Barwon Heads, As the Locals Know It
Some towns you visit. Barwon Heads is one you slip into. The river bends round the pub, the main street is short enough to walk twice before deciding where to eat, and everyone seems to have a favourite spot they'll only half-share. Here's ours.
Staying at Ceres Coastal puts you a short walk from most of this, main street on one side, river on the other.
Where to eat
For the occasion meal, book At The Heads. It sits right on the river with the kind of view that does half the work for you, modern Australian food, a fireplace for the cooler nights, and it's open every day from midday until late.
For something with more buzz, Che Vuoi on Hitchcock Avenue is the one. Wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, exposed brick and warm timber, the kind of Italian tavern feel that makes a Tuesday night feel like an occasion.
And if you haven't tried Tommy Gunns yet, you're behind. A modern bistro and wine bar, also on Hitchcock Avenue, with share plates, good wine and a courtyard under the trees. It's newer to the strip but already one of the best-reviewed tables in town.
Coffee, three ways
Barwon Ebb & Flow on Flinders Parade, right across from the river, for the slow morning with a view.
Coffetti Gelato on Hitchcock Avenue, for coffee that doubles as a gelato stop later in the day. Open early, from 5.30am.
Annie's Provedore, also Hitchcock Avenue, part café and part produce store. Good for breakfast, and worth a browse for gourmet things to take home.
On foot
The Bluff Walk is still the one to do. It follows the river out to Barwon Heads Bluff and Point Flinders, easy enough for anyone, with views back across to Ocean Grove and out over Thirteenth Beach that make the short climb worth it.
If golf is your thing (or even if it isn't, and you just want to see something beautiful), the Barwon Heads Golf Club is worth a look. It's ranked among the top public-access courses in the country, set right along the coast next to Thirteenth Beach.
And check what's on at the Barwon Heads Market while you're here. It runs most months on the last Saturday, weekly through December and January, at the Community Hall on the corner of Hitchcock Avenue and Ozone Street. Local stalls, produce, coffee, the usual Saturday morning wander.
Further afield
Barwon Heads is a good base for a day out. The Bellarine Peninsula wineries are a short drive and easy to string together into an afternoon. Or head the other way toward Torquay and the start of the Great Ocean Road, if you want the bigger coastal views.