Top things to do in Airlie Beach, Queensland
Top things to do in 9 days in Airlie Beach and the best tips to enjoy Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island, The Great Barrier Reef, and Magnetic Island!
Inside this text, the traveller will find out the top things to do in Airlie Beach, known as the heart of the reef situated in Queensland, Australia. Queensland is the Australian state that is home to 5 of the 11 areas of this country considered World Natural Heritage. These five include Scenic Rim National Parks, Fraser Island, Riversleigh Fossil Fields, the Wet Tropics (including Daintree National Park), and one of the world’s greatest natural beauty; the Great Barrier Reef (the Great Barrier Reef). The famous heart of the Barrier Reef (Heart of the Sea) is in Airlie Beach, the gateway to famous attractions in Australia. Check out our Airlie Beach itinerary, including a ride back to Magnetic Island!
9 Days: Top things to do in Airlie Beach, Queensland
- 01) Day: Flight Sydney to Hamilton Island and Arrival at Airlie Beach
- 02) Day: Bicentennial Walkway and Airlie Lagoon
- 03) Day: Hiking, SUP, Airlie Lagoon and planning
- 04) Day: Hamilton Island and Fishing
- 05) Day: Whitsundays Island Full-Day Cruise (Southern Whitehaven Beach)
- 06) Day: Townsville and Magnetic Island
- 07) Day: Whitsundays 60 minutes Scenic Flight
- 08) Day: Great Barrier Reef Half Day Tour
- 09) Day: Return to Sydney
The seaside village of Airlie Beach is vibrant, lined with palm trees, beachfront parks, and restaurants for al fresco dining. Known for its bohemian charm and carefree attitude, Airlie Beach is also the gateway to Whitsundays, the 74 pristine islands north of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, where you can visit luxurious island resorts, drink cocktails by the pool, and relax in the sun or at a spa. Queensland’s tropical and warm climate means that Airlie Beach has mild winters, perfect for year-round water activities. ( Source )
Airlie Beach epitomizes Australia’s beachy, relaxed and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Shute Harbor Road, Airlie Beach’s main and most important street, is full of restaurants, bars, and cafes.
From Airlie Beach, you can do tours/tours for different tastes: rainforest, waterfalls, natural pools, nature walks, skydive, parasail, airplane flight, helicopter, horse riding, fishing, kayaking, sailboat tours, among others.
And it was in this paradise that we spent the last 8 days of the year 2017. And we carried out a very complete tour through the region. Check out our route:
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01) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Flight Sydney to Hamilton Island and Arrival at Airlie Beach
We started our journey at the Sydney airport in the domestic terminal at 12:30 pm on December 24th.
We arrived at Hamilton Island, our first stop, at approximately 2 pm local time (Queensland does not have daylight saving time like New South Wales, just 1 hour less than Sydney). Our ferry was already booked and purchased and had a scheduled time at 2:30 pm. Done! We arrived at the airport on this island and soon headed for the port. The meeting place is just outside the airport, very easy to locate.
Scheduled, time fulfilled! At 2:30 pm we left Hamilton Island and in 1 hour and 15 minutes we were at the port of Airlie Beach, which would be our base for the next 8 days.
We got off the ferry and walked to the center of Airlie, simple and easy to reach (a 10-minute walk). Use this path if you don’t have a lot of luggage, otherwise hire a taxi outside the airport and head to your hotel.
In the center and starved to death, we looked for something to eat, and after being remade we went to our hotel. We walked a little more than we would like, but we didn’t die! In fact, the journey between Porto and the hotel we stayed in was 40 minutes on foot, but I stopped halfway to eat and rest, and we were short of bags and didn’t feel much. But if you are staying at the same hotel and have large or heavy suitcases, take a bus or taxi. We arrived at the hotel around 5 pm and at 5:30 pm we were already relaxing in a beautiful pool in this same place.
Hotel Review
We stayed at the Mantra Club Croc in Airlie Bech.
We only have good comments about the hotel and service, the only negative point was the fact of having limited internet (1 GB per room). We stayed 1 week and it ended in less than 1 day for two people. The tip is to join their club (ask at the reception), because with that you can acquire more gigs during this period, without paying anything. The other points were all very positive: cleanliness, room, pool, restaurant, hotel drinks, and even the most remote location was a positive point for us.
How to get to Airlie Beach? The options are: arriving from Hamilton Island airport or Proserpine. The second option is the closest, and you can take the bus between the airport and Airlie Beach by bus in 30 minutes. Once you land on Hamilton Island, you should do as we did, buy a ferry ticket and go by sea (1 hour and 15 hours).
Things to DO in Airlie Beach: How much? The flight between Sydney and Hamilton Island is affordable and if you buy in any airline promotion ( Jetstar, TigerAir, etc.), you will be able to pay an average of 200 to 300 dollars round trip pp. Flight time around 2 hours.
After enjoying the end of the day upside down, we went to a well-deserved shower and then the dinner that ended our Christmas Eve night in Airlie Beach.
02) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Bicentennial Walkway and Airlie Lagoon
We left Cannonvale, the neighborhood of Airlie Beach where we were staying, around 10 am. As the day would be dedicated to rest and points of interest in this city (we didn’t have many options due to the date, December 25th everything close in Australia), we left the hotel later.
We follow the Bicentennial Walkway that starts right in this neighborhood of Airlie and extends to the Port of Airlie, at the other end of the city.
The path is peaceful, paved, and by the sea. In a few places it follows inside the city streets, but almost all the Walkway is bordering the beautiful blue sea.
We passed several points of interest, such as Shingley Beach, Abell Point Marina and its beautiful marina (where daily tours depart, with the exception of Tours Whitsundays which leaves Airlie Port), and finally the central area of Airlie where Airlie Lagoon.
In total it is 3.7 km of a quiet walk and full of interesting sights.
We finally arrived at the center and took the opportunity to have a quick coffee. Then we were spread out on the premises of Airlie Lagoon. This site is a small pool complex completely free of charge available to residents and tourists.
A very pleasant and beautiful setting to enjoy on a quiet day like the 25th of December, where nothing opens and works. The pools are super clean and very beautiful. People spread out on the surrounding lawns and sand and spend the day enjoying the sun. We did the same and for about 2 to 3 hours we enjoyed the place.
Umbrellas of trees stretched yoke, and totally free swimming pool (in fact it is worth mentioning that there is also an infrastructure available for use at this location, which includes: bathrooms, changing rooms, showers, drinking fountains, barbecue, and spaces with tables).
After taking advantage of the public swimming pool, we proceed to our return to the hotel and, of course, we return by the pleasant Bicentennial Walkway trail.
We arrived at the hotel around 4 pm and immediately went for another swimming session! Hey! Day of much laziness and relaxation. We stayed there until about 6:30 pm and then ended our day. Important tours were to come.
03) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Hiking, SUP, Airlie Lagoon, and planning
For the third day, as we had not made any prior booking of tours (our mistake, even because it was the end of the year and everything is very disputed and full), we used our free time to get prices and tours from the agencies in the center. We walked again through the Bicentennial Walkway towards the downtown of Airlie, stopped at Abell Point Marina for a breakfast, and after almost 1 hour there we continued to the center.
We went into some agencies, talked, asked questions, and decided on the week’s tours. Task made time to relax!
Once again we went to the public pool – Airlie Beach Lagoon. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon there, me on a beautiful day by the pool and a lot of sun, the husband took the place for a SUP day! SUP value is $ 30 an hour.
After enjoying the place a lot we went to lunch in a local pub. And after we were fed, we walked back to the hotel, again on the Bicentennial Walkway. We finished third!
04) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Hamilton Island and Fishing
Day 4 of this trip started early, at 7 am with the walk between the hotel and the port of Airlie Beach. For 40 minutes I traveled this route, and around 8 am I was sitting at the port waiting for my ferry to Hamilton Island, the destination chosen for this day. That same day, the husband went one way and I the other. We decided that everyone would do what they like best. He went deep sea fishing and I went to have a beach and tourist day on Hamilton Island.
At exactly 8:30 am the ferry left for the luxurious island, and after 1h15 on the boat, I arrived at the destination.
Hamilton Island is a private island and built for tourism. Its infrastructure is all designed to serve customers.
This island has free internal transport ( minibus ), a rental transport system (golf carts), and transfers from hotels that are scattered around the island.
Hamilton Island has paved streets and a complete complex with swimming pools, clubs, activity centers, golf course, restaurants, snack bars, supermarket, and much more.
Learn more about the island’s infrastructure here.
When I arrived on the island, the idea of a script was already in my head. I got off at Hamilton Island’s Yacht Club and soon walked up a hill (many streets on Hamilton Island are steep), in less than 3 minutes I was at bus stop number 11 (at the school stop – learn more about the transport system free here ).
After taking the free bus the first destination was One Tree Hill (the highest point on the island and where the tourist can see the 360º of this small paradise). The two stops at this point are number 14 and 17 ( see map ).
After exploring this space a bit and taking lots of photos, I headed towards the pools and the Resort Center, which houses the pools open to the public and the main beach on this island.
Before getting off at One Tree Hill, I made sure to stay on the bus and only get off on the return after it had passed until the end of this route.
This was a way of getting to know the island in comfort and “without paying anything”. I did the same when I headed towards the pools. I stayed on the bus and took a long tour of the Golf Club to see the island’s facilities.
When I arrived at point number 1, I got off and went towards the center of the Resort. I located the main pool ( Main Pool ), took some pictures, and went to the second pool ( Sails Pool ), recognized the terrain, and walked through the scorching sand of an Australian summer day to the last and third pool ( Bougainvillea Pool ) open to the public.
Photos and more photos, and then I located the spot I wanted to stay, exactly in the second pool and right in front of the sea.
Plenty of sun, pool, and total relaxation. So I spent my time at the resort. But, obviously, he wouldn’t leave without taking a dip in the blue waters of the Hamilton Island sea. Warm and calm water to spend another hour of deep leisure on Catseye Beach.
After the beach, I took the saltwater with a nice shower, went to bus stop number 1, and took the green line (Green Line). This would take me to the restaurant and the surroundings of the Yacht Club again.
The package I bought included lunch at one of the local restaurants, and that’s where I went.
I arrived at Marina Tavern at 1 pm and stayed there for about an hour. Lunch finished at the time of preparations for the return to Airlie Beach.
I went to the Cruise Whitsundays window, presented my return voucher, and rescheduled my schedule. Once booked, it was time for ice cream to say goodbye to the island. At 2:45 pm I was already on the ferry returning to Airlie Beach.
In the meantime … fishing!
Some considerations about Hamilton Island:
- If you buy airfare and get off at Hamilton Island as we did, try to get there and stay there for 1 day using the infrastructure (you will not pay anything for it and still save 145 dollars (full day for touring this island from Airlie Beach Try to take little luggage and arriving early on Hamilton Island stay there until the last ferry (5:10 pm);
- Use the island’s free shuttle system. It is safe, it has air conditioning, it is great to know all the points of this place and it is punctual;
- Use the Resort’s swimming pools, they are completely free.
Hamilton Island tour fee: Hamilton Island Free Style $ 145.00 (round trip ferry + lunch at Marina Tavern restaurant)
How to get there? The only company that operates for Hamilton Island is Cruise Whitsundays.
Tour and fishing fees: $ 139.00
Things to DO in AIRLIE BEACH: How to get? Several companies do this type of tour, look for information in the agencies.
05) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Whitsundays Island Full-Day Cruise (Southern Whitehaven Beach)
The fifth day was all special. Reserved to visit one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, elected several times by several magazines and specialized websites.
The departure was made at 7:35 am when the transfer from the contractor picked us up at the hotel. We continue to the Marina (Abell Point – where all the boats leave except those from the Cruise Whitsundays company – these parts of Airlier Port) and from there to the company boat (Reef Cruises – MV 2001) that would take us to the beach we so desired. We purchased the tour through the hotel’s website and received the voucher through the same website and confirmation email the next day
The boat left at 8 am from the marina and went straight to Whitehaven Beach. Right outside we were served a coffee (cookies, milk, coffee, tea, cake and sweets) and after being fed and almost 2 hours of travel we arrived at our first destination of the day.
