in the water (I got stung!).

St Kilda Beach | St Kilda Foreshore, St Kilda, Victoria, 3182

3. Acland Street

Just adjacent to St Kilda Beach would be Acland Street that basically has everything you could ask for. This stretch of road is lined with cafes, bars, fast food, bakeries, supermarkets, banks, retail shops and almost everything you could think of. If you are looking to grab a cuppa coffee along this stretch, try out Ground Yourself Cafe at Acland Court Shopping Centre (right outside Coles). On a hot summer day you can always beat the heat by heading to 7Apples Gelato or Piccolina Gelateria along Acland Street for an ice-cream!

7 Apples Gelato | 75 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

Piccolina Gelateria | 137 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

4. Carlisle Street

Very much similar to Acland Street (but much longer), Carlisle Street is located more inland where Balaclava Train Station is located. At the tip of Carlisle Street is the St Kilda Library where anyone can enter and utilise its facilities. Walking along this street will leave you spoilt for choice with its wide range of cafes and even supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths! We would definitely recommend you to try this local cafe called Dana Patisserie. We absolutely love the coffee and pastries they offer! There’s also a library where you can search for books and do some work there. (Although a cafe would be as great too)

Dana Patisserie| 175 Carlisle Street, Balaclava VIC 3183

5. St Kilda Esplanade Market

The St Kilda Esplanade Market is another must see market if you are ever here in St Kilda on a Sunday. There are many different stalls selling a wide variety of things, such as local produce, curated handicrafts, honey, plants and even beeswax wraps which we bought! It’s our first time getting beeswax wraps and honestly we got it mainly cause of the design. But it is very environmentally friendly as we can pack our sandwiches in them without using cling wrap! We’re trying to minimize our own wastage and rubbish so we have never bought cling wraps here at all. There’s also food sold at the market so if you’re ever hungry, you can always grab a bite there!

6. Penguins @ St Kilda Pier

Penguins at the St Kilda Pier goes way back a very long time ago, and these resident birds are here to stay. Found all the way at the end of the pier, behind the Little Blue restaurant, these birds make their nests at the breakwaters. You can see them coming home at sunset everyday, and they are REALLY cute. Just take note that no flash photography is permitted or do try to take extra caution when snapping a photo of them!

8. Skydiving

Yup, you’ve got that right. Skydiving is found a little further south from the beach, and you can find them here. It’s definitely not something for the faint hearted but it’s an experience you will never forget in your life!

9. St Kilda Sea Baths

The St Kilda Sea Baths are found right at St Kilda beach, and its very popular with locals especially during the colder months where the sea would be too cold. There is a saltwater pool with a steam room for you to enjoy the sea water without the cold!

 

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