Picturesque Port Douglas, hub of the region, is just 70 kilometres north of Cairns international airport along a spectacular scenic coastal drive. Holidaymakers relish Port Douglas. natural beauty and excellent year round climate. Its relaxed seaside village ambience blends superbly with the vibrant atmosphere of tropical style and sophistication. It captures visitors by the heart and has made Port Douglas a favourite international destination.

Soak up the sunshine on the beach, stroll among the village shops, galleries, historic buildings and the seaside Sunday market. Play a round of golf, visit a rainforest wildlife centre, relax over sundowner drinks at a boardwalk café, or dine on a delicious tropical dinner at one of the many fine restaurants.

Port Douglas is the closest gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. A natural wonder abundant with incredible biodiversity. Colourful coral gardens of every shape and form, home to an abundant array of tropical marine life. There.s a reef tour to suit every style, making it so easily accessible that everyone can experience this extraordinary underwater world.

The World Heritage rainforests are also within easy reach of Port Douglas. The lush green coastal strip of the Daintree, Cape Tribulation region to the north of Port Douglas is home to some of the oldest forests in the world and is a treasure trove of rare plant and animal species.

Daintree
Explore the world.s oldest living tropical rainforest, picturesque rivers and surrounding mangrove habitats, home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. Encounter rare and endangered species, abundant bird and wildlife, butterflies and the prehistoric crocodile

Journey through an ever-changing tropical landscape, a patchwork of white sandy palm-fringed beaches, waving cane-fields and jungle clad misty mountains. See lush rural farmlands bordered by World Heritage listed rainforest and the majestic Daintree river

Mossman Gorge
Mossman Gorge, a very accessible and scenic section of the World Heritage listed Daintree National Park. Here the Mossman River tumbles its way over and around huge granite boulders that line the gorge creating cool clear freshwater swimming holes. Awe inspiring tree-clad mountains rise sharply up from the river banks. Walk as far as the suspension bridge across the river or explore the 2.7km rainforest loop trail.

Great Barrier Reef
Experience one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the amazing Great Barrier Reef. This underwater botanical garden is one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. A living home to thousands of marine plants and animal species stretching more than two thousand kilometres along the Queensland Coast to form the world's largest reef system.
Cruising out across the Coral Sea to spend a day or even longer on the Great Barrier Reef is a holiday highlight for every visitor. Port Douglas is the nearest departure point for Low Isles and the Great Barrier Reef tours on the Tropical North Queensland Coast.

The climate is comfortable tropical all year with maximum temperatures of 31° C in the summer and 26°C in the winter. Most of all pack lightly - at 16 degrees south of the Equator, the climate here is like Tahiti. During the Winter months, on very rare evenings, a wrap is required.

During the cooler, dry season the days are balmy and the evenings pleasantly cool (26 - 17 degrees Celsius). Summertime, or the green season, means warmer days and restorative rain. The rainforest revitalises itself and the streams are replenished. Sea temperatures range from 23.2 C in July to 28.7C in February.

From the sprawling seaside Sunday markets to the specialty boutiques and leisure retail stores and the funky rainforest craft shops, the quality of goods and service excellence is unrivalled in the region. Shopping is a part of any holiday, whether you.re searching for a simply made local souvenir, jewellery, designer clothing, good book or exclusive piece of artwork, Port Douglas has it all.

Rediscover shopping without the constraints of a time limit at Marina Mirage. Retail in the region will amaze you simply by the variety, quality and volume that will delight for hours of browsing or buying. Indigenous arts and crafts abound side by side with designer labels. If you get home and wish you had bought something, you can even go online and purchase the goods direct.

You.ll be entertained as well as intrigued by the goods on display at the local markets with a chance to go home with a souvenir bought direct from the maker.