Explore
Portarlington Pier
Portarlington Harbour is home to a mussel fishing industry and Port Phillip Ferries. It is popular with anglers and a destination offering an enjoyable day by the bay.
Nestled on the edge of a coastal village, Portarlington Harbour is a busy working harbour with commercial and recreational boat traffic, the home of Port Phillip Ferries and a popular destination offering an enjoyable day by the bay.
The Harbour offers boating visitors short term berths and swing moorings (for vessels up to 14 metres) for a maximum of 5 days within a 14 day period. These are free and available on a first come, first served basis.
Anglers fish from the Portarlington Pier, swimmers take a dip in the surrounding beaches and visitors from near and far enjoy sweeping views of Corio Bay and the Melbourne skyline. The Portarlington township and foreshore facilities, including a barbecue, picnic area and playground are nearby.
Things To Do
Boating in Portarlington Harbour
Walking in Portarlington Harbour
Port Phillip Ferries

Fishing in Portarlington Harbour
Portarlington Harbour
Keep an eye out for:
Tours and adventure experiences in parks
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How to get there
Portarlington Pier
Need to know
Portarlington Pier
Safety
To ensure your visit to Portarlington is enjoyable and safe, please consider the following:
- Portarlington Harbour is a busy working harbour with commercial and recreational boat traffic. For your safety, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving and spear fishing are not allowed within the harbour outside the designated swimming zone. Jumping and diving off the pier and structures is also prohibited. There are shallow areas and often unexpected, submerged objects.
- There is a designated swimming only zone within the harbour marked by signs, in water buoys and a swimming barrier. There is another open ocean swimming only zone west of Portarlington Pier.
- Pedestrians are requested to walk within the high-visibility pedestrian lines that are marked on the pier for safety. Access to Portarlington Pier is shared by pedestrians and vehicles.
- Dogs must be kept on lead at all times and clean up after your dog.
- Marine pests are highly invasive animals and plants usually from other parts of the world that have become established in Victoria. Marine pests cause significant damage to the health of Victoria’s marine ecosystems. Port Phillip is home to many marine pests not found elsewhere in Victoria and vessels can act as a mode of transport for marine pests. To find out how you can help stop the spread of marine pests, please see the Check, Clean, Dry video.
Boating within the Harbour
Port Philip Ferries have right of way over all other vessels while navigating the harbour entrance. Refer to the Port Manager Directions No. 1.0/2018 for the Local Port of Port Phillip - Portarlington Harbour.
There is a clearly marked swimming only area at the foreshore within the Harbour, vessels are not permitted to enter this area. Additionally, the west of the Harbour is a no boating zone, and vessels should adhere to signage.
Please view our Boating in Portarlington Harbour and Moorings and Berths pages for more information about mooring within Portarlington Harbour.
Notices to Mariners
Notices to Mariners (NTMs) are an official notification issued to mariners providing advice on aids to navigation (AtoNs), safety issues, dangers or hazards to navigation within chartered waters of which authorities have knowledge.