The Road to Port Douglas
As you travel north from Cairns for 30 minutes you begin to leave the urban areas and Cairns northern beaches in their wake.
The serenity and beauty of the natural environment unfolds; beach landscapes where the rainforest reaches down to embrace the ocean.
Ellis Beach is the first of these serene and undeveloped beaches.
Ellis Beach
The road from Cairns to Port Douglas is considered one of Australia’s most scenic coastal drives.
Hugging the coastline, the road trip is without parallel.
It’s where the Wet Tropics World Heritage-listed rainforest meets the Coral Sea and Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
The Road to Port Douglas, one of Australia’s most scenic ocean drives
Just before the township of Wangetti you’ll come across a rocky beach known as the Balancing Stones.
Balancing Stones, Wangetti
It’s a fun spot to try your hand at making a contribution to the stone sculptures on the beach.
Hartley's Creek Estuary, Wangetti Beach
Wangetti Trail
An exciting cycle and walking trail project is currently underway, much to the delight of locals and tourists alike.
This much-anticipated project aims to create a seamless connection between the beautiful coastal towns of Palm Cove and Port Douglas, offering residents and visitors an immersive experience in the stunning natural surroundings.
The project officially began in mid-August 2023, with the trail's construction commencing at the Palm Cove end.
The Rex Lookout, just a few kms past the turn off to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, offers panoramic views and is an ideal safe spot to pull over.
Rex Lookout
The travel time from Palm Cove to Port Douglas is only 50 minutes, but to enjoy the journey and stop along the way you could easily stretch this out over a couple of hours.
Port Douglas is a thriving visitor destination. From the marina, a variety of cruises, dive and fishing charters access the Great Barrier Reef.
Crystalbrook Superyacht Marina, Port Douglas
Port Douglas excels in visitor shopping, dining and simply a place to relax and holiday.
Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach is the popular beach for swimming and sunbathing.
Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas
There’s a very scenic coastal walk from Four Mile Beach around the headland back to the main street in Port Douglas.
View across Four Mile Beach from lookout
To chill in the late afternoon warmth, head out to Rex Smeal Park.
Sunset time at Rex Smeal Park, Port Douglas
Watch the sunset cruises heading out into the Coral Sea.
Check out some the best cafes in Port Douglas …
Transport
Despite its popularity as a tourist destination, Port Douglas is not serviced by public transport from Cairns.
The nearest airport is Cairns Airport, so visitors either travel by their own vehicle or opt for one of the many shuttle bus operators.
It’s such a beautiful scenic drive, following the coastline, with the clear blue Coral Sea on one side and the forested mountains on the other, that it’s a shame not to travel during daylight hours. For visitors with a nighttime arrival at Cairns, we’d suggest lodging a night at least in Cairns before travelling on to Port Douglas the following day
Cairns Airport is very close to the Cairns CBD and it’s only a small transport cost (e.g. $20 to $30) to take a taxi to a city hotel.
We’ve listed over 30 shuttle bus operators servicing the Cairns to Port Douglas route. These include luxury vehicles, private transfers and shared mini buses.
For greater independence, consider renting a car from Cairns or Port Douglas.
From either destination, the beautiful paradise that is tropical Far North Queensland, is yours to explore …
Mowbray River - Crocodiles in the wild!
There is something absolutely magical about sighting crocodiles in their natural environment.
They are free and happy crocodiles, just going about their daily routines.
The Mowbray River footbridge, 9 km south of Port Douglas, is the perfect croc spotting location.
Crocodile spotting on the Mowbray River
Purpose built with a viewing platform, the bridge affords a great vantage point if a resident crocodile happens along.
On this occasion Señor Croc made his appearance way in the distance, disguised as a long floating log.
The “log” approached with its eyes just above the water, scanning the footbridge and then showing off in the river by diving and making itself invisible.
A minute later he surfaces to display his entire form, ancient and majestic.
Resident saltwater crocodile in the Mowbray River, Port Douglas, Australia.
The Lady Douglas sailing trip from Port Douglas.
The Rex Range
An alternative road connects Port Douglas with Cairns.
It’s a beautiful scenic route, ascending the Rex Range from Mossman, just north of Port Douglas, passing through Julatten and Mt Molloy, across the flat Tablelands to Mareeba, and then down the hill to Cairns via. Kuranda.
The journey time between Port Douglas and Cairns via. the Rex Range is about 2 hours.
Combine with the coastal road Cairns to Port Douglas for a scenic round trip.
Exploring Tropical North Queensland
Barron River Walk and Barron Falls / Din Din
Crystal Cascades / Bana Bamburra and Fairy Falls
Freshwater Creek Trail, Redlynch
Jack Barnes Mangrove Boardwalk
Lake Barrine, Yungaburra and Peterson Creek
Lake Morris and Copperlode Falls Dam
Lugger Bay (Kennedy Bay Track), South Mission Beach
coffeeincairns.com.au