Port Douglas

Port Douglas is a coastal town between the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Four Mile Beach, trips out to sea and trails to scenic lookouts give your holiday a variety of options: you can combine time at the beach, nature and exploring the town to suit your interests.

Coast and trails around Port Douglas

Four Mile Beach stretches the entire length of the peninsula on which Port Douglas is located. During stinger season, there is usually a swimming enclosure there from November to May. If you prefer to explore the coast on two wheels, you can cycle the entire length of the beach on a rental bike. When planning your holiday, it is worth weighing up these options according to whether you want to focus on the beach, exercise or swimming.

The 1.5-kilometre Flagstaff Hill Walking Trail connects Four Mile Beach and Rex Smeal Park. Along the way, the trail offers views of the Coral Sea and the Low Isles. There are several ways to reach the Flagstaff Hill Lookout: you can get to the viewing area with an easy walk, by bike or after a short drive. This lets you decide whether to combine the lookout with an active outing or drive straight to the viewing area.

A kitesurfing lesson is also offered at Four Mile Beach. This means that, alongside walks and bike rides, you can also choose activities on the water.

Experience the reef, rainforest and wildlife

Trips to the Great Barrier Reef depart from Port Douglas. Full- and half-day tours are available for all age groups and levels of water experience. Sailaway departs daily from Port Douglas on sailing boats and offers sailing and snorkelling trips to the Low Isles, as well as sunset sailing. If you would like to combine a seaside stay with an excursion, you can choose from these different options.

The Daintree Rainforest can also be explored from Port Douglas. For a day trip, you can drive yourself or join a guided tour. This gives you two different ways to include the rainforest in your trip.

At Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, visitors can see and interact with native Australian animals in their natural habitats. This includes hand-feeding wallabies and kangaroos. Wildlife talks and presentations are included in the standard admission pass. This allows you to combine your visit with wildlife viewing and information about the animals.

Local history and impressions of the town

Port Douglas Court House now serves as a local history museum and is one of Queensland’s oldest surviving timber courthouse buildings. St Mary’s by the Sea is one of the town’s oldest buildings and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. The ecumenical community church is used for weddings, Christmas carol services, as well as other special services and events. Those interested in local history and church architecture will find different aspects of the town’s heritage here.

At the Port Douglas Sunday Markets, stallholders must grow, make or produce the goods they sell themselves. The markets are held every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm. Macrossan Street features Indigenous art and crafts alongside Australian and international designer brands. Most shops, bars and restaurants are within easy walking distance of this street, the centre of Port Douglas.

Rex Smeal Park is located at a site of lasting historical significance to the Port Douglas community. Together with the Flagstaff Hill Walking Trail, which connects the park with Four Mile Beach, it offers another starting point for walks and exploring the town. Nature and cultural interests need not be mutually exclusive when planning your day: you can include the beach and lookout as well as the museum, market or a trip out on the water.

Choose the right holiday rental for your trip

When choosing a holiday rental, you can consider which experiences you want to shape your stay: time at Four Mile Beach, trips to the reef, a day in the Daintree Rainforest or exploring the town. If visiting restaurants and shops is important to you, Macrossan Street is a useful point of reference: most shops, bars and restaurants are within easy walking distance from there. Your decision may also depend on whether you would rather spend the day walking, cycling, visiting wildlife or taking a trip on the water.

More destinations: Barcaldine, Daintree, Dakabin, Carmila, Gympie, Cairns, Annandale and Fletcher.

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