Port Douglas is a beautiful little town north of Cairns in far north Queensland. It may be a little touristy but it's a very pretty town with colourful shops and cafes, lovely beaches and views over emerald blue waters. It is probably the best place in Australia to visit Great Barrier Reef, because the coral reef is very close to the coast here. On this page is some information about the town, and in the end of the page is a Port Douglas map.
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Four Mile Beach. Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Four Mile Beach Port Douglas Along the Port Douglas road that enters the town from south is the pretty Four Mile Beach with its white sands and bright blue waters. It's a very nice beach and many people like to stay here - there are places like Tropic Breeze Van Village, Port o’ Call Lodge, Pandanus Caravan Park, Dougie’s Backpackers, Lychee Tree, Pelican Inn and Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas.
Four Mile Beach. Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Port Douglas Restaurants and Shops As you enter the town, you come right to Macrossan Street – the main street of Port Douglas, with its colourful shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. In the southern end of Macrossan Street is the Esplanade – a small beachfront with a swimming enclosure (stinger net) in the very northern end of Four Mile Beach. North of it is Flagstaff Hill – a good lookout point if you are up to a bit of a walk.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Port Douglas Market and Old Buildings In the northern end of Macrossan Street is the town’s church St Mary’s by the Sea, the Old Courthouse Museum, and the Sunday Markets hold every Sunday in the ANZAC Park. The church was built in 1911, and the Old Courthouse Museum was the only public building to survive a cyclone the same year, and today it is the oldest building in the town.
St Marys by the Sea. Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Rainforest Habitat - Port Douglas Queensland South of the town is Rainforest Habitat – a fantastic place to learn about rainforest plants and some 180 species of Australian animals such as koalas, kangaroos and cockatoos, and some tropical animals like Australian crocodiles, cassowaries and tree kangaroos. The park is organised in three sections: wetlands, rainforest and grasslands, and there are free guided tours that take you through these different habitats. If you like to get close to Australian parrots and cockatoos, try the Breakfast with the Birds.
Breakfast with Birds. Courtesy of Tourism Australia
Reef Cruise - Port Douglas Queensland For many travellers, the main reason to stay in Port Douglas is to visit the coral reef. The trips to the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas may be a bit expensive, but they are about the best in Australia. Many companies such as Aristocat, Calypso, Haba, Poseidon, Quicksmart and Tallarook will take you to both snorkelling and diving where you can get really close to the colourful fish and other amazing animals. If you don’t want to snorkel or dive, you can take a trip with a glass bottom boat.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Low Isles - Port Douglas Queensland One of the most popular trips from Port Douglas is the Low Isles – a lovely coral cay with a sandy beach and a lighthouse. The tour operators that can take you there are Sailaway, Zachariah and Ragamuffin Sail & Snorkel.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Diving - Port Douglas Queensland It is also quite popular to get your diving licence in Port Douglas. Discover Dive School and Quicksilver Dive School have courses that include two days theory and pool diving in Palm Cove north of Cairns, and two days open water diving off the coast of Port Douglas.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Port Douglas Rainforest Tours Other tours include Bike’nHike which will take you to mountain biking trips to rainforests in Cape Tribulation and Hidden Valley; Reef & Rainforest Connections that offers a variety of tours to places like Cooktown and Mossman Gorge; and Kuku-Yalanji Dreamtime Walks – some interesting tours by Aboriginal guides who take you to their country in Mossman Gorge.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Wining and Dining - Port Douglas Queensland Port Douglas is a great place to eat out and go drinking. There are so many restaurants, bars and cafes that you will definitely find what you like. Most of them are along Macrossan Street: Mango Jam Café, Portofinos, Sassi Cucina, and the famous Iron Bar and Restaurant (where on some nights they have cane toad races!). Others include High Tide on the Esplanade, Salsa Bar & Grill on Wharf Street, Sardi’s on Davidson Street and On the Inlet on Inlet Street. A nice pub to recommend is Court House Hotel, and in the southern end of Wharf Street is the Port Douglas Yacht Club.
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
Accommodations in Port Douglas Queensland Places to stay include Port o’Call Lodge on Port Street, Parrotfish Lodge on Warner Street, and Dougie’s Backpackers and Tropic Breeze Van Village on Davidson Street. It is easy to get to Port Douglas from Cairns. Even if you haven’t got your own transport, there are buses run by Coral Reef Coaches, and boats from Cairns to Port Douglas by Quicksilver.
Here's a Port Douglas map, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
