Whitsundays Cruises: Must-See Islands and Beaches

Why the Whitsundays should be on your bucket list

The fabled Whitsundays comprises 74 tropical drops of land amid Queensland’s Coral Sea, islands uniting powdery beaches and underwater adventures with rainforests full of epic hikes.

This is a postcard-perfect stretch of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, among the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. It’s home to six of the world’s seven sea turtles, giant coral bommies, endless schools of tropical reef fish, big-lipped clams, moray eels, dolphins, migrating whales… and that’s just in the water.

Whether you explore at sea level on a cruise, with your head below the surface diving and snorkelling, on land exploring hiking trails and beaches, or from the air getting a bird’s-eye view, you won’t be disappointed with a visit to this bucket-list Australian destination.

Whitsundays Cruises: Must-See Islands and Beaches

Getting to the Whitsundays

Fly, drive or cruise – multiple ways to get to the Whitsundays exist.

Flying into the Whitsundays

Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands on the Australian mainland. Airlie has a laid-back