Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, go deep into the Daintree and simply wind right down and relax in this charming tropical holiday destination.

A trip to Port Douglas is typically centred around the three ‘Rs’ – reef, rainforest and relaxation. From this laid-back coastal town in Far North Queensland, sitting pretty on the Coral Sea, you have access to some of the best Great Barrier Reef adventures and to the magnificent Daintree Rainforest – the world’s oldest tropical rainforest. But you should also make plenty of time to slip into holiday mode: have a spa treatment or two, a sunset cocktail or three, and make the most of those balmy nights in the tropics by dining al fresco. Here’s our top pick of what to do when you’re in Port Douglas.

1. Study the future of the reef at Forever Reef Project

If you weren’t looking, you might miss this epic, future-focused coral-centric centre at Crystalbrook Marina, hidden between tour operators and souvenir shops. The otherwise unassuming building holds a huge key to the long-term health of the Great Barrier Reef, with its onsite and ocean-bound marine biologists slowly but surely collecting and cataloguing 417 species of coral endemic to Australia’s World Heritage-listed ecosystem. (The team aim to open three more reef hubs across Australia by 2026, and one in Cairns by the end of the year.) Don a pair of UV-blocking glasses for the 45-minute tour, during which you’ll learn about how this world-first biobank is helping to future-proof reefs around the globe and see the fully saturated spectrum of colour emitted by the soft and hard corals in the on-site nursery.

2. Pick up your next beach read at The Book Lounge

Off Port’s main thoroughfare is this eclectic bookshop that’s home to plenty of new and used books on any and every topic you could possibly want for your holiday. There’s a resident golden Labrador onsite, too, and free bookmarks with your purchase. Depending on the day, you might find bargain books on the sidewalk for as low as a few bucks and, inside, that antique tome you’ve been searching high and low for. There’s also a series of book accoutrements available, too, such as tools that slip on your thumb to keep books open when you’re beachside – they’re locally made with resin and dried flowers. Browse on.

3. Take part in a town-wide festival

Time your trip correctly and you might just end up in town for one of its star festivals, such as Carnivale, which is hosted over a weekend in May and includes live music events, a long-table lunch, golf competitions, a street parade (with fireworks!), and sandcastle building line-ups. For the more foodie-inclined, August’s Taste Port Douglas brings chefs and hospitality talent from around Australia and the world to the town’s best restaurants and eateries for a four-day-long dining and cooking extravaganza that includes masterclasses, intimate meals with experts, and immersive panel discussions. Tickets sell out, so book in advance. 

4. Grab lunch beneath the rainforest ferns at Silky Oaks Lodge

An easy 20-minute drive from central Port Douglas, the exemplary Silky Oaks Lodge is decadence epitomised. Nestled within the wilderness and built into the canopy, the onsite restaurant offers mealtime magic in three-course form. You’ll start with a signature lemon-myrtle mocktail or glass of sparkling in the lounge, shared with resort guests, before being guided to your table overlooking the river and the trees that crowd its banks. Indulge in crispy-skinned saltwater barramundi with sautéed mushrooms and scrolls of pickled celeriac alongside crispy potatoes and leafy salad, followed by decadent coconut sago and steaming pots of Daintree black tea. A butterfly flapping by as you switch courses is not unusual.

5. Float down the Daintree River with Back Country Bliss

For two hours of soothing bliss, unlike anything you’ll experience elsewhere in the region, book in for a river drift tour with Back Country Bliss. Experienced guides lead the way through sandy riverbanks, pointing out native and introduced ecological structures along the way, before bringing the crew out on the water. You’ll be serenaded by the water that gurgles over ancient stone boulders and ride down gentle rapids for the ultimate relaxation experience. Rafts and a wetsuit are provided, and the crew will take the pictures, so you can focus on making the most of the exceptional quiet, navigating the underwater gems, and letting the soothing current be your core focus.

6. Chase waterfalls – literally! – and soak in local watering holes

Port Douglas is book-ended by the Great Barrier Reef on one side and the Daintree Rainforest on the other, so – wet season or not – water is usually flowing. Besides the commanding shower that cascades over massive boulders at Mossman Gorge National Park, the closest waterfall is Hartley Creek Falls, 35 minutes south of Port Douglas and just beyond the famous Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. It’s a rugged hike to get there, but there’s a rest point halfway. Spring Creek Falls are accessible at the end of a two-hour-ish non-marked hike through the Mowbray Valley, an 18-minute drive south of Port Douglas. Locals also flock to Shannonvale for a chillout in the gentle waterhole on those hot tropical afternoons. (As always, pay attention to your surroundings and use good judgment when exploring rugged waterways.)

7. Sip sunset cocktails at the marina

Continue your happy hour back on dry land at the Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina itself. Head for Barbados, a stylish waterfront cocktail bar and restaurant that also vies for the sunset crown with its views out across the inlet while the sun sinks behind a rainforest-clad mountain and turns the sky grapefruit pink.

The name of the game here is rum, and Barbados boasts an extensive and ever-expanding list. Try a signature house-infused rum or a rum cocktail: perhaps a Caribbean Mojito with ginger beer and spiced pineapple syrup, a Black Pearl, which puts a spin on the old-fashioned, or a Coconut Sour that comes topped with roasted coconut chips.

Not a lover of rum? No problem. Barbados caters to all other palates and has a food menu of share plates and fresh and zesty dishes like soba noodle salad with locally caught tuna tataki, and lime and coconut prawns.

