Victoria’s top town has just been crowned – and it’s a coastal gem

Taylah DarnellBy Taylah Darnell
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These tiny towns are packed with personality – and now they’ve got the title to prove it.

Every year, each Aussie state reveals its most beloved destinations across three categories – the Top Tourism Town, Top Small Tourism Town and Top Tiny Tourism Town. NSW announced its winners last month. Now, it’s Victoria’s time to shine. Drum roll, please…

Victoria’s Top Tourism Town

Warrnambool in Victoria
Seaside Warrnambool is Victoria’s Top Tourism Town of 2025.

Say hello to Victoria’s Top Tourism Town of 2025 – Warrnambool! Open to towns with a population of 5,000 or more, this category recognises stand-out destinations that offer something truly special – and it’s not hard to see why Warrnambool took out top honours. Situated along the iconic Great Ocean Road and a three-hour drive from Melbourne, Warrnambool offers the perfect blend of regional charm and coastal bliss.

Deep Blue Hot Springs in Warrnambool, Victoria
Take a dip in geothermal waters at Deep Blue Hot Springs.

Wander along the main drag to explore cosy cafes and vintage boutiques. Or head to the coast for beautiful beaches and scenic walking trails. It’s also a great jumping-off point for the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, a 900-kilometre tourist route that takes in some of the state’s best natural geothermal baths. Start in the heart of town at Deep Blue Hot Springs , a mineral-rich sanctuary of open-air rock pools.

Warrnambool combines coastal vibes with regional charm.

Add in friendly locals and a laid-back lifestyle, and Warrnambool’s win feels like a no-brainer. The regional city of Ballarat was hot on its heels, though, scoring the category’s silver award. Maybe 2026 will be your year, Ballarat!

Victoria’s Top Small Tourism Town

Bogong Horseback Adventures in Mount Beauty, Victoria
Discover the countryside charms of Mount Beauty.

Next up is Victoria’s Top Small Tourism Town – a category reserved for towns with a population between 1,500 and 5,000. And this year, the award goes to Mount Beauty! It’s all in the name here. This charming township, around a 4.5-hour drive from the state’s capital, sits at the base of Victoria’s highest peak, Mt Bogong.

Bogong Horseback Adventures in Mount Beauty, Victoria
Join a scenic horse-riding tour with Bogong Horseback Adventures.

Mount Beauty is home to some of Victoria’s most bucolic landscapes that have long attracted nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. From horse-riding tours with Bogong Horseback Adventures to bike tracks and hiking trails, visitors are spoilt for choice. Come the cooler months, the surrounding mountains are covered in snow, and with Mount Hotham only an hour away, it’s the perfect place to book for a cosy winter weekend.

Mt Hotham in Victoria
Head to nearby Mt Hotham to hit the slopes come winter.

Port Fairy on the Shipwreck Coast, named after the 700+ vessels submerged in its waters, took out silver in the Top Small Tourism Town category this year. And while it may be a world away from the winner, its rich offerings made for fierce competition.

Victoria’s Top Tiny Tourism Town

Trentham in Victoria
Visit cosy country pubs in Trentham.

The final category shines the spotlight on Victoria’s pocket-sized towns – those with no more than 1,500 residents. Let’s hear it for the Top Tiny Tourism Town of 2025 – Trentham! Don’t let its size fool you. This historic village, under two hours north-west of Melbourne, sure packs a mighty punch. Sitting pretty atop the Great Dividing Range, Trentham has been enchanting visitors since it was established by gold prospectors in the 1850s.

Trentham in Victoria
The tiny town is home to a range of boutique stores.

Focus soon shifted to gems of a different kind – cosy country pubs, boutique stores and stylish accommodation like The Cosmopolitan Hotel – which solidified Trentham as a regional treasure. But there’s more to the suburb than its charming streetscapes. Aptly named Trentham Falls is the highest single-drop waterfall in Central Victoria, plunging more than 32 metres. Who knew one of Australia’s best waterfalls was just a five-minute drive from town?

Trentham Falls in Victoria
Trentham Falls cascades over a basalt cliff for more than 32 metres.

Halls Gap claimed silver for the Top Tiny Tourism Town award. Known as the gateway to the Grampians, the village is another natural wonder. And while an abundance of waterfalls can also be found nearby, they couldn’t quite compete with Trentham’s crown jewel this year.

Bronze commendations for each category were awarded to Echuca, Portarlington and Whitfield, respectively, with all winners decided by the Victoria Tourism Industry Council .

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.