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Everything You Need to Know About Port Douglas
Written by Rebecca Ellwood
What to do, where to stay and most importantly, where to eat in this perennially popular TNQ town.
If there’s one destination that epitomises everything Australia does best, it’s Port Douglas. There are countless natural wonders (the Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest), cracking food and coffee (hello, Macrossan Street) and year-round temperate weather and good vibes (think a more down-to-earth Byron Bay).
Whether you’re a luxury-seeking couple or a family after a laidback apartment stay, this breezy beachside town will always serve a blissful break from the norm.
Read on for everything you need to know about Port Douglas.
How far is Port Douglas from Cairns?
The closest airport for Port Douglas is Cairns, just over an hours’ drive from Port Douglas up the Captain Cook Highway. This is one of the world’s most beautiful coastal drives with several worthy stops en route, so it’s recommended you opt for your own hire car (which you’ll need if you want to explore the Daintree and Mossman Gorge). Unmissable are the pretty Palm Cove (an ideal spot for a halfway lunch at Espresso & Co) and Rex Lookout, with its sweeping views over Trinity Bay and the Coral Sea.
What is Port Douglas weather like?
Part of the allure of Port Douglas is its year-round sunshine. May to October is the winter dry season, with lower temperatures and minimal humidity, while the summer months (April to October) bring tropical heat and flash rainfalls. Jellyfish season is between November and March, with stinger-resistant nets in place at local beaches.
What to do in Port Douglas
In its prime position between the rainforest and the reef, Port Douglas is a launchpad for adventures on land and sea, with more natural wonders than you can shake a snorkel at.
Firstly, there’s Four Mile Beach. Framed by rainforest-covered hills and tropical palms, this pristine stretch is one of Australia’s most beloved beaches, with clear waters for paddling and soft golden sands (stay alert for beach closures due to rogue crocodile appearances). Take a cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef to uncover the jewel-coloured world beneath the surface, or fly overhead by helicopter for a bird’s-eye view of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed wonder.
Cross the Daintree River by car ferry to reach the Daintree Discovery Centre in the green heart of the world’s oldest surviving rainforest, where more than 130 million years of wonder unfold. Of great Indigenous significance is Mossman Gorge, a picturesque swimming hole where rainforest water gushes past granite boulders (it’s not uncommon to see people taking a dip here but do take note of conditions on the day).
Kids will love the wildlife encounters at the adrenaline-fuelled Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures and the fun of the Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail, which is one of the best ways to take in the scope and majesty of the Daintree.
Like to live luxe? Treat yourself in the boutiques of Macrossan Street, where everything from Indigenous art to jewellery and upmarket homewares will jostle for a space in your suitcase (alongside finds from the Port Douglas Sunday markets).
Find Port Douglas Experiences
Best restaurants in Port Douglas
With its bountiful seafood, and fresh produce born of diverse landscapes and the tropical climate, TNQ is regarded as the food bowl of Australia. Nowhere showcases this better than Macrossan Street, Port Douglas’ bustling dining hub where you simply can’t find a bad meal. There’s the chef-hatted Nautilus, where modern Australian has been served among the tropical treetops for over 70 years (the likes of Mick Jagger, Bill Clinton and David Bowie have dined here); Italian at La Cucina + Bar, Chinese at Jade Inn, The Mexican (no prizes for guessing the cuisine here) and seafood at the likes of Salsa Bar & Grill and the chef-hatted Melaleuca. For something more casual, the hole-in-the-wall Café Fresq gives a Melbourne brunch a run for its money, while The Little Larder serves creative brekkies and lunch on its alfresco terrace.
Do, however, consider straying from Macrossan Street for the delightful St. Crispins, just south of the main town. This 1800s railway-station-cum-café sits on the old Bally Hooley railway, once used to transport sugar cane, with views over the undulating greens of the Mirage Country Club golf course. It hovers over a flower-fringed pond, where bountiful fish and even baby crocodiles can be spotted breaking the surface.
Where to stay in Port Douglas
Resorts and apartments here are generously spaced all the way down from Macrossan Street to Craiglie, so they don’t have that hemmed-in feeling of many popular holiday spots. For barefoot luxury, the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Port Douglas and Port Douglas Peninsula Boutique Hotel sit almost directly on Four Mile Beach, while the Santorini-style suites at Peppers Beach Club Port Douglas offer spa baths or swim-up pool decks.
You’ll find self-catering apartments aplenty, where kitchen and laundry facilities make stays a breeze for families. Look to Port Douglas Apartments, Pool Resort Port Douglas and Coconut Grove Apartments, or opt for a hybrid at Oaks Port Douglas Resort, which offers serviced two-bedroom options.
If you’re willing to drive further afield for an exceptional, experiential stay, head to Silky Oaks Lodge for treehouses right in the Daintree Rainforest (a 30-minute drive from the centre of Port Douglas), or opt for boutique luxury on a working cattle station at Mt. Mulligan Lodge.
Discover Port Douglas
Images courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out Turn Up the Knots on Your Port Douglas Escape.
