A 60-second guide to doing summer in Adelaide right

By Alexis Buxton-Collins
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The best ways to stay cool in Adelaide this summer.

Adelaide’s Mediterranean climate shines during the warmer months when long, hot days are alleviated by cooling sea breezes.

Add in some lazy beach days at limestone-ringed coves, long lunches fuelled by eminently quaffable wines and cultural festivals that continue long into the night and you have the perfect antidote to any lingering Euro summer envy.

Taste an Adelaide summer at these restaurants and bars…

The temperature drops a few degrees in the Adelaide Hills, but the region’s dining options are red hot right now. Hyperseasonal small plates meet small-batch spirits at Ondeen, and Vinteloper’s new cellar door is as sophisticated and pretension-free as the wines on pour.

the dining interior at Ondeen

Small plates and spirits at Ondeen.

The exquisitely presented long lunches at LVN Restaurant shine even brighter with a stay at the luxe onsite accommodation.

pouring a drink into a glass beside a food plate at LVN Restaurant, Bird in Hand winery

LVN Restaurant at Bird in Hand winery.

Hit snooze at these Adelaide stays…

Book a room at Hotel Alba on the CBD’s southern fringe and you might not make it beyond the dangerously seductive pool (or the breezy Mediterranean diner next door).

If you prefer to be in the heart of the city, the chic Mayfair Hotel marries a prime location with a sophisticated rooftop bar.

the pool at Hotel Alba, Adelaide

Cool off at Hotel Alba’s chic pool. (Image: Terence Chin Photography)

Adelaide’s summer to-do list…

Watch the morning sun refracted through Dale Chihuly’s kaleidoscopic glass sculptures in the Botanic Garden before stopping in at Bloom for a breezy brunch overlooking the River Torrens.

the dining interior at Bloom, Adelaide

Casual eatery Bloom is set on the river.

Keep heading west for a cooling ocean dip followed by dreamy artisan scoops from Bottega Gelateria, then toast the sunset with oysters and bubbles at Henley House’s third-floor bar.

the Henley House in Adelaide

Sip sundowners at beachside Henley House. (Image: Jack Fenby)

Our hot tip: Instead of ending with the school holidays, Adelaide summer ramps up over February and March when dozens of pop-up venues magically sprout from the grassy Park Lands.

More than 8000 artists help turn the month-long Adelaide Fringe into a city-wide party while WOMADelaide concentrates that energy into an ecstatic four-day celebration of music and dance from across the world.

Alexis Buxton-Collins spent his twenties working as a music journalist and beer taster before somehow landing an even dreamier job as a freelance travel writer. Now he travels the world from his base in Adelaide and contributes to publications including Qantas, Escape, The Guardian and Lonely Planet. Alexis has never seen a hill he didn't want to climb and specialises in outdoor adventures (he won the 2022 ASTW award for best nature/wildlife story for a feature on Kangaroo Island). When he's not scouring South Australia for the newest wineries and hikes, he's looking for excuses to get back to spots like Karijini and Ningaloo.
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This new bathhouse in Adelaide is focused on community

    By Kassia Byrnes
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    Adelaide just got a new bathhouse, and it’s all about community and connection.

    It’s almost a rule that every year I get further from 30, the more all I want to do with my free time is bathe like a capybara in naturally hot water. In fact, I type this as someone who is about to take a long weekend with friends to do just that. So the news of bathhouse Aalto Community opening in September in Adelaide just means I have another wellness trip to plan.

    Naming it a community wasn’t a mistake. The aim is “accessible, affordable and communal contrast therapy” that focuses on being a community, rather than an exclusive wellness club. To further this, it’s deliberately drop-in friendly. And the inspiration behind this motto? Four friends founded this place, who all had a shared experience in professional sports fields. They felt that spaces outside of work were vital to slow down, recover, reset and connect.

    Aalto Community adelaide reception desk

    Pop in for relaxation and connection. (Image: Jack Fenby)

    For the last couple of years, I’ve been based in Western Australia playing football for the Fremantle Football Club,” said owner Tome Emmett. “During my time over there, I first began to use saunas and ice baths for my athletic recovery due to the physical demands of being a full-time professional athlete. Eventually, I found myself returning to these spaces – not for the physical recovery benefits, but to get out of my social bubble and socialise with other people.”

    Emmet explained how the Aalto Community was born after he stopped playing for Fremantle and began to reflect on his wellness journey.

    “On one end, I had stage four lymphoma at 16. On the other hand, I ended up becoming a full-time professional athlete. [These experiences] sparked my passion for social wellness, and in turn, Aalto was born.”

    Aalto Community adelaide ice baths

    The bathhouse focuses on communal hot and cold therapy spaces. (Image: Jack Fenby)

    Inside, discover Adelaide’s first social contrast therapy space. A modern, open-plan centre (perfect for promoting that connection element. Here, it’s about hot-cold therapy, so Finnish-style saunas and cold plunge pools are the order of the day. Plus communal spaces to relax in between therapies.

    “We deliberately made the space feel industrial – with bare concrete and exposed copper piping – but then softened it with over 150 plants,” Emmet says of the bathhouse decor choices. “The space is open plan with just some guidelines on the wall. That way, people can socialise and not be restricted to time slots in either the sauna or ice bath.”

    “Sitting in the sauna forces you to be present and talk to the person next to you to pass time,” shared Emmett.

    “We also have a big emphasis on our tea and lounge area, so people can stay for a little while longer, or have a cup of tea while they wait for their friend to arrive.”

    Aalto Community adelaide interior

    The bathhouse wants to promote community. (Image: Jack Fenby)

    The Details

    Price: $35 per entry, $150 for a five-pack or $60 per week for a membership.
    Location: Unit 1/72 King William Road, Goodwood, SA 5034
    Website: aaltocommunity.com.au