London Bridge Portsea: Lookout & Beach Walk

London Bridge in Portsea, Mornington Peninsula, is an outstanding rock formation well worth a visit. From the London Bridge Lookout, high on the clifftop, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of this claw-shaped structure, as well as extensive views along the southern edge of Mornington Peninsula and the rough and wild waters of the Bass Strait. Additionally, there’s closer access to London Bridge, by taking a short walk along Portsea Surf Beach from the London Bridge Lookout.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to visit.

For more coastal walks, read our Wilsons Prom Hiking Guide

About London Bridge, Portsea

London Bridge is an outstanding rock arch located in Portsea in the Mornington Peninsula. The crashing waves, rough seas and bitter winds of this south coast have helped to carve this extraordinary structure. The now exposed arch was once a hidden cave, but weathering over thousands of years caused the collapse of the roof, predominantly made of limestone. And so, the arch-like structure left is where London Bridge gets its name from.

London Bridge is best viewed from a strategic lookout high on the clifftops of Portsea. But, for the adventurous, it’s possible to explore within the remaining cave elements of London Bridge, accessed via Portsea Surf Beach.

Where Is London Bridge, Portsea?

London Bridge is located in Portsea on the eastern tip of the Mornington Peninsula. Given its proximity to Melbourne, Victoria, the Mornington Peninsula is a popular weekend getaway as well as a great place to visit as a day trip. And, no trip to Morn Pen is complete without visiting London Bridge in Portsea.

To help get your bearings, please click on the image below to access an interactive map of the area on Google Maps.

London Bridge Lookout & Beach Walk

Below, we’ll briefly outline how to get to the London Bridge, Portsea Lookout, for incredible views of this immense rock formation. We’ll also cover details about how to access Portsea Surf Beach to get up, close and personal with the London Bridge rock arch.

London Bridge Lookout, Portsea

The London Bridge viewpoint is easily one of the best lookouts in Melbourne. Additionally, there’s total ease of access to reach it. Essentially, after parking in the London Bridge Car Park at the end of London Bridge Road in Portsea, you simply have a short walk of around 100m or so to reach the lookout.

Join the central trail from the southern end of the car park to follow the sandy path to London Bridge Lookout. From the cliff edge at the end of the path, the London Bridge Lookout offers fantastic views of this amazing rock formation in Mornington Peninsula. The cavern almost closes back in on itself, like a claw or crab’s pincer, keeping its contents secret.

The brilliant turquoise ripples of the water look super inviting. They pool in perfect little troughs that of course, prove very popular on a hot summer’s day. The cave window, nestled in the centre of the rock arch, frames the surrounding landscape perfectly.

There is a safety fence around the edges of the London Bridge Lookout. This is because of the unstable nature of the clifftop, which you can see from being there. Don’t jump the fence.

Portsea Surf Beach to London Bridge

After enjoying views from the London Bridge Lookout, it’s time to retrace your steps and head down to Portsea Beach to get a closer look at the impressive rock arch. En route, you’ll pass a second lookout that provides wonderful views down the eastern stretches of Portsea Surf Beach.

At the southern tip of the London Bridge Car Park, next to the Portsea Paragliding Launch, is a set of wooden paths leading down to the golden sand beach. At the bottom of the steps, turn right and walk along Portsea Surf Beach to access London Bridge.

The walk along Portsea Surf Beach is around 200m long. If the sea is at low tide, it’s possible to scramble about the rocks and take a closer look through the London Bridge cave window and out across the Bass Strait. Certainly, the incredible rock arch of London Bridge helps make Portsea one of the best beaches in the Mornington Peninsula. The rocks can be wet and sharp, so obviously take care as you explore.

Once you’ve enjoyed London Bridge, Portsea, simply return up the path to the car park.

Useful Things to Know Before You Go

So, now you know how to visit the London Bridge Lookout and access Portsea Surf Beach, let’s look at a few useful things to know before visiting.

