The best Port Douglas accommodation to suit every budget

Whether you need a family-friendly beach resort or a private tropical apartment by the sea, our guide to Port Douglas accommodation is a comprehensive look at the best of the best.

Port Douglas, the picturesque seaside town perfectly positioned between two exceptional World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest – offers unparalleled access to tropical splendour, great food and dining options, and leisurely afternoons best suited to beachside adventure. It’s essential to make sure where you stay fits the brief for your crew, your priorities (action-centric and budget-friendly, or resort amenities all the way?) and your holiday goals. Here’s our guide to the best Port Douglas accommodation, from luxurious hotels to cheap getaways and stunning architecturally built properties hidden in the rainforest.

Resorts/Hotels

Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort

At a commanding 147 hectares, the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is a glittering jewel in the Port Douglas crown, with comfortable, resort-style rooms and suites (many with direct pool access) situated on two hectares of saltwater lagoon-style pools. The resort is located on Four Mile Beach, with beach access via a boardwalk, so you can hear the waves crashing as you sip poolside margaritas. Expect palm-tree-shaped afternoon shadows, delectable dining options at the breakfast buffet and onsite eatery Harrison’s, and – in the Presidential suite – marble bathrooms and separate living and dining areas. 

Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa

This five-star resort offers apartments (in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations), as well as rooms with their own plunge pools, villas, swim-out suites and decadent penthouse apartments. All enjoy views of the sparkling lagoon pool, full kitchens and access to the nourishing Vie Spa and Aluco Restaurant & Bar, which serves up steak tartare prepared tableside (pick your own mustard and caper amounts), pan-fried local barramundi dressed with a warm romesco sauce, and a seafood platter stacked tall with trawler prawns, bugs and oysters. 

Silky Oaks Lodge

Set within a captivating private allotment of riverside Daintree rainforest, Silky Oaks Lodge is the epitome of elegance, only 20 minutes from Port Douglas by car. Situated above the wilderness and built into the canopy, the onsite restaurant serves up crispy-skinned saltwater barramundi with sautéed mushrooms and scrolls of pickled celeriac alongside crispy potatoes and bright salad, followed by decadent coconut sago and steaming pots of Daintree black tea. Your stay includes daily breakfast, afternoon drinks, dinner and in-room bar. There’s also a selection of private watering holes and direct access to Mossman River, an on-site spa, hammocks outside each room and complimentary morning yoga – so you can start the day right, and go from there. 

Peppers Beach Club

A 450-metre walk from the centre of town, Peppers Beach Club is a water-centric resort that is all bright white, deep blue and vibrant greens. Indulgent Asian-inspired dining options at Koko include a zesty green papaya salad, Korean-inspired fried chicken burgers and takoyaki with crisp bonito flakes. Spa suites have bathtubs on furnished balconies, so you can go from the beach to the pool, to your private spa in a matter of minutes, but all rooms and poolside suites have access to in-room massage facilities. You won’t find single-use amenities here or water bottles; refill your complimentary Purezza water bottle throughout the resort instead.

Niramaya Villas & Spa

If wellness is a top priority for your Port Douglas adventure, then consider the Balinese-esque Niramaya , where pagoda-like self-contained villas are nestled near a 30-metre plunge pool, leafy gardens and an onsite spa. (The latter offers nurturing spa packages, including treatments such as full body scrubs, scalp therapy and soothing sun-sensitive massages.) Santi, the resort’s restaurant, serves up Indonesia-inspired spiced calamari and bowls of garden curry, which you can enjoy before retreating to your spacious, timber-toned adobe and private plunge pool.

Camping/Caravan Parks

Big4 Holiday Parks, Port Douglas

Whether you’re travelling by car, caravan or camper, this well-equipped holiday park seven kilometres out of town is the ideal spot for those who like a more rustic approach to their holiday. There’s a waterpark (and six slides) on site, as well as a resort-style pool that’s heated in winter, a playground and spacious camp kitchens. You can pick from unpowered, powered or ensuited sites, but if you’re after something a bit more homely, opt for a villa. The Valley View Deluxe Villas are fully self-contained, with views out over the surrounding mountains and an outdoor barbecue to grill to your heart’s content. 

