town in Victoria, Australia
Portarlington is a small fishing village and tourist town on the northern edge of the Bellarine Peninsula within the Greater Geelong region of Victoria.
Port Phillip Ferries run a twice daily service from Docklands to the pier at Portarlington. The ferries are large, smooth, and spacious with a cafe on board (which in Melbourne style, take pride in their coffee) as well as Wi-Fi. The pier at Portarlington is 2 min walk from the town. You can spend the afternoon there and return to Melbourne. The ferry is speed restricted in the Docklands, but opens up once out in the bay. Tickets, which can only be bought online, cost $33 return for adults, and a little less than half of that for children. The same company also has a route to Geelong ($19 return), but note there is no return ferry out of Portarlington on Mondays and Tuesdays.
There is also a connecting bus service (Route 60) to Geelong ($3.60, 30 min)
There is plenty of free parking in and around the town.
Portarlington is well known locally for its mussels, which are farmed locally and available around Victoria.