8 Stunning Small Towns In Tasmania

There is nowhere on earth where you can find an extinct flattop volcano, a seaside geyser, and an ancient garden. The beautiful island of Tasmania and its many stunning towns have all that and more.

The natural beauty of these communities is immediately apparent, with cliffside trails along a volcano in Stanley to lookouts over narrow sand inlets joining two sides of an island together just outside of Adventure Bay. These towns also charm visitors with their classy Australian architecture and festivals, like Evandale's Penny Farthing race, where cyclists mount large Victorian-style bicycles to compete.

The wildlife here is stunning as well, with Fairy Penguins along the shores in the town of Penguin to Tasmanian Devils lurking in the shadows of Bicheno. No matter what stunning view you are looking for, you will find it in these eight Tasmanian towns.

Evandale

Just to the south of the metro area of Launceston is the Georgian-era village of Evandale. You will feel like you have stepped back in time in Evandale, especially in February when cyclists come out to compete in the National Penny Farthing Championship, riding on the massive front-wheeler bikes that were common in the Victorian era. Throughout the year, visitors can sample local produce from the Evandale Sunday Market or venture out onto the beautiful Clarendon estate, a Georgian mansion built in 1838 with a formal garden.

For visitors looking for a historic place to stay, the 1847 Clarendon Arms Hotel is still open, along with a pub offering Tasmanian gin and brews. The Georgian village inspired many artists, such as the landscape painter John Glover. Every March, Evandale honors its legacy by giving out the Glover Art Prize and displaying the winners' art at the Falls Park Pavilion.

Port Arthur

Much of Australia and Tasmania's history was defined by penal colonies where criminals were shipped over from the UK to serve out their sentence by working the land or learning a trade. The Port Arthur penal colony today is maintained as part of the Port Arthur Historic Site, with intriguing landmarks to see. You can experience life as the inmates did at the Penitentiary, which contained cell blocks, a dining hall, and a Catholic Church, or you can go where the upper crust gathered at the Government Gardens, a symmetrical garden reconstructed from the 1840s original.

Just outside of Port Arthur in the Tasman National Park is the appropriately named Remarkable Cave. This cave was formed by waves from Maignon Bay, creating a sandstone tunnel. At times, the water still crashes through the tunnel.

Adventure Bay

Off the coast of Tasmania are many smaller islands, such as Bruny Island, which is actually two islands combined by a narrow sand isthmus called the Neck. To reach this island, you can start at the stunning town of Adventure Bay, which has the most beautiful beach on the island: Adventure Bay Beach. With Adventure Bay as your base camp, you can explore untamed wilderness and see beautiful vistas such as the Truganini Lookout over the Neck or a hike up the Mt. Mangana Track, the highest point on the island. You can also escape into the rainforest for the Mavista Picnic Area and Walking Track, which goes through myrtle pine, which hides native Tasmanian birds. One curious place in Bruny Island is the Jurassic Garden, home to 750 plants that have their origins in Gondwana, a supercontinent from 420 million years ago.

Cygnet

This southern Tasmanian town sits between the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and the Huon River, which has made it a rich orchard town. Cygnet is both a rural fruit-growing community and an artists' paradise. Creativity bleeds into everything in Cygnet, from its Cygnet Folk Festival in January to cider creations at Pagan Cider. It's easy to see why artists love this town with so many beautiful views of Port Cygnet and the Hartz Mountains.

At Hartzview Vineyard, take in these views while sampling local wines made from Tasmanian fruits. In Cygnet, either view local artists from the Lovett Gallery Cygnet or learn how to make your own wooden spoons from the Phoenix Creations Wooden Spoon Carving Workshops. If you visit Cygnet on the first or third Sunday of the month, you can purchase some of the local fruit and produce from the Cygnet Market.

Penguin

Yes, you read that name right. The town of Penguin is a cute coastal destination that is especially proud of its native penguin population, as can be seen by the 10-foot-tall Big Penguin statue right by the waterfront, which welcomes Fairy Penguins that waddle up onto the shoreline on Penguin Beach. There are many other cute places to walk in downtown Penguin, such as Hiscutt Park with a model Dutch windmill or the Penguin Undercover Market, the largest covered market in Tasmania, with more than 200 vendors. After a day exploring Penguin, you can drive a bit south into the Ferndene State Reserve, a rainforest filled with gullies and remains of the Iron Cliff Mines, which ran from the 19th to 20th centuries.

Stanley

As soon as you arrive in Stanley, you will be greeted by a grand sight: The Nut. This 469-foot-tall flat-topped structure used to be a volcano before it went extinct around 25 million years ago. Today, visitors either hike up its steep slopes or take a chairlift to the top. In addition to the Nut, there are many other scenic lookouts spread around Stanley. One is Trethewies Lookout, which gazes out onto the Nut; the other is the Godfreys Beach Penguin Viewing Platform, where locals watch for penguins to swim up to the shore of the beach. Stanley was the first settlement in Northwestern Tasmania, and the town preserves this heritage through several places of historical significance, such as the Highfield Historic Site. This 1835 estate was the headquarters of Edward Curr, representative of Van Diemen's Land Company, who ran the wool-growing operation in town. Today, you can tour this colonial home and its gardens.

Bicheno

Bicheno is a laid-back town on the east coast of Tasmania that offers opportunities to see some of Tasmania's native animals up close. At East Coast Natureworld, you can witness the marsupial Tasmanian Devils, wallabies, kangaroos, and other creatures. You can also look for whales at the Whalers Lookout hike atop the highest spot in town or hit the waves at Redbill Beach. One must-see spot in Bicheno is the Bicheno Blowhole. This granite cave was formed by sea water. Over time, the seawater created a hole through the granite, which will blow out water like a geyser. This geyser can go off even when the ocean is calm, making it always a fun spot to go for a picnic.

Strahan

Much like Port Arthur, Strahan acts as a gateway to another penal colony, the infamous Sarah Island. This island was feared by convicts due to its harsh landscape and cruel overseers. Despite this reputation, it's quite a pretty place today, and is accessible via the Gordon River Cruise, which will take you by the ruins of the penal colony. Strahan itself has plenty of stunning locales as well, from the Henty Dunes, where you can go take an ATV ride, or the Ocean Beach located by the bluffs. Strahan The Ship That Never Was, performed at the Richard Davey Amphitheatre next to the West Coast Visitor Information Centre on The Esplanade in Strahan. This fun show tells the story of a bold inmate boat hijacking in 1834. These inmates seized control of the vessel, the Frederick, and escaped from Sarah Island.

You Won't Want to Leave These Stunning Towns

Visit Tasmania today; with so much beautiful scenery to take in, you won't want to leave. From the countless beaches in the coastal towns of Strahan, Penguin, and Adventure Bay, to the delightful art galleries and workshops of Cygnet, Tasmania radiates beauty from both its landscapes and culture. Just like so many visitors who fall under Tasmania’s spell and extend their stay, you too might find yourself lingering longer in these stunning towns.