A guide to the Great Barrier Reef islands to help you choose right

Trying to decide which of the Great Barrier Reef islands is right for you? We break down what the best has to offer and match them to every type of traveller.

A vast subaquatic wonderland, the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is truly a paradise for dive enthusiasts and curious, adventurous spirits. Above the water lie more than 900 islands, promising unparalleled access to the marvels of the deep; some play host to world-famous luxury resorts, while others are practically deserted and promise castaway-style camping experiences for just a handful of dollars. Here, our guide to navigating the best Great Barrier Reef islands so you can find a perfect-fit escape.

1. Hamilton Island

yachts sailing during the Hamilton Island Race week

Yachts sail from Hamilton Island for Hamilton Island Race Week. (Image: Salty Dingo)

Best for: Luxe-loving families and a coastal village lifestyle

The Great Barrier Reef island treated to the most amenities, Hamilton Island is one of the best options if you’re after ample activities, and aren’t turned off by the sound of screeching kids. If you’re a family, you’ll love careening around the island on golf carts (car seats are readily hired across the island) to hot spots like Hamilton Island Wildlife or the Island Arcade’s bowling, two of the best things to do on Hamilton Island. If you’re child-free, you’ll love the wide variety of dining options, plus a wealth of day trips. Dial up the luxe with a stay at adults-only qualia on the isle’s secluded northernmost tip, one of the finest Great Barrier Reef accommodation options, or treat your whole brood by booking into one of the island’s many family-friendly hotels, like the The Sundays on Catseye Beach which opened at the end of April, 2025.

2. Green Island

a couple kayaking at Green Island, Great Barrier Reef

Kayak along the crystal clear waters of Green Island. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: Cultural awakenings

Filled with unique birdlife and enveloped in a wonderland of marine life, Green Island is home to one-of-a-kind activities and unique cultural experiences. Green Island Resort is its only accommodation, which is understandable given the tiny 12 hectares it occupies. Proving that tiny is truly mighty, however, the resort offers a one-hour Wunyami Cultural Walking Tour which pays tribute to the island’s ancient warriors and its connection to the wider reef. Additionally, there’s also Australia’s largest captive crocs to gawk at inside Marineland Melanesia, the island’s animal attraction, plus sea walking (you’re walked on the floor of the sea, for real) guided snorkelling tours, diving, helicopter flights, parasailing, glass bottom boat tours, fish feeding and more. Additionally, there are multiple eateries to dine at and various rooms ranging from connecting family rooms to larger configurations.

3. Hinchinbrook Island

a couple standing on top of Hinchinbrook Island, Great Barrier Reef

Hinchinbrook Island is home to hidden swimming holes, scenic peaks and sandy beaches. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: adventure seekers

For authentic Robinson Crusoe vibes in the Cassowary Coast Region, consider Hinchinbrook Island. Australia’s largest island national park, this uninhabited destination welcomes a maximum of 40 hikers and campers at any one time, so you’ll share its jagged verdant peaks, golden shoreline, expansive mangroves and towering sand dunes with few other souls. It’s perfect for those seeking to get into the thick of nature and explore hidden swimming holes and waterfalls. The best time to visit is outside cyclone season (November to April) when conditions are typically calm for camping — May to October is the busiest time to visit. Remote bush camping is the name of the game on Hinchinbrook, and visitors can choose from 16 different designated sites. Permits are required (max 40 at a time) and fees apply, so check out the Queensland National Park booking system to secure your spot.

4. Lizard Island

an aerial view of Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef

See the stunning natural beauty of Lizard Island up close. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: couples and exclusivity

One of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, Lizard Island is a cut above in the luxury stakes. An hour’s flight from Cairns, the extraordinary accommodation is located smack bang on the Great Barrier Reef, offering some of the best access to the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem (not to mention gourmet dining and luxurious rooms, villas and suites). Simply pop your snorkel on and step off the sugar-white sand beach and you’re in among the action, chancing upon giant clam gardens, manta rays, turtles and schools of fish. Alternatively, journey just by boat from the island to explore numerous outer reef systems. The resort offers all manner of complimentary activities too, such as tours of the island’s research station, and access to motorised dinghies, stand-up paddle boards and sea kayaks.

5. Magnetic Island

the boardwalk at Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island, Great Barrier Reef

Magnetic Island is just 20 minutes from Townsville via ferry. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: adventures in comfort

Effectively a suburb of Townsville, this island paradise is a 20-minute ferry ride away from the mainland. Historically popular with backpackers, ‘Maggie’ as it’s affectionately known, has plenty more to offer than the odd hostel and bar. Mountainous Magnetic Island serves up plenty of adventurous outdoorsy activities, not to mention an abundance of natural beauty. Take a hike in Magnetic Island National Park, which engulfs most of the island; follow one of the snorkel trails; go koala spotting (Magnetic Island is home to Northern Australia’s largest colony of koalas); trace the island’s palm-tree lined shore by kayak; or simply laze away the day on one of the sweeping arcs of golden sand, lapped by crystalline aquamarine waters and framed by giant granite boulders. For a stay you won’t forget, try the modern and comfortable waterfront villas at Pure Magnetic.

