Port Douglas is an Australian seaside town. If you desire to experience the land and immerse yourself in its beauty thoroughly, your travel will be a lifetime treasure.
From reef to rainforest, to the outback and incredible geological wonders, spectacular drives, and breathtaking scenery Port Douglas is just the amazing creation of nature. Before you embark on your journey to explore this paradise, check out the best things to do in Port Douglas.
About Port Douglas
Port Douglas in Australia is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. Due to its Northerly location, Port Douglas has stereotypical tropical weather and is thus a tropical paradise.
The luxury resorts in Port Douglas are a leisurely one-hour drive from the international Cairns airport. The Rainforest Wildlife Habitat provides visitors with an opportunity to have a unique and natural habitat experience.
Port Douglas tours help you to explore the amazing array of life underwater and on land. The peak tourist season is during winter and the best month to visit Port Douglas is October.
20 Best Things to Do in Port Douglas
Below listed are some of the best things to do in Port Douglas.
1) Visit the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef tours start from Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation and cater to all age groups and water abilities in full and half-day tours. Half-day tour of Port Douglas makes the most of your journey.
Explore Port Douglas’s natural attractions, including Cassowary Falls, on this half-day tour. Hour’s drive South of Port Douglas is Lucinda, Ingham, and Paluma Range National Park.
2) Hike the Flagstaff Hill Trail
Hike the Flagstaff Hill Trail is amongst the best things to do in Port Douglas. It is a scenic 1.5-kilometer coastal track connecting Four Mile Beach to Rex Smeal Park. It offers some of the best coastal views you will find in Port Douglas.
Flagstaff Hill provides spectacular views of the Coral Sea and Low Isles. Flagstaff Hillwalking is an easily accessible summit that serves as Port Douglas’s ultimate viewing point. Once at Flagstaff Hill, you will be rewarded with stunning views over the Coral Sea to the Low Isles and Snapper Island to the north.
3) Experience the Daintree Rainforest
One of the oldest rainforests in the world is the Daintree Rainforest. Join a Daintree Rainforest tour and learn about the rich biological diversity. This national park is valued because of its exceptional biodiversity. Daintree River along the Great Barrier Reef Drive is a spectacular entry into the Daintree Rainforest via cable car ferry.
4) Explore the Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railways winds its way on a journey from Cairns via freshwater to Kuranda, the village in the rainforest.
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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway Experience
Discover one of the oldest continually surviving rainforests in the world with this Cableway. The Sky tour takes you on an unforgettable journey through the World Heritage-listed Wet Tropics Rainforest in comfy all-weather gondolas. Enjoying a sky tour would be one of the best things to do in Port Douglas.
5) Enjoy the Beaches
Enjoying the beaches is amongst the best things to do in Port Douglas. Here are a few beaches that you can check out.
(i) Thala Beach
The Thala Beach Nature Reserve is located on a private headland between Cairns and Port Douglas, located in Oak Beach. Thala Beach Nature Reserve is a family-owned 58-hectare nature and wildlife reserve 15 minutes south of Port Douglas.
(ii) Four Mile Beach
This Beach in Port Douglas is ideal for a honeymoon stroll. Beautiful Four Mile Beach is a hotbed of activities that make it perfect for the readers, the exercisers, the adventurers, and lovers.
It is easy to lose track of time when walking over Four Mile Beach as it unfolds in a gentle curve along the Port Douglas beachfront.
6) Visit the Beautiful Mossman Gorge
Getting to Mossman Gorge for a morning stroll or a day of exploration is easy. It is a rural locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia. The center is a gateway to the valley, a tourist attraction, and the world’s oldest rainforest, Daintree National Park. A drive from Port Douglas to Mossman Gorge takes 22 minutes.
7) Feel the Modern City-Type Conveniences in Cairns
Cairns has become one of the world’s favorite tourist destinations. Cairns is around an hour’s drive north of Port Douglas. Green and Fitzroy Islands, both on the Great Barrier Reef, are easily accessible from Cairns.
8) Road Trip to Cape Tribulation
One of the best things to do in Port Douglas would be to go on a road trip. The Cape Tribulation is the official meeting point of the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. You can explore plenty of things in Cape Tribulation while on a road trip from Port Douglas.
Visitors to the region can explore this place via a self-drive tour with a hire car or let someone do the driving with a Cape Tribulation. You must try a guided horse riding tour; it is an ultraromantic and exciting way to explore the Cape Tribulation beach and rainforest.
9) Visit St Mary’s by the Sea
The St Mary’s by the sea chapel is one of the most picturesque churches in the country. It is amongst the oldest buildings in Port Douglas.
10) Enjoy Port Douglas: Low Isles Snorkel Tour
Enjoy a snorkeling excursion in the ocean around a beautiful, quiet island. As you sail to the Low Isles, relax aboard a comfortable and spacious yacht and enjoy a little refreshment as you spot the Low Isles.
11) Visit the Coral Sea
This sea contains many islands and Reefs in Port Douglas and is particularly rich in birds, and aquatic life is a popular tourist destination, both domestically and internationally.
12) Visit Dickson Inlet
Dickson Inlet is a lovely stretch of mangrove waterways located in Queensland. Red mangroves and other similar vegetations are prevalent in this saltwater. You can find here crocodiles and estuarine birds.
It’s close to the Sea Temple Resort and Spa Port. Large, luxurious flats and rooms are available at the Sea Temple resort and spa port.
13) Enjoy Outdoor Activities in Port Douglas
One of the best things to do in Port Douglas is to enjoy and explore various outdoor activities.
(i) Go on Hot Air Balloon Ride
You can do this epic thing in Port Douglas and the tropical north in the beautiful Tableland region.
(ii) Scuba Diving
It is the best way to experience the magnificence of the Great Barrier Reef and enjoy scuba diving at Port Douglas.
(iii) Experience White Water Rafting at Barron Gorge
Experience white water rafting as part of the best things to do in Port Douglas at Barron Gorge National park, known for its rugged rainforest mountains, steep ravines, and falls carved out over thousands of years by the Barron River.
(iv) Sling a Hammock between the palm Trees at Rex Smeal Park
This iconic spot is perfect for relaxing; you can watch the sunset or even sling a hammock between the perfectly spaced palms. The Port Douglas region is famed for its palm trees.
(v) Glass Bottom Boat Tour
The glass bottom tour takes visitors to view the sea life below.
(vi) Feel the Cooling off in the Swimming Holes.
One of the most iconic things about the Daintree Rainforest is its selection of swimming holes and the best refreshing spots. A must-do when visiting Port Douglas is to relax with a twilight boat cruise onboard.
14) Check Out the Port Douglas Markets
The famous port Douglas markets are on every Sunday and draw crowds from all over. It is located in a grassy park right on the waterfront, overlooking the Coral Sea, and has one of the most diverse stallholder communities of any market in Australia.
A visit to the Port Douglas markets is amongst the best things to do in Port Douglas. There is a carnival feel to the Port Douglas markets. Visitors quickly realize that there is more to Port Douglas markets than just goods for sale.
15) Go to the Trinity Bay lookout
It is a short drive from the center of Port Douglas and offers you stunning views of the coastline, tropical rainforest, and mountains.
16) Take a Trip to Palm Cove
It will take you 40 minutes or so to drive to Palm Cove if you have a day to spare and laze around the beach.
17) Visit Restaurants in Port Douglas
The dining offers the authentic Port Douglas experience. It provides outdoor and indoor dining options and fresh and seasonal produce. Fresh seafood markets offer local and Australian seafood freshly cooked daily.
Port Douglas houses over 50 eateries, from fancier fine dining to fast food and a fair deal in between as a local food lover. A few of the best restaurants are Zinc Port Douglas, Melaleuca, Watergate Port Douglas, Salsa Bar and Grill, Sabean Tapas Bar Restaurant, and N17 Burger Co. Enjoy the best delicacies of Australia as part of the best things to do in Port Douglas.
18) Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas
It allows to closely interact with an incredible variety of Australian animals in their beautifully created natural environment. Enjoy breakfast with birds or lunch with the Lorikeets, enjoy a sumptuous buffet meal, and meet some feathered friends.
19) Wildlife Under the Sea
Amongst the best things to do in Port Douglas is to explore the wildlife under the sea. It is home to 1625 undersea species. While enjoying the Marine life, you Can find Saltwater crocodiles, the dangerous kind, are occasionally found on Four Mile Beach.
20) Enjoy Sailaway and River Drift Snorkelling
(i) Enjoy the Outer Reef through Sailaway
To sail along the coastline with views of the Daintree Rainforest, past Snapper Island, before heading to the Outer Reef in Port Douglas could be one of the best things to do in Port Douglas.
(ii) Enjoy the River Drift Snorkeling
Allow yourself to drift with the current on the Mossman River drift snorkeling excursion from Mossman or Port Douglas. River Drift snorkeling is a 4hour half-day experience departing from Port Douglas and Palm cove.
Conclusion
The best part of Port Douglas, which no one can deny, is that this is a beautiful part of the world with abundant natural beauty. Above are some of the best things to do in Port Douglas that will help you explore this place without any hassle.
The Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest are the best Port Douglas attractions. The place where the reef meets the rainforest, Port Douglas, is a beautiful tropical and relaxed holiday destination.
