BIG4 Port Elliot Holiday Park

BIG4 Port Elliot Holiday Park is a large beachfront park on the Fleurieu Peninsula with cabins, powered sites, a camp kitchen and direct access to the sand at Horseshoe Bay. It is one of the few places on this stretch of coast where the dog can stay on the beachfront with you, in designated cabins and sites.

Dogs at the BIG4 Port Elliot Holiday Park

Dogs stay only in accommodation and on sites flagged with the dog-friendly symbol, so book one of those specifically; turning up with a pet in a standard cabin does not work. A maximum of two dogs per booking applies, every dog must be approved by management before arrival, and dog-friendly cabins carry an additional cleaning charge from $50. Declare the pet when you book and get that approval in writing.

Inside the park the rules are firm: dogs are leashed and under physical control whenever outside, never left unattended in cabins, tents or vehicles, kept out of communal areas like the camp kitchen and amenities, and owners clean up everything. For health reasons dogs and dog bedding cannot be washed anywhere on site, including the laundry.

Worth knowing

The park sits right on Horseshoe Bay, and Alexandrina Council sets seasonal beach rules that matter here: from 1 December to 31 January dogs are on-leash at all times on Horseshoe Bay, on-leash 10am to 6pm from 1 February to 30 April, and under effective control from 1 May to 30 November. Dogs also stay leashed within 50 metres of signed hooded plover breeding zones, which do occur along this foreshore.

Getting there and parking

The park is on the Port Elliot foreshore at the southern end of town, about 10 minutes from Victor Harbor off the Victor Harbor Road. Parking is at your cabin or site. The Encounter Bikeway runs past the park, so the walk or ride to Middleton starts at the gate.

Close by with the dogs

For a fully fenced run, the Port Elliot Fenced Dog Park is a short drive away, and the Middleton to Port Elliot bike trail makes a leashed morning leg. De Groot Coffee Co is a local coffee stop in town.

More options are on the SA dog friendly stays guide and the Port Elliot destination page.

Max: book a dog-flagged cabin and get management approval before you drive down, or you can be turned away at check-in.