6. Fitzroy Island

Go snorkelling in the protected paradise of Fitzroy Island. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: budget-conscious families

A wildly photogenic destination, Fitzroy Island is a quintessential tropical isle for family-friendly activity. Coated in tropical rainforest and open woodlands (some 97 per cent of the island is classed as National Park), it’s a great place to take a hike or two. Don’t leave without taking the Summit walk to gorge on 360-degree views of the island and the sea, soaking up the beauty of their contrast. Fitzroy Island is also an optimal spot for those suffering from decision fatigue. There’s just one resort here – home to studios, suites, beach cabins, bungalows and a campground. It’s super accessible to boot, just a 45-minute boat transfer from Cairns, making it a great and economical option for families.

7. Lady Elliot Island

an aerial view of Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef

Be surrounded by magnificent coral reefs on Lady Elliot Island. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Best for: eco-adventure and reef access

Home to an overachieving eco-resort that’s run entirely off-grid, Lady Elliot Island is just the ticket for creature comforts and reef access without all the fripperies (and high price points) that other remote isles feature. The southernmost coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef, life on Lady Elliot revolves around the ocean. Two snorkelling trails are accessible straight from the beach, plus there are daily glass bottom boat and snorkel safari tours, and Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort dive staff run a minimum of two dives per day, as well as optional night dives, at the 20 dive sites that cluster around the island. As for your stay in the resort, guests can choose between multi-bedroom units, eco cabins and glamping tents (complete with an ensuite and private balcony of their own).

Originally written by Chloe Cann with updates by Kristie Lau-Adams

Discover the best Great Barrier Reef tours

Evegreen Editor Rachael Thompson travelled to the world’s largest coral reef system for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I recently headed up to Hamilton Island to stay at the island’s newest resort, The Sundays. What I thought couldn’t be a more perfect couple of days exploring the luxury accommodation and Whitsunday Island became an even more incredible adventure after I was also invited to jump on a helicopter for the Journey to the Heart Tour to see Heart Reef.

The adventure began on Hamilton Island. Only six people can do this experience at any given time, so we hopped in a helicopter, ready to be treated to spectacular Whitsunday views. After about 30 minutes of flying, seeing Hamilton Island and the pristine Whitehaven Beach from above, we reached the striking boundary where the reef begins, with turquoise waters and clusters of coral coming into view.

A view of Whitehaven beach from a helicopter.

Aerial views of Whitehaven Beach. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

Eventually, the pilot informed us that we were about to fly around the Heart Reef. Heart Reef was discovered in 1975 by a local pilot. This exquisite natural phenomenon is approximately 17 metres long and, as the name suggests, is shaped like a heart. I’d seen photos of Heart Reef before, on postcards and marketing campaigns. But nothing compares to witnessing its distinctive shape in person. It’s the kind of moment that makes you pause – not just to take a photo, but to truly take it in.

We circled above Heart Reef a couple of times to take in the full view before landing on a luxurious, sustainably designed pontoon in a nearby lagoon — the whole experience felt very James Bond-esque.

Heart Reef from above. (Image: Jason Hill and Tourism & Events Queensland)

We headed downstairs, where there were tables and lounges for relaxing and taking in the idyllic views. Paddi, our friendly tour guide, greeted us and ushered us onto a small boat. Paddi drove us around the surrounding reef (you can’t get too close to Heart Reef), educating us on the species living in the area. It was here that I noticed myself feeling like my child-like self who visited the reef with my family when I was 10 years old. As Paddi pointed out colourful fish and coral through the boat’s glass bottom, I found myself gasping and exclaiming, “Look how cute it is!” I felt incredibly excited and lucky to witness the workings of one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

A pontoon sitting on the Great Barrier reef near Heart Reef.

Your tour guide will take you on a boat around the reef. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

We then headed back to the pontoon to get our snorkelling equipment and enjoy approximately 45 minutes in the water. Visitors are unable to snorkel or dive at Heart Reef due to its protected status, but the surrounding reef area is truly spectacular.

At a delightful 26.6 degrees Celsius, the water felt perfect. Parrotfish, Blue Stripe Clarkii Clownfish and needlefish playfully swam around, a large piece of coral proudly showed us its vibrant purple colour and giant clams rested serenely on the sandy seabed. With only six of us snorkelling, it was quiet and the energy was peaceful.

A pontoon with a helicopter in the Great Barrier Reef.

Swim in pristine water and discover a myriad of marine species. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

To top off the experience, once we had finished snorkelling, we were treated to a glass of bubbles back on the pontoon, where we exchanged stories of how incredible the experience had been for each of us.

It’s worth noting that there are no restroom facilities on the pontoon. As the excursion lasts approximately three hours, it’s advisable to plan accordingly before departure.

A view from a pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef.

Relax and enjoy a glass of bubbles while you admire the azure waters. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

At $1400 per person, this tour is definitely on the pricier end. But to be honest, it felt like a billionaire experience. Moments like this make me fall in love with Australia all over again and highlight even more how desperately this iconic part of the world needs to be protected.

Discover more incredible Great Barrier Reef tours

A guide to the Great Barrier Reef islands to help you choose right

Trying to decide which of the Great Barrier Reef islands is right for you? We break down what the best has to offer and match them to every type of traveller.

1. Hamilton Island

2. Green Island

3. Hinchinbrook Island

4. Lizard Island

5. Magnetic Island

6. Fitzroy Island

7. Lady Elliot Island

An insider’s guide to Lizard Island and Lizard Island Resort

12 Great Barrier Reef facts to help you plan a bucket list adventure

10 of the most environmentally conscious Great Barrier Reef tours

Where to dive and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef

This Great Barrier Reef tour is the best thing I’ve done in Australia

Evegreen Editor Rachael Thompson travelled to the world’s largest coral reef system for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.