Pandanus Tourist Park

With a combination of unpowered and powered sites, villas and self-contained Queenslander-style cabins, Pandanus Tourist Park is perfect for caravan convoys, happy campers and overnight adventurers. Established palm trees provide plenty of shade, and the bright blue swimming pool offers a cool-down opportunity in warmer weather. From here, you’re a five-minute walk to Four Mile Beach and a 10-minute walk to Port Douglas’ Crystalbrook Marina – the perfect launchpad for reef adventures and more. 

Coral Beach Lodge

Recently renovated and right in the heart of town, Coral Beach Lodge is a budget-friendly choice for families, groups and singles. Rooms are sparse but clean, but that doesn’t really matter too much when most of your time will be spent outside of them. There’s a saltwater pool here that’s open 24 hours a day, plus a pool table, dart boards, flower-filled gardens, communal kitchen and BBQ areas, and stacks of board games and books for your perusal.

Holiday homes/Airbnbs

Azure Port Douglas

Split over two levels and epitomising the indoor-outdoor lifestyle that Tropical North Queensland is famous for, this architecturally designed villa , centrally located in the heart of Port, is surrounded by meticulously maintained gardens and tall palms. At its centre is a heated pool flanked by generous living areas suited to house up to eight guests across four bedrooms. Louvre windows welcome the evening breeze, and a spacious kitchen welcomes hungry travellers: all the better for cooking up breakfast before a big day exploring this World Heritage region.

Pineapple Pete’s Beach House

A little bit bohemian, a little bit eclectic and a whole lot of fun, Pineapple Pete’s Beach House – located a three-minute walk from Four Mile Beach – provides the comfort of home with the details of hotel living. The four-bedroom house (with two ensuited main bedrooms) can also provide for young ones, with cots, bouncers, prams and carriers all available at no extra charge. The kitchen even features a teppanyaki plate for excellent entertaining opportunities, and all sorts of appliances (including a smoothie blender) to make life that little bit easier. Between the fully stocked bookshelves, the outdoor bathtub and the oversized pool, it’s a slice of paradise in paradise.

Central Rental Retreat

If you’re planning a solo getaway or a couple’s retreat, this studio apartment in downtown Port Douglas is a short walk from the buzzing Macrossan Street and all its splendour. The king bed shares the main space with a kitchenette, a living space with a couch and a Netflix-enabled TV and a cosy dining area. The balcony is where you’re likely to spend most of your time, however, with views through the lush palms, or the onsite saltwater pool, which is near the barbecue facilities.

Escape Villas Port Douglas

Situated within the gated Escape Collection, which overlooks the popular Mirage Golf Course, these villas , with between one and four bedrooms each, are ideal for families and groups who want to travel in style. The meticulously decorated villas feature floor-to-ceiling windows, accordion doors that open out onto private pool decks, cavernous shared spaces and an interior palette that’s part cane, part foliage and part neutral elegance. Each villa also has a complete laundry, making family stays that little bit easier. Order breakfast, cheese, and seafood hampers with 24 hours’ notice to take the hassle out of that part, too.

Alkira

Located 40 kilometres north of Port Douglas, this commanding modern holiday home can host up to 12 guests. Designed by architect Charles Wright and inspired by the perforation designs on postage stamps, the house – composed of a combination of concrete, steel and glass – blooms from a central pool out into the surrounding rainforest, and enjoys 1.2 kilometres of private coastline that’s accessed by a private timber boardwalk. It’s fully off-grid, too, befitting its World Heritage-listed location, and enjoys “green cooling" on those balmy summer nights.

Discover the best things to do in Port Douglas.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.