How to Get to London Bridge, Portsea

The easiest way to get to London Bridge Road Portsea is to drive there yourself. From Melbourne, you’re looking at around a 1.5 hour drive. You’ll follow the M11 south, all the way to Rosebud in the Mornington Peninsula, before taking the Point Nepean Road toward Sorrento. Once at Sorrento, take Hotham Road and then London Bridge Road all the way to the car park at the end.

It’s possible to take the bus from Melbourne to Portsea. But, from Portsea, you’ll need to walk an additional 2.5km along the road to reach the London Bridge Lookout. In addition, public transport is quite sporadic and certainly long-winded, making for a long journey. To that end, we highly recommend driving yourself to London Bridge Portsea. If you don’t have access to your own vehicle, we recommend hiring one.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

London Bridge Parking and Facilities

London Bridge Portsea has its own spacious car park with room for at least 60 vehicles. The London Bridge Car Park address is Portsea, VIC 3944, Australia. Also, there are public toilets as well as a trail (Farnsworth Track) leading to the Portsea Beach Car Park, where you’ll find additional parking.

Best Time to Visit London Bridge, Portsea

Visiting London Bridge Portsea is perfect at sunrise and sunset. The soft lighting and beautiful colours of the sky make photographing the London Bridge arch quite wonderful. Additionally, the earlier in the morning you visit, the quieter it’ll be. Weekends are particularly busy. And, as the London Bridge Car Park also gives access to Portsea Surf Beach, it can fill up quite quickly. Visiting on a weekday will be much quieter.

If you want to walk down to Portsea Surf Beach and access London Bridge from below, then you’ll need to check the tide times. If the water is cutting off access to the London Bridge cave, then you shouldn’t try to access it. Waves can be unpredictable and it’s not uncommon for the wind to be strong, resulting in choppy water. Instead, only visit at low tide. The London Bridge Portsea tides can be checked here.

Difficulty of London Bridge Lookout & Beach Walk

All in all, the walk to London Bridge Lookout and Portsea Surf Beach is not particularly difficult. The trail to the lookout can be a little rough in patches, but it’s flat and short. The path down to Portsea Surf Beach from the London Bridge Car Park can be a little slippery if wet, but manageable if you take your time and make use of any handrails.

Other Mornington Peninsula Walks

The Mornington Peninsula is a stunning part of the Victorian coastline in Australia. Certainly, there are plenty of walks to choose from, and below are a handful of our favourites (guides coming soon).

• Cape Schanck Walk to Pulpit Rock: enjoy the short boardwalk to this volcanic tip of the Mornington Peninsula.
• Bushrangers Bay Walk: a beautiful coastal walk from Cape Schanck to a golden sand beach and incredible rock pools.
• Coppins Track to Diamond Bay: a fantastic historical walk, tracing the history of the area, running between Sorrento and the beautiful Diamond Bay.
• Cape Schanck Coastal Walk: The Coastal Walk spans the southern edge of Mornington Peninsula from Cape Schanck to London Bridge, Portsea. Certainly, it’s a beautiful 30 km walk.

Read more: Mornington Peninsula Walks: 5 Wonderful Coastal Trails

Gear Essentials

Below are our top gear essentials for any walk in the Mornington Peninsula. You should also pack a hat, snacks, swimmers and sunscreen.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

• Check closures: occasionally the track down to Portsea Surf Beach from London Bridge Car Park is closed due to track damage. Double check on the Parks Vic website before heading out.
• Things to do in Portsea: you’ll likely spot surfers and paragliders out on Portsea Beach. Additionally, there are lifeguards present, so it’s a great beach to have a swim at.
• More of Victoria: some of our favourite places in Victoria include exploring the Great Ocean Road (where you’ll find another London Bridge landmark), The Grampians and of course, Wilsons Prom.

Have you been to London Bridge in Portsea? Share your experience in the comments below.

We acknowledge and respect the First Nations people as the Traditional Custodians of the land/water that we visited and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.