Winery Tour and Attractions
in Margaret River in Western Australia
The Margaret River area is located in the southwestern corner of Australia in the state of WA, about 270 km (approx. 3 hours drive) south of Perth.
The region excels in an abundance of vineyards and cattle farms, which is why it is also filled with numerous wineries—over 120 (!)—and dairy production factories, many of which can be visited to taste and buy local products. In this area, there are also breweries, distilleries, galleries, plant mazes, stalactite caves, whale watching, lighthouses, and additional attractions, so everyone can choose an enjoyable travel itinerary in places that interest them.
At the Margaret River Visitor Centre, you can get a map of the area featuring tons of wineries, small factories, and a wealth of other attractions that can be explored over several days. Guided paid tours are also available for those without a vehicle. At each winery open to visitors, you can taste wines (mostly for free), liqueurs, and beers at the breweries. The various cheese and food factories also offer free tastings. It pays off for them, as many end up purchasing after finding the tastings delicious. At these wineries and factories, they also attempt to attract visitors through other means; some feature a good restaurant whose location in a rural setting among vineyards adds to the enjoyment of the meal. One of the wineries boasts charming gardens, while another added a painting gallery in its basement combined with prestigious tables for sale, and so on. Some places also feature children's playgrounds and spacious lawns, making the tours suitable for families with children who find places to play during the visit—besides the food tastings that kids will also love, such as chocolate (!), ice cream (!), and various jams.
Opening hours for most places are between 10 AM and 5 PM.
Below are impressions from tours in a variety of nice places around Margaret River, which is rich in dozens of additional attractions nearby. In the city itself, there is a vibrant main street with shops and restaurants aimed at visiting tourists.
♦ Recommended tours in Margaret River (from Viator):
Please note, at every winery entrance, there is a sign asking "Who is the skipper?". The intention is to warn that a designated driver who won't drink wine is needed, since free wine tasting is offered at so many wineries.
Xanadu Winery
The winery is located about 5 km southwest of Margaret River on Boodjidup Rd. The visitor center is housed in a beautiful building with a nice garden and a restaurant, surrounded by well-tended vineyards.
Voyager Estate Winery
This winery is located south of and right next to the previous winery. This winery has spectacular gardens around it, and in front, a high flagpole with a giant Australian flag. The beauty of the gardens alone justifies a visit to this winery, and if you are hungry, there is also a restaurant on site.
Leeuwin Estate Winery
This winery is located south of and adjacent to the previous winery. Here too, there is a restaurant. On the lower floor of the visitor center building, there is a spacious hall with an art gallery, including special, high-end tables for sale.
Watershed Premium Wine Winery
This winery is located about 5 km south of Margaret River, right near the main road, Bussell Hwy. The visitor center is situated in a beautifully designed building with two transparent glass facades. There is a restaurant on site whose balcony overlooks a lovely vineyard view.
Seashell Museum
The museum is located about 8 km south of Margaret River near the main road. The museum has a very large collection of shells from around the world in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. It is the private collection of a person who spent sixty years collecting, buying, and exchanging shells worldwide. Some of the shells are also available for sale to visitors.
The Berry Farm Winery
The winery is located about 20 km southwest of Margaret River. They also have many types of jams for sale as well as free jam tasting. On site, there is also a charming, affordable restaurant where turquoise-blue birds occasionally land on diners' tables.
Stella Bella Winery
Located close to and south of Margaret River on Rosa Brook Rd. There is no restaurant on site.
Miller's Farm Ice Cream Shop
Miller's Farm is located north of Margaret River near the town of Cowaramup, which features many cow statues along its main street.
Miller's Farm is famous for the ice creams it produces itself from its own milk. I tasted two types of ice cream, and they were indeed very successful.
The shop is housed in a very modest building, and in the yard, there is a large playground where many children were playing. There are also two cow statues in this yard whose udders can be milked into a bucket—water comes out of the udders... Near the shop, there is a small lake, and across it, cows graze, producing the milk for these fine ice creams.
Margaret River Dairy Co
This company has two sites about 3-4 km north of the town of Cowaramup, north of Margaret River. The company has two shops selling factory cheeses, where you can sample a variety of their delicious cheeses. Adjacent to the store is a large field where the company's cows graze.
Margaret River Nuts & Cereals
The company's shop is located near the previous dairy shop. This is a company that produces breakfast cereals, nut bars, and peanut snacks in a wide variety of sweet and salty flavors. Naturally, there are plenty of tastings from the selection of products.
