The best Port Douglas accommodation to suit every budget

Whether you need a family-friendly beach resort or a private tropical apartment by the sea, our guide to Port Douglas accommodation is a comprehensive look at the best of the best.

Port Douglas, the picturesque seaside town perfectly positioned between two exceptional World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – offers unparalleled access to tropical splendour, great food and dining options, and leisurely afternoons best suited to beachside adventure. It’s essential to make sure where you stay fits the brief for your crew, your priorities (action-centric and budget-friendly, or resort amenities all the way?) and your holiday goals. Here’s our guide to the best Port Douglas accommodation, from luxurious hotels to cheap getaways and stunning architecturally built properties hidden in the rainforest.

Resorts/Hotels

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort

At a commanding 147 hectares, the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is a glittering jewel in the Port Douglas crown, with comfortable, resort-style rooms and suites (many with direct pool access) situated on two hectares of saltwater lagoon-style pools. The resort is located on Four Mile Beach, with beach access via a boardwalk, so you can hear the waves crashing as you sip poolside margaritas. Expect palm-tree-shaped afternoon shadows, delectable dining options at the breakfast buffet and onsite eatery Harrison’s, and – in the Presidential suite – marble bathrooms and separate living and dining areas. 

Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa

This five-star resort offers apartments (in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations), as well as rooms with their own plunge pools, villas, swim-out suites and decadent penthouse apartments. All enjoy views of the sparkling lagoon pool, full kitchens and access to the nourishing Vie Spa and Aluco Restaurant & Bar, which serves up steak tartare prepared tableside (pick your own mustard and caper amounts), pan-fried local barramundi dressed with a warm romesco sauce, and a seafood platter stacked tall with trawler prawns, bugs and oysters. 

Silky Oaks Lodge

Set within a captivating private allotment of riverside Daintree rainforest, Silky Oaks Lodge is the epitome of elegance, only 20 minutes from Port Douglas by car. Situated above the wilderness and built into the canopy, the onsite restaurant serves up crispy-skinned saltwater barramundi with sautéed mushrooms and scrolls of pickled celeriac alongside crispy potatoes and bright salad, followed by decadent coconut sago and steaming pots of Daintree black tea. Your stay includes daily breakfast, afternoon drinks, dinner and in-room bar. There’s also a selection of private watering holes and direct access to Mossman River, an on-site spa, hammocks outside each room and complimentary morning yoga – so you can start the day right, and go from there. 

Peppers Beach Club

A 450-metre walk from the centre of town, Peppers Beach Club is a water-centric resort that is all bright white, deep blue and vibrant greens. Indulgent Asian-inspired dining options at Koko include a zesty green papaya salad, Korean-inspired fried chicken burgers and takoyaki with crisp bonito flakes. Spa suites have bathtubs on furnished balconies, so you can go from the beach to the pool, to your private spa in a matter of minutes, but all rooms and poolside suites have access to in-room massage facilities. You won’t find single-use amenities here or water bottles; refill your complimentary Purezza water bottle throughout the resort instead.

Niramaya Villas & Spa

If wellness is a top priority for your Port Douglas adventure, then consider the Balinese-esque Niramaya , where pagoda-like self-contained villas are nestled near a 30-metre plunge pool, leafy gardens and an onsite spa. (The latter offers nurturing spa packages, including treatments such as full body scrubs, scalp therapy and soothing sun-sensitive massages.) Santi, the resort’s restaurant, serves up Indonesia-inspired spiced calamari and bowls of garden curry, which you can enjoy before retreating to your spacious, timber-toned adobe and private plunge pool.

Camping/Caravan Parks

Big4 Holiday Parks, Port Douglas

Whether you’re travelling by car, caravan or camper, this well-equipped holiday park seven kilometres out of town is the ideal spot for those who like a more rustic approach to their holiday. There’s a waterpark (and six slides) on site, as well as a resort-style pool that’s heated in winter, a playground and spacious camp kitchens. You can pick from unpowered, powered or ensuited sites, but if you’re after something a bit more homely, opt for a villa. The Valley View Deluxe Villas are fully self-contained, with views out over the surrounding mountains and an outdoor barbecue to grill to your heart’s content. 

Pandanus Tourist Park

With a combination of unpowered and powered sites, villas and self-contained Queenslander-style cabins, Pandanus Tourist Park is perfect for caravan convoys, happy campers and overnight adventurers. Established palm trees provide plenty of shade, and the bright blue swimming pool offers a cool-down opportunity in warmer weather. From here, you’re a five-minute walk to Four Mile Beach and a 10-minute walk to Port Douglas’ Crystalbrook Marina – the perfect launchpad for reef adventures and more. 