8. Drive to Cape Tribulation

With a drive time of just under two hours, an unforgettable journey to Cape Tribulation – the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage sites meet – is an easy day trip from Port Douglas. En route, make the short diversion to Daintree Village, which was founded in the 1870s as a timber-cutting settlement, for some tropical-flavoured ice cream from the Daintree Ice Cream Company (temporarily closed due to Covid-19) before crossing the Daintree River on an old-school car ferry. 35 kilometres north of here, you’ve arrived at Cape Tribulation – where the aquamarine waters of the Great Barrier Reef meet the brilliant green jungle of the Daintree.

9. Swim, SUP, cycle, hike or simply sunbake at Four Mile Beach

There are many ways to enjoy Port Douglas’s showstopper of a beach – just a 10-minute walk from the town’s main restaurant and resort hub, yet blissfully undeveloped. Four Miles in name and nature, this long and languorous stretch of white sand fringed by palm trees and gently lapped by the Coral Sea is yours to enjoy along with the locals. Stretch out on the sand and soak up the sun or go for a swim: Four Mile Beach is patrolled by Surf Lifesaving Queensland, and a stinger net swimming enclosure is in place for safe swimming from November to May.

You can also learn to kitesurf or go for a sunrise SUP or, back on the beach, cycle its length by hiring a bike from town. To see Four Mile Beach from a different perspective, take the Flagstaff Hill Walking Trail at its northern end for sweeping views of sand, sea, rainforest and mountains from its lookout.

10. Check into a day spa

Port Douglas is the kind of deliciously lazy holiday town that implores you to slow right down to the point where checking into a day spa for a few hours of pampering seems like a no-brainer. And you’ve got plenty of options.

Niramaya Day Spa & Villas offers a tranquil Balinese-inspired environment with treatments including the two-hour Tropical Dreaming Package that incorporates an Aroma Relaxation massage with a customised facial or the three-hour Niramaya Bliss Package that includes an exfoliation, coconut Vichy shower, massage and facial.

The Port Douglas Day Spa on buzzy Macrossan Street and Vie Spa at Pullman Port Douglas Resort also provide ample choice when it comes to relaxation and rejuvenation, and for something completely unique to the Far North Queensland locale, hop in the car for the 40-minute drive north to the Daintree Ecolodge in the heart of the rainforest and avail yourself of an Indigenous-inspired treatment at its Daintree Wellness Spa (book ahead).

With approval from Kuku Yalanji elders, the spa treatments tap into ancient wisdom of medicine and healing, and you can even opt to have a massage out in the elements at the onsite waterfall, visited for thousands of years by generations of Kuku Yalanji women for its spiritual and healing properties.

Or, drive 40 minutes south of Port Douglas to the lovely beach enclave of Palm Cove, which has been dubbed the ‘Spa Capital of Australia’ for its concentration of places to get pampered. Seek out Vie Spa at Palm Cove, Peppers Spa, Reef House Spa or Alamanda Spa.

11. Browse the boutiques and art galleries of Macrossan Street

While away a morning or afternoon drifting along Macrossan Street and dipping into its many boutiques and galleries selling covetable fashion, jewellery, homewares and art. There’s beachy boho chic at Aloha Lucy, designer pieces from Aussie and European designers at Ginni Boutique and holiday-ready swimwear infused with the spirit of the tropics from local designers Tahitian Lime.

And don’t miss the excellent Ngarru Gallery, a small space that packs as big a punch as the premier supplier of contemporary Indigenous fine art in the far north, showcasing and selling the work of both established artists and up-and-comers. It also holds a range of artefacts like authentic termite-hollowed didgeridoos and a good selection of art-inspired giftware.

And if you’re in town on a Sunday, head along to the Port Douglas Markets at the western end of Macrossan Street in Market Park between 8 am and 1:30 pm. With an almost carnival-like atmosphere and set under the shade of palms with an ocean backdrop, the markets represent the best in local producers and creatives and sell everything from arts and crafts to exotic fruits and sugarcane juice.

12. Dine al fresco

No matter where you dine in Port Douglas – and you’ve got plenty of options – make it al fresco to make the most of sunny days and balmy tropical evenings.

The marina itself is home to several more eateries and bars that show off their surroundings, including Hemingway’s Brewery, serving gastropub fare including share plates, burgers, seafood and pizzas, seafood restaurant Lure, and Choo Choos at the Marina, a bright and breezy cafe with a vibrant all-day breakfast menu.

Just up the road on Wharf Street, near the heritage-listed Sugar Wharf and the famous timber church St Mary’s by the Sea, you’ll find more dining spots that make the most of their location including Salsa Bar & Grill, with its global fusion plates, The Court House Hotel, the oldest pub in Port Douglas, and Seabean Spanish Bar & Tapas, with its pintxos, paella, sangria and sherry.

13. Spot saltwater crocs on a river cruise through the mangroves

Also departing from the marina, a gentle river cruise aboard the iconic riverboat Lady Douglas is a must when in town. Once onboard, you’ll glide through the unspoiled mangrove channels all the while searching for wild saltwater crocodiles – seen on over 95 per cent of trips – in their natural habitat.

You’ll see shipwrecks too and all manner of birds going about their daily business: from kites, ospreys and white-bellied sea eagles to mangrove herons, rainbow bee-eaters and kingfishers.

The trip is complemented by an entertaining and informative commentary that sheds light on the mangroves, crocs and the local history of the area. The Lady Douglas’s sunset cruise is a particularly special session to opt for and, with a fully licensed bar onboard, makes for what’s surely the most unique spot for a sundowner in Port Douglas.