5 reasons Cape Schanck should be your next weekend getaway

When it comes to a getaway, location is everything, and Cape Schanck offers some of the most breathtaking views in Victoria. On a clear day, you’ll see the distant Melbourne city skyline as well as Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait – and at night, you’ll walk underneath a canopy of bright stars. Volcanic activity over millions of years has formed geological wonders known as Pulpit Rock and Devils Desk; rock platforms that are lashed by large waves. This dramatic and beautiful coastline is best appreciated through the Cape’s walking tracks, which wind around Bushrangers Bay (see if you can spot some ‘roos in the bushland) and also lead to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse, built in 1859 from local limestone. When it’s warm, the region’s beaches are perfect for swimming, and in winter, you can rug up and experience the thrill of seeing the Cape at its wildest.

Nothing says relaxation like an indulgent afternoon spent at the spa. At the RACV Cape Schanck Resort’s new day spa, One Spa, guests can relax and recharge by experiencing a range of luxury services. Think personalised skin and body treatments, relaxing massages and a variety of tranquil water therapies. For pre-and-post treatment, One Spa also offers a contemporary Hammam bathing space that features a heavily-salted relaxation pool, a warm vitality pool with water pressure jets, a thermal stone steam room and immersive showers for raindrop water therapy.

Feel like a bit of an adventure? Cape Schanck is an ideal base to explore all that the Mornington Peninsula offers. Some of the highlights include Gunnamatta’s signature two-hour horse ride across the stunning Bass Strait coastlines, the mazes and themed gardens of the Enchanted Adventure Garden and the unparalleled Peninsula views from Arthurs Seat.

To make the most of your stay at the RACV Cape Schanck Resort, make sure you wade into the heated waters of the outdoor infinity-edge pool and soak in the views at dawn or dusk, or jump into the large indoor aquatic area which boasts a 25-metre pool with four dedicated lap lanes and its own spa pool and sauna. You can also get amongst the golf, tennis and gym facilities within the resort.

Mornington Peninsula is a paradise for wine-lovers – and who doesn’t love visiting a cellar door to taste wines directly from the makers? Lucky for you, the Mornington Peninsula has made your wine journey even simpler thanks to the Wine Food Farmgate Trail. You can download a map which will lead you around the bays and into the meandering hills of the wine region; we’re talking Polperro Winery, Port Phillip Estate, Paringa Estate and Dromana’s Crittenden Estate. Not a wine-drinker? Head to St Andrews Beach Brewery for a taste of craft beer made right on 92-acre property.

Dining standards in the Mornington Peninsula region have hit the stratosphere recently, thanks in most part to the area’s proclivity towards fresh and locally grown ingredients. This is very much the ethos at RACV Cape Schanck Resort’s three dining venues – Mantellina, Lighthouse Lounge and Cape – which each sit under the seasoned culinary eye of executive chef Josh Pelham, who previously worked at London’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Square. Cape is the region’s newest fine dining restaurant, offering the best locally-sourced produce from the region, such as local sustainable seafood (keep an eye out for the freshly caught Mount Martha mussels), biodynamic meats, as well as artisan cheeses and charcuterie. The aforementioned Wine Food Farmgate Trail will also help you find some of the region’s most delicious secrets including sumptuous treats from Mornington Peninsula Chocolates or you can even pick your own fruit at the gorgeous Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm.