You're Going to Love Port Douglas
Port Douglas started life as a fishing village in North Queensland but has grown into an upscale, sophisticated resort town, less than an hour by boat to the Great Barrier Reef. It offers an alternative to the faster-paced Cairns tourist resort and is less than one hour from the Daintree Rainforest.
Port Douglas is a center for all manner of watersports and cruising. The Reef Marina has a huge fleet of luxury yachts bringing well-heeled visitors to the area, while Four Mile Beach provides beautiful white sands and palm trees for some of the best swimming in Queensland.
Macrossan Street is the commercial center of Port Douglas, with a large range of restaurants, bars, cafes, and boutiques.
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Port Douglas
1. Wildlife Habitat Sanctuary
The sanctuary houses a vast range of animal and plant life. Environments include the Rainforest, with boardwalks on the forest floor and canopy, the Grasslands, with kangaroos and crocodiles, and the Wetlands, with a huge variety of wading birds. There are free guided tours and educational presentations throughout the day.
2. The Cane Toad Races
For a quirky and alternative taste of Queensland culture, head over to Iron Bar for the Cane Toad Races. These take place every night at 8:00 pm on Macrossan Street. Admission is A$5 and you can watch the 'jockeys' kiss the toads for luck before the races.
3. Dive on the Reefs
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the top tourist attractions in the world and a huge reason for visitors to come to Port Douglas. There are lots of operators offering day trips or longer cruises with overnight accommodation on board. The closest reefs to Port Douglas include Agincourt Reef, Tongue Reef, and Opal Reef, all of which offer great diving.
4. Go Sailing for Free
Port Douglas Yacht Club has a great offer, where they provide free sailing every Wednesday evening. If you visit in the early evening you will be paired up with a yacht club member to take you out for a sunset sailing experience. The water is such an important feature of Port Douglas that this offer is not to be missed.
5. Four Mile Beach
Four Mile Beach is the main bathing beach in Port Douglas. This vast stretch of sand is shaded by swaying palms and has a supervised swimming area. You can rent bikes to cycle along the coast or rent a sun lounger to simply relax in the sun. For the best views of Port Douglas and the Coral Sea, head to the north of Four Mile Beach and climb up to Flagstaff Hill via Wharf Street.
When to Visit Port Douglas
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High season is the Australian winter of June to September. Temperatures are a little cooler and there is good visibility in the ocean for diving on the Great Barrier Reef. It is also the best season for whale watching. April to May and October to November also have pleasant temperatures with good bathing conditions and lower accommodation prices. December to March is the wet season, with heavy rains and unsafe swimming due to jellyfish.
How to Get to Port Douglas
Plane
Port Douglas does not have an airport, so the best alternative is to fly to Cairns, which is approximately one hour away by road. Cairns International Airport (CNS) has good connections across Australia and Southeast Asia. Sun Palm Transport provides a bus shuttle service from the airport to Port Douglas for A$35.
Train
The nearest train station is to be found in Cairns, with regular services to Brisbane. You can then use road transport to get to Port Douglas. A single fare to Cairns from Brisbane is from A$132.
Car
Route 44 connects Port Douglas with Cairns and it will take around an hour to drive the 42 miles. Route 81 runs north all the way to Nanum in the extreme north of Queensland.
Bus
Greyhound Australia provides services between major Australian cities and Cairns and you can then take the shuttle to connect with Port Douglas.
Airlines serving Port Douglas
Where to stay in popular areas of Port Douglas
Most booked hotels in Port Douglas
How to Get Around Port Douglas
Public Transportation
Two private bus services will take you anywhere in the city center for A$5 for a round trip. Buses run around every 15 minutes during the day.
Taxi
There are lots of companies offering taxi services in Port Douglas. Although plentiful, there can be delays during peak hours, such as Friday and Saturday evenings. Expect to pay a A$6.20 starting fare and then around A$3.64 per mile traveled.
Car
Local roads in Port Douglas are good and traffic jams are rare. Renting a car can be a good option if you plan to visit some to the outlying natural sites, like the Daintree Rainforest. You can expect to pay around A$50 per day for a small car from one of the main rental companies, like Thrifty and Budget.
Where to Eat in Port Douglas
2 Fish is one of the best seafood restaurants in Port Douglas. It has a lot of dishes featuring locally caught produce and cooks them in innovative ways. You will pay A$32-44 for a main course. The Yachty offers modern international cuisine, such as lobster and spiced lamb, with mains from A$22-34. The Beach Shack is a local favorite at the south end of Four Mile Beach. It does seafood, tapas and pizza, with a great value pizza special night on Saturdays for A$20.