Second Valley Beach is one of the most intimate, ecologically extraordinary, and genuinely hidden coastal swimming destinations in South Australia, sitting within a narrow limestone valley approximately 80 kilometres south of Adelaide on the western Fleurieu Peninsula. The Kaurna people, the first owners and cultural custodians of this land, had been enjoying and being nurtured by what is now Second Valley for more than 40,000 years. Kaurna oral history credits the land forms of the southern Fleurieu to the travels of a grieving Tjilbruke as he carried the body of his nephew from just south of now-Adelaide down the coast to Cape Jervis, his tears forming freshwater springs along the way. The area sits within the Kaurna gathering place known as Yarnauwingga, and the Tjilbruke Dreaming Track passes directly through the surrounding landscape. The name Second Valley is a European colonial reference to its position as the second valley south of Normanville along this stretch of coastline, with the first valley being at what is now Lady Bay.

The sheltered little bay is enclosed by limestone hills and coastal cliffs, boasting an exquisite little beach and miniature rocky headland which is bisected by the old wooden jetty. The beach is divided by the jetty into two smaller beaches: the main sandy beach on the eastern side, and a north-facing curving boulder beach to the west attached by rock reefs to a small headland where conditions are usually calm but the environment is dominated by rocks and reef. The small Parananacooka Creek runs out to sea at the beach, and the valley that frames the cove is one of the most scenic coastal approach drives on the entire Fleurieu Peninsula. The beach is approximately 400 metres long, a mix of sand and smooth stones with a gradually deepening sandy bottom, and faces north across the Gulf St Vincent, meaning southerly and easterly winds produce the best offshore conditions for snorkelling and diving. The water is saltwater and genuinely clear on calm days, with visibility regularly exceeding 10 metres. It is not shaped for lap swimming, being small, intimate, and rocky in sections, but the sheltered cove and shallow reef environments make it exceptional for everything below the surface.

This is one of the best scuba and snorkelling locations encountered anywhere in the world. A novice snorkeller can swim amongst shallow rocky reefs in water they can stand up in, while a more adventurous diver can swim a short distance and be next to a cliff face that drops away into 10 metres of water. Below the water there is a diverse range of habitats to explore ranging from limestone caves and ledges, to rocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and open expanses of white rippled sand. The real special thing about the jetty is the high likelihood of a sighting of the leafy sea dragon, along with schools of Trevally, Morwong, Yellowtail, Tommy Ruff, Gurnard Perch, and large Dusky Morwong common around the pylons. On calm days, you can even swim out to Lassiters Reef, approximately 300 metres offshore directly in line with the road coming down to the beach, which has leafy sea dragons on it. The best snorkelling is around the rocky point between the jetty and the headland to the west, where morwongs, schools of sweep and zebra fish, scalyfins, magpie perch, and file fish in the weeds reward patient, slow-moving snorkellers willing to hold position in the seagrass.

Photographically, Second Valley rewards from above as much as from within the water. The view from the limestone headland cliffs above the western bay looking east across the two beaches and jetty to the open gulf is one of the most dramatically framed coastal images in South Australia. At beach level, looking west along the heritage jetty toward the limestone cliffs in late afternoon light produces a warm, intimate image that captures the beach's secluded character perfectly. Underwater photography of the leafy sea dragons in the seagrass is the obvious prize, though their extraordinary camouflage makes finding them a challenge that rewards patience and slow movement far more than speed.

The beach is almost entirely unknown outside of South Australia's diving community and the families and campers who return to the Second Valley Caravan Park each summer. No matter how cool the weather may be, there are often swimmers or divers in the water: it seems to be a year-round hotspot for the diving community regardless of season. Summer is warmest and most family-friendly, but the diving community considers winter light and visibility to be exceptional when conditions are calm.

‍