Silk Road Margaret River
This is a shop selling silk products: clothes, hats, wallets, scarves, and more. It is located near the breakfast cereal and snack shop. An explanation is also provided on site about how silkworms are raised and how fibers are extracted. The silkworm farming and fiber cocoon extraction are carried out by this company in Australia, but the processing of cocoons and the production of threads and various products are done in Cambodia.
Margaret River Chocolate Co
This company has a spacious hall filled with shelves loaded with a variety of chocolates, and of course, tastings as well... There is also a cafeteria specializing in chocolate-based drinks, fondue, rich hot chocolate, and more.
Providore Winery
This winery is adjacent to the chocolate shop. In the visitor center, there is a large store selling wines, liqueurs, jams, and various spreads. You can taste chocolate liqueurs here, as well as various jams and spreads.
The Grove Liqueur Factory Winery
The winery is located about ten km north of the town of Cowaramup. They specialize here in manufacturing liqueurs in a variety of flavors. I tasted 5 types, and I liked all of them very much, including liqueur cocktails.
Vasse Felix Winery
This winery is located about ten km north of the town of Gracetown. Art creations are scattered around the winery's yard, and inside, there is a spacious hall that serves as a gallery. On the second floor of the visitor center, there is a large and beautiful restaurant with balconies overlooking the vineyards.
Cheeky Monkey Brewery & Cydery
The visitor center is located near the previous winery, across the main road. Here, for a fee, you will receive 5 glasses with different types of beer and cider. In the yard, they built a nice playground for visiting families with children.
Bettenay Winery and Nougat
Located about 5 km northwest of the town of Cowaramup. Besides its winery, they also produce nougat in a variety of flavors on site. Tastings here are sparse—two tiny samples per visitor—and the prices of the nougat bars are not cheap.
Laurance Winery
The winery is located about 12 km south of the town of Yallingup. The uniqueness of this winery lies in its building design and the beautiful garden surrounding it. There is a restaurant on site, and it is truly enjoyable to sit on its terrace and look at the beautiful garden while eating and drinking.
Gabriel Chocolate Factory Outlet
This store is located about two km north of the previous winery. Here they sell a variety of homemade dark and milk chocolates made from cocoa beans of various types and countries. You can sample chocolate bits.
You won't leave a trip like this hungry or thirsty...
Galleries
Around Margaret River, you will also find beautiful galleries. As mentioned, some are located in the visitor centers of certain wineries, while others are standalone. One of them, Yallingup Galleries, located near the town of Yallingup, features exhibitions by several artists across two floors of the gallery.
Beaches, Lighthouses, and Stalactite Caves
For travelers in the Margaret River area, it is worth visiting several locations along the coast to its west, between Augusta in the south and Cape Naturaliste in the north.
Lighthouses and Beaches
A recommended spot to visit is the lighthouse located near Augusta at Cape Leeuwin, situated at the southwesternmost point of Australia, effectively forming the border between two oceans: the Indian Ocean to the west and the Southern Ocean to the south. There is a guided tour that includes climbing to the top of the lighthouse, which is the tallest on mainland Australia, and taking in a panoramic view from the top. In the sea opposite the lighthouse, there are many islands and rocks stretching kilometers out to sea, which over the years have caused many shipwrecks. The tall lighthouse was intended to warn the many vessels passing through the area on their way to and from Southern Australia.
The second lighthouse worth visiting is located at the northern tip of Margaret River's beaches and is called Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, which is the shortest lighthouse in Australia. Surrounding this lighthouse is dense vegetation with beautiful, highly fragrant spring blooms. You can also visit this lighthouse or walk around it on hiking trails along the sea from various directions, and even spot whales leaping in the sea not far from the shore (in season).
Spring blooms along the trails near the lighthouse:
The sea beaches in the area are mostly rocky; a particularly rocky area with waves crashing against the rocks and passing through channels and gaps can be seen near the town of Yallingup.
You get there via a road called Canal Rocks Road.
There are, of course, sandy swimming beaches (for cold-water lovers) too, and I also saw a surf beach with pretty decent waves for surfing in a sandy area where beginner surfing lessons were being held.
At another surf beach, there were many rocks in the water near the shore. On the beach, a wooden bench was placed with the following poignant dedication:
In memory of all surfers who have caught their last wave :-(
Stalactite Caves
There are several stalactite caves in the area, two of which offer guided tours. One cave is the largest in Australia, called Jewel Cave, located about seven km northwest of Augusta.
The second cave is called Lake Cave, which contains a small lake and a very unique phenomenon: a stalagmite that ended up suspended in the air like a stalactite. Keep in mind that this cave has many stairs you need to descend.
The stalactites connected to the stalagmites, and then the water under the stalagmites dissolved the floor, leaving the stalagmites suspended in mid-air above the water.