Coral Beach Lodge

Recently renovated and right in the heart of town, Coral Beach Lodge is a budget-friendly choice for families, groups and singles. Rooms are sparse but clean, but that doesn’t really matter too much when most of your time will be spent outside of them. There’s a saltwater pool here that’s open 24 hours a day, plus a pool table, dart boards, flower-filled gardens, communal kitchen and BBQ areas, and stacks of board games and books for your perusal.

Holiday homes/Airbnbs

Azure Port Douglas

Split over two levels and epitomising the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that Tropical North Queensland is famous for, this architecturally designed villa , centrally located in the heart of Port, is surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens and tall palms. At its centre is a heated pool flanked by generous living areas suited to house up to eight guests across four bedrooms. Louvre windows welcome the evening breeze, and a spacious kitchen welcomes hungry travellers: all the better for cooking up breakfast before a big day exploring this World Heritage region.

Pineapple Pete’s Beach House

A little bit bohemian, a little bit eclectic and a whole lot of fun, Pineapple Pete’s Beach House – located a three-minute walk from Four Mile Beach – provides the comfort of home with the details of hotel living. The four-bedroom house (with two ensuited main bedrooms) can also provide for young ones, with cots, bouncers, prams and carriers all available at no extra charge. The kitchen even features a teppanyaki plate for excellent entertaining opportunities, and all sorts of appliances (including a smoothie blender) to make life that little bit easier. Between the fully stocked bookshelves, the outdoor bathtub and the oversized pool, it’s a slice of paradise in paradise.

Central Rental Retreat

If you’re planning a solo getaway or a couple’s retreat, this studio apartment in downtown Port Douglas is a short walk from the buzzing Macrossan Street and all its splendour. The king bed shares the main space with a kitchenette, a living space with a couch and a Netflix-enabled TV and a cosy dining area. The balcony is where you’re likely to spend most of your time, however, with views through the lush palms, or the onsite saltwater pool, which is near the barbecue facilities.

Escape Villas Port Douglas

Situated within the gated Escape Collection, which overlooks the popular Mirage Golf Course, these villas , with between one and four bedrooms each, are ideal for families and groups who want to travel in style. The meticulously decorated villas feature floor-to-ceiling windows, accordion doors that open out onto private pool decks, cavernous shared spaces and an interior palette that’s part cane, part foliage and part neutral elegance. Each villa also has a complete laundry, making family stays that little bit easier. Order breakfast, cheese, and seafood hampers with 24 hours’ notice to take the hassle out of that part, too.

Alkira

Located 40 kilometres north of Port Douglas, this commanding modern holiday home can host up to 12 guests. Designed by architect Charles Wright and inspired by the perforation designs on postage stamps, the house – composed of a combination of concrete, steel and glass – blooms from a central pool out into the surrounding rainforest, and enjoys 1.2 kilometres of private coastline that’s accessed by a private timber boardwalk. It’s fully off-grid, too, befitting its World Heritage-listed location, and enjoys “green cooling" on those balmy summer nights.

Discover the best things to do in Port Douglas.

From the moment you arrive in Moreton Bay, stunning natural vistas, fresh and tasty dining, history and more invite you to stay and play.

Untouched national park, mirror-like lagoons and endless stretches of beaches all make Moreton Bay experiences feel like you’ve stumbled across a secret Queenslanders collectively vowed not to tell. Yet it’s easily accessible. Explore further and discover hinterland farms, ancient rainforest, fresh seafood and more: there’s something on offer for every pace, interest and generation.

Just 20 minutes from Brisbane Airport, it’s hard to believe how underrated this Queensland getaway is. Here’s your ultimate guide to rediscover play with unmissable experiences in Moreton Bay.

1. G’Day Adventure Tours, Bribie Island

G’Day Adventure Tours’ Sea to Table Experience should be your first agenda item in Moreton Bay. Take a 4WD journey through the sandy tracks of Bribie Island’s beaches to the still, glassy waters of the island’s lagoons. Glide over perfect replicas of paperbarks and fluffy blue clouds mirrored in the lagoon waters in your kayak. Listen as native birdsong echoes around you.

Then, it’s on to Fort Bribie. During the Second World War, these concrete bunkers – now slowly being enveloped by the dunes – were the last line of defence for Moreton Bay.

End the day with a sun-dappled beach picnic of locally caught Queensland prawns and famous Moreton Bay bugs. As you head home, watch the dolphins playfully dart in and out of the surf.

2. Morgan’s Seafood at Scarborough

Right on the Scarborough Boat Harbour, you’ll find Morgan’s Seafood . Between the luxury yachts, you’ll also spot trawlers and fishermen delivering their day’s catch right to Morgan’s. The family-owned and operated spot is one of the best places to try the region’s eponymous Moreton Bay bug. Or, sample more of the area’s direct-from-the-boat seafood fresh at their oyster and sushi bar. If you’re lucky, your visit might coincide with a day they’ve caught tuna.

Picture fish caught that day, prepared and then served to you as fresh sashimi as the sun sets over the unique silhouette of the Glasshouse Mountains.

3. Woorim Beach, Bribie Island

On Bribie’s eastern coastline, you’ll find Woorim Beach : aka the closest surf beach to Brisbane. Find a place on the sand by the patrolled area or wander further south to find a quiet spot and while the day away between the shaded dunes, the pages of your book and the peaceful sound of rolling waves.

Ask any local where to grab lunch, and they’ll direct you to Bribie Island Surf Club Bistro . Tuck into a fresh, local seafood platter, just metres from the beach.

4. D’Aguilar National Park

D’Aguilar National Park is a 40,000-hectare slice of greenery that stretches from urban Brisbane right up to Woodford (home of the Woodford Folk Festival). The vast expanse of park is home to ancient rainforests, eucalypt forests and shaded swimming spots hidden within gorges and under waterfalls. The area is significant for the Jinibara and Turrbal people, with ceremonial bora rings and dreaming trails all found within the park.

Carve out some time in your itinerary to explore the park’s many trails. The Maiala day-use area is the perfect starting point for walks for all levels of ability.

5. Arcade Wine Bar

arcade wine bar moreton bay — Sit down to a menu inspired by Italy.

Opposite the Redcliffe Jetty and down a laneway, you’ll find an unassuming wine bar. Venture inside and quickly fall in love with Arcade Wine Bar , one of the region’s most beloved local haunts.

Owners Danilo and Matt have a combined 50 years of sommelier experience, which they have poured into the menu, styling and wine list. More than just a hole-in-the-wall wine bar, Arcade Wine is an enoteca (a wine repository), whose walls are lined with bottles upon bottles of Italian wine varietals from every corner of Italy.

Settle in with a wine and work your way through the menu inspired by Danilo’s native Italy: traditional meatballs, their quick-to-sell-out terrine, or a selection of Italian cheeses, charcuterie and arancini.

6. Wamuran & Loop Rail Trail

Away from the ocean, tucked in the hinterland, is the Wamuran & Loop Rail Trail . Perfect for cyclists or walkers, the trail was built to showcase the history of the Caboolture to Kilcoy rail corridor (last operating in 1964) and makes for the perfect family day out. The trail runs for 10.5km and connects Wamuran and Caboolture via an accessible path.

Pass through former railroad, bridges and shaded bushland as you cut from A to B. Plus, visit in winter for a detour along the way to one of the many pick-your-own strawberry farms.

7. Farm Visits

Beaches, mountains and history make an enticing combination. But Moreton Bay also brings hinterland, family-friendly farms to the table. Trevena Glen is one of the area’s most loved, with bunnies, ponies, sheep, alpacas (and more) available to visit for the kids. For the adults, book a horse-riding session and be treated to a grazing platter as you watch the sun set over the mountains of D’Aguilar National Park.

At White Ridge Farm , find camels, putt-putt, train and tractor rides and all kinds of animals. The entire farm is paved, making it accessible for all.

8. Miss Sprinkles

Miss Sprinkles Gelato moreton bay — Pick your scoop at Miss Sprinkles Gelato.

An ice cream at the beach is one of life’s most perfect pleasures. While in town, stop by Miss Sprinkles for the locals’ pick of homemade gelato on the Scarborough foreshore.

The gelato here is made the authentic Italian way and scooped up just across from the beach. Or, settle in at their kitschy pink wooden tables for traditional gelato in the sunshine. Aside from the homemade gelato, you’ll also find tarts, pies and even doggie gelato.

To start planning your Moreton Bay trip, or for more information, head to visitmoretonbay.com.au.