The sand at Whitehaven Beach is among the whitest from anywhere on the planet. Composed of 98 percent silica, the sand at Whitehaven does not retain heat and has a fine, powdery consistency. This means that, even in the hottest part of the day, visitors can walk comfortably along its seven kilometers of sand alongside the crystalline Coral Sea. ( Source )
There we were taken by boat to the beach and stayed around 1h30 there. We took advantage of many photos, a sea bath, and a few minutes of relaxation on the white sand of this beach.
Whitehaven Beach is in the Whitsundays Islands:
The Whitsunday Islands are a group of 74 islands surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef and the protected waters of the Coral Sea. With isolated white sand beaches, full of palm trees and crystal clear water, the Whitsunday Islands are a typical example of a tropical paradise.
Formed millions of years ago, Australia’s largest group of offshore islands was baptized by Captain Cook, who sailed through the passage at the time of the Whitsunday festival in 1770. ( Source )
After this passage through Whitehaven, we returned by boat to the boat and it was already lunchtime. We got on the boat, everyone started helping themselves and enjoying the available buffet. Another 40 minutes and the boat continued its course. Now it was time to visit Hill Inlet, a special place with one of the most photographed views in Australia.
Once again we went down to a boat, from there we followed a path on the beach and then in the middle of the forest until we reached the lookout. From this place, it is possible to see the beautiful landscape of white sands that move and change constantly. A real delight for the eyes. It takes approximately 15 minutes to go and 15 minutes to return. And there as long as you find necessary for many, many photos!
This place is really beautiful and a must-see!
After hundreds of photos, we went back to the boat, once again accessed by boat, and we proceeded to the last point of the tour, the moment of snorkeling.
We made the whole Whitsundays Islands contour and arrived at a point near Hook Island. The boat was stopped at this location and people who wanted to snorkel went down to another small beach in Whitsundays Islands. The others who didn’t want were placed in a smaller boat with a glass floor for a beautiful walk and a beautiful view of the region’s corals.
At approximately 4 pm everyone returned to the boat and a thank you cocktail and afternoon snack were served. The day’s tour was over. At 5 pm we arrived at the Marina of Airlie Beach, got on our transfer, and at 6 pm we were already delivered to the hotel.
We ended the intense day of sea and boat.
Some tips for this tour:
- If you visit the region during the holiday season, make an advance reservation;
- The company we bought the tour was not one of the best we have ever used, as we had problems with other tours purchased ( Experience OZ + NZ ), unlike the boat ( Reef Star Cruises ) we used and we had great service.
How to get there? Several companies with various types of boats operate this type of tour, seek information at the various agencies in Airlie Beach or at the reception of your hotel/hostel.
Things to DO in Airlie Beach: How much? $ 180.00 pp (including coffee, lunch, and afternoon snack).
06) Day – Top things to do near Airlie Beach: Townsville and Magnetic Island
We booked one of the days of that trip to rent a car and explore somewhere near Airlier Beach, but we went much further than we thought. In a relatively quick search with local tourism brochures and posts, we decided to head north towards Townsville, the capital of northern Queensland.
We left the hotel around 8 am, and after a quick coffee in the room, we took the bus to the center of this city to get the car at the rental store. At 9:30 am we were already on the road going to northern Australia.
We passed through several towns and many scenarios and after approximately 270 km we arrived at Townsville.
The city was practically flying and everything was closed. We head straight for the port region where ferries depart for Magnetic Island, the main destination of this day’s journey.
We arrived in this city around noon, and the next ferry would leave at 12:55 pm. That’s exactly what we got. Before embarking we look for directions in the small tourist office inside the terminal. We collect information, folders (my favorite travel activity, collecting leaflets and folders), and head to the queue. The total price for two people, including a ferry and tourist bus with a daily pass through the island, was 78 dollars ( Sealink ).
The island can be accessed by car, but as the price is high (110 dollars) we opted for the walking tour. The value of the car for more than 3 people is worth it, for a couple it gets saltier (access is through another port and the company that operates is Fantasea Cruising ).
Properly embarked and heading for the island, it takes us 20 minutes between the mainland and the final destination. We disembarked and just outside the terminal there was another terminal, only this one by bus.
We arrived at the final destination and there we located a restaurant and had lunch. After being fed, and as we didn’t have much time on the island, we went on a small trail that would take us to Balding Bay and Radical Bay (1km and 1.2km consecutively).
As I said earlier, we didn’t have much time on the island, as it was about 270 km long, so we arrived at Balding Bay (which by the way discovered that it’s a nudist beach), we took a few photos, for the reason I mentioned earlier (nudism), and we went to the Radical Bay trail. When we saw that it would be too late to access it and come back, we decided to return and rest for a while in Horseshoe Bay, as the bus would pass by at 4:35 pm, a good time to go back and not take too long at night (lots of pets killed on the road, especially wallabies and kangaroos).
We returned and rested a little by the sea. We took the 4:35 pm bus and by 5:30 pm we were already in the car on the way back. We still stopped in a small town in the middle of the road, until a nice pizza and went on to Airlie Beach.
We arrived at the heart of the Barrier Reef (Airlie Beach) at around 10 pm and proceeded to return the car.
We returned to the hotel on foot, enjoying the beautiful summer night, and ended our intense road trip day.
Day trip considerations:
- It is more worthwhile to go and stay a few days on the island;
- If you are making a car trip along the coast, consider going to the island and staying for a few days;
- The island is very quiet and more rustic, but with very well served restaurants and hotels/hostels;
- Make the trail between Horseshoe Bay and Radical Bay / Balding Bay (worth it), always remembering that Balding Bay is a nudist beach;
- If you make a trip to and from a nearby city, consider leaving much earlier and arriving at the island at 9 am / 10 am. You will certainly enjoy it better.
07) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Whitsundays 60 minutes Scenic Flight
What a wonderful day and what a beautiful surprise! This is how I describe the scenic flight through the Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach.
The day started later, as the transfer would take place at 10 am at our hotel, and from there we would proceed to the airport where the Airlie Beach plane and helicopter tours depart. And so it was done and we started our script for the day.
We proceeded to the airport where we would take the scenic flight. We arrived at 10:30 am and at 11 am we were already properly equipped and seated ready for the tour.
The small plane had 8 seats (including the pilot and the companion) and was packed!
Window seats were more than guaranteed because in this type of plane everyone goes to sit at the windows to enjoy everything (there are no half-seat seats).
The plane took off and the beauties began to unfold. We flew for 1 hour all the way between Airlie Beach, Great Reef Barrier (Barrier Reef), the other surrounding islands, Hamilton Island and Whitsundays Islands (set of islands that houses Whitehaven Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and that we visited days before).
Overflying the Barrier Reef is something I have never seen in my life! A unique and spectacular location! A real painting and from the top it is even more beautiful to see!
The pilot flies over the main points twice so that all passengers can clearly see the points of interest on the route (passengers on the right and left of the plane).
It was the best-spent dollars on this trip!
It is definitely a tour that can not be left aside on an eventual visit to the region.
After a lot of contemplating this beautiful place, we headed for the return and passed the Hill Inlet, another spectacular spot that we visited on land days before.
At approximately 12h we were landing at the airport and we went again by transfer to our hotel. It was a short tour, and less than half a day, but unforgettable! At 1pm we were already sitting in a restaurant enjoying the day and eating well.
We return to the hotel and spend the rest of the day there in creative leisure by the pool.
It was closed yet another perfect day in Airlie Beach.
Important tips:
- Tente fazer o passeio próximo do horário de 12h, pois o sol estará no alto e a visibilidade é melhor;
- Escolha o que melhor couber no seu bolso e gosto. Nós optamos pelo passeio de avião pois era de 1 hora de duração e passava nos dois principais pontos desta região (Barreira de Corais e Whitehaven Beach). Os demais passeios que vi eram mais caros ou com menor tempo de duração no ar;
- Leve todas câmera que puder (GoPro, celular e câmera fotográfica), as imagens lá de cima são espetaculares. Não perca um detalhe se quer!
Como chegar? Existem várias empresa que fazem passeios de avião de pequeno porte e helicópteros (busque informações nas diversas agências do centrinho de Airlie Beach ou veja na recepção do seu hotel/hostel).
Quanto custa? $ 219,00 pp (1 hora de voo – empresa parceira do hotel) com a empresa GLS Aviation
- Try to take the tour around 12 pm, as the sun will be high and visibility is better;
- Choose the one that best fits in your pocket and taste. We opted for the plane ride because it was 1 hour long and passed in the two main points of this region (Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach). The other tours I saw were more expensive or of shorter duration in the air;
- Take all the cameras you can (GoPro, cell phone, and photo camera), the images up there are spectacular. Don’t miss a detail if you want!
How to get there? There are several companies that do small plane tours and helicopters (search for information in the various agencies in the center of Airlie Beach or see at the reception of your hotel/hostel).
How much? $ 219.00 pp (1-hour flight – hotel partner company ) with GLS Aviation
08) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Great Barrier Reef Half Day Tour
For the eighth and last day of activities in Airlie Beach, we went to see again only that now and close by the sea the barrier reef (the day before we did a panoramic flight). The tour left at 7 am from the Port of Airlie Beach and headed towards the barrier.
It took us approximately 2 hours to the company base ( Cruise Whitsundays – it is the only company that operates this tour) inside the Barrier Reef and as soon as we arrived everyone was already directed to the activities they were willing to do. Some went for advanced diving, others for baptism dives, some for the submarine tour to see fish and corals and many went for snorkeling.
This place, which belongs to the only operator that leads to the Barrier Reef, is called Pontoons, and there the tourist finds a structure with points for all the activities I mentioned earlier.
The space is large and comfortable. However, if you do not do scuba diving or enjoy the practice of snorkeling, I would not recommend buying this tour (we bought the half-day tour ), since the activities there are basically the ones I mentioned earlier.
We remain at the site from 9 am until 11:30 am. Inside the boat, all comfort and service deserve special mention. We were served a coffee (free coffee and milk, plus cookies and fruit). At 11:30 am we left towards Airlie Beach and shortly after leaving Pontoons, we were served a beautiful lunch. Everything very neat and full.
We passed the Whitsundays Islands again and at about 2 pm we were already at the Port of Airlie Beach disembarking. We then went on foot to the center, wasted time there looking at stores, and continued on to our hotel. As it was New Year’s Eve, we went to rest for the night to return to the center and watch the fireworks on the beach.
We still enjoyed the last few minutes of swimming and beer at the hotel. Arriving in the evening, we had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant since almost everything was already closed and we went by bus to the center. We saw the timid fires of the New Year and after the party, we returned to the hotel to close our tour in the region.
How to get to the Great Barrier Reef by sea? Cruise Company Whitsundays (the only one operating on this route)
How much? $ 199 pp (half day) or 245.00 (full day)
09) Day – Top things to do in Airlie Beach: Return to Sydney
After the days at Airlie Beach were well spent, it was time to return. We scheduled the transfer for 10:20 am and at this time we were waiting for the company at the hotel reception.
We bought this service from the reception of the Mantra Club Croc ( hotel partnership ), as it was the cheapest place we found.
In about 40 minutes, we were at Proserpine airport. Our departure to Sydney was smooth and punctual.
Things to DO in Airlie Beach: How to get? The transfer from Airlier Beach to Proserpine is done by several companies, search for information at the hotel. In a small survey, I chose the hotel partner company to purchase the service, as it was the cheapest. All were charging $ 22 and the hotel’s partner company was $ 20. A small economy, but an economy!
The Best Tips Things to DO in Airlie Beach: How much? $ 20 pp transportation by executive bus
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