San Remo

Lifestyle & dining

San Remo's identity is built around its working fishing fleet and the seafood that comes with it. The foreshore near the jetty is the heart of town, with fish and chip shops, cafes and pubs making the most of views over Western Port to Phillip Island. Watching the pelicans being fed near the jetty is a long-standing local ritual, and the town's relaxed pace means most days revolve around the water, whether that's fishing off the pier, walking the foreshore, or simply taking in the sunset over the bridge.

Shopping & neighbouring towns

San Remo has a compact village shopping strip covering everyday needs, with more comprehensive retail, supermarkets and services available a short drive away on Phillip Island at Cowes and Newhaven. The proximity to Newhaven and Cape Woolamai means residents can easily broaden their options for shopping, dining and recreation while still calling the quieter mainland side home.

Getting around

The Bass Highway connects San Remo directly to the South Gippsland Highway and on to Melbourne, making it a manageable drive for weekenders and commuters alike, while the San Remo–Newhaven bridge provides the only road link across to Phillip Island. There's no train line this far south-east, so a car is the practical way to get around, though the town itself is small enough to walk between the jetty, shops and foreshore.

Schools & families

San Remo Primary School serves local families, giving younger children a genuine community school close to home, while secondary options are typically found on Phillip Island or further afield in the region. The town's demographic, skewed toward an older median age of 52, reflects its popularity with retirees and downsizers, though the growing supply of new house-and-land packages is starting to bring more young families into the mix.

Parks & recreation

Being wedged between Western Port and the approach to Phillip Island, San Remo's recreation options are almost entirely water-based: fishing, boating and beach walks are all on the doorstep. Cape Woolamai's surf beach and walking trails are a short drive away, and the wider Phillip Island coastline offers everything from surf breaks to the little penguin parade, making San Remo a handy, less crowded base for exploring the whole peninsula.

The property market

San Remo's median house price currently sits at $755,000, having posted growth of 9.4% recently, a sign that buyers continue to see value in the mainland gateway to Phillip Island. Units and apartments are considerably more affordable, with a median of $395,000, giving downsizers and investors a lower-cost entry point into the same waterside lifestyle.

Current listings show a market still very much in a growth phase, with land making up 41% of stock alongside 43% houses, 12% apartments or units and 3% townhouses. That heavy land component points to ongoing new estate development in and around the town, giving buyers the option of building rather than simply purchasing an established home.