Port Douglas

Whether you are in Port Douglas to run the marathon, to cheer the runners on or just to watch the solar eclipse, there is plenty to do and see in and around this beautiful town. Port Douglas is the perfect Great Barrier Reef holiday destination but it also offers a range of other activities that are bound to satisfy the discerning traveller.

Visit the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, stroll along Four Mile Beach, visit the local art galleries or sample the local cuisine at one of several excellent restaurants.

The History of Port Douglas

When gold was discovered on the Hodgkinson River in 1876, the rush was on to find a port for its dispatch. In 1877 Christie Palmerston carved the Bump Track down to the coast and Port Douglas was quickly settled by merchants. In November that year, Colonial Treasurer the Hon J.R. Dickson and Queensland parliamentarian John Macrossan visited and confirmed that the town was to be named after the current Premier of Queensland, John Douglas, with the inlet to be called Dickson Inlet. Government offices and banks were established. A court house and the lighthouse on Low Isles were erected.

By 1882, there were 14 hotels in town. During this boom period, Port Douglas overtook Cairns as the main port for gold and tin mining. But in 1885 the rail link from the Tablelands was joined to Cairns and the development of Port Douglas began to decline.

Local farmers were forced to grow sugar cane when tick fever ravaged their cattle and Mossman Mill was built in 1897 to process the crops. A minor rail line was built from the mill to the Port Douglas wharf in 1900 for sugar, freight and passengers and the population of the port town grew to 331. The export of sugar had revived the port and there were now four pubs in town. The last time, however, sugar was freighted to the wharf in Port Douglas was in 1958. After that, it went by road to Cairns. Port Douglas once again reverted to being a sleepy fishing village. By 1960, its population had fallen to about 100.

Tourists began to discover this quiet tropical paradise in the 1970s. Jim and Jo Wallace started Quicksilver tours to the Outer Barrier Reef in 1982. In 1984, the new Cairns International Airport brought tourists from around the world to re-awaken Port Douglas. Christopher Skase built the five-star Sheraton Mirage Resort on Four Mile Beach in 1988 and Port Douglas once again experienced a boom.

Tours and activities

Port Douglas tours encompass every unique attribute this region offers. For those who want an aquatic adventure, a trip to the Great Barrier Reef is a must with a range of options available, including state-of-the-art fast catamarans, sailing yachts, luxury motor yachts, extended live aboard trips, reef sprinters and even a traditional Chinese junk.

A selection of land-based adventures are also available. Small or large group tours to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation are a must, with a wildlife cruise on the Daintree River. Keep an eye out for the elusive crocodile!

Head north of the Daintree River and try your hand at sea kayaking, 'jungle surfing' canopy tours or river fishing for barramundi, and visit a world-class discovery centre with the most delicious locally-made ice cream ever produced. Discover the essence of Port Douglas with a morning stroll along the famous golden sands of Four Mile Beach before enjoying the perfect coffee and heading off to the Sunday craft and produce markets for a coconut cocktail.

Enjoy the history of the area by visiting the picturesque St Mary’s by the Sea chapel and the old courthouse, followed by a well-deserved drink in one of Port Douglas’s historical pubs. Every evening offers a new and unique way to watch the sunset: drinking champagne in the park or high above Port Douglas from the lookout point over the Coral Sea and Four Mile Beach, to relaxing with a cocktail on the deck of Marina Mirage.

Wake up to a fantastic breakfast with the birds, followed by an historical ride into town on a sugar cane hauling train, before taking that retail therapy opportunity at Meridien Marina and along Macrossan Street.

And if all this activity is exhausting, you can opt for a quieter day enjoying a round of golf, undertaking a luxurious spa treatment and massage, and round the day off with an indulgent romantic dinner.

Port Douglas is the ultimate centre to base your holiday from and to experience everything this wonderful region has to offer.

Restaurants and bars

Despite being a small seaside village, Port Douglas is home to a host of eateries and restaurants. Check out the Zinc Restaurant & Lounge Bar, an award-winning establishment which is a restaurant by day and lounge bar by night. Or visit the popular Salsa Bar & Grill which specialises in tropical modern Australian cuisine featuring local produce and where everything is made inhouse. The multi-award winning establishment has hosted former US President  Bill Clinton and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. For a special al fresco dining experience, visit the Nautilus Restaurant, an outdoor five-star restaurant set in a lush, tropical garden.

Port Douglas' restaurants offer every dining experience, from hearty breakfasts served fresh from the frying pan, and exquisite cakes and treats from an assortment of coffee houses and cafes, buffet lunches at the Rainforest Habitat or fresh, contemporary selections from a collection of cafes, right through to à la carte offerings at the popular Bistro 3 and Watergate Port Douglas restaurants. Read more on our Food and Wine section.

Art & Galleries

Port Douglas Art & Galleries coupled with a talented range of musicians and artists supported by the local theatre and live music scene, showcases a range of art media including photography, oil paintings, collage, watercolours and sculpture. Rivalling what the art lover would find in the galleries of Australia’s major cities, exploring the Port Douglas Art & Galleries is a must for all lovers of the art world.

Port Douglas Art & Galleries also host a talented range of musicians who perform on a regular basis throughout the town’s entertainment venues including the Court House Hotel, the Central Hotel and On the Inlet restaurant. Local celebrities in their own right, soloists including Ben Jammin’, The Gusman and Sonny Boy, and popular bands such as the Bourbon Gorillas, the Stumbling Mountain Goats and regional favourites the Swingin’ Alley Catz, will have you in tune with the Port Douglas groove before the end of your first beer!

Not forgetting the world of dramatic arts, Port Douglas Art & Galleries boasts two theatres, including the Clink Theatre, showcasing local dramatic and musical productions together with travelling musicians and artists, and the Karnak Theatre, which offers a range of local, Australian and International performances throughout the year.

For those who crave a little history, Port Douglas Art & Galleries offers two museums – the Douglas Shire Historical Society’s Old Court House Museum and the Beck Aviation and Military Museum in Mareeba.

Find out more: watch the Port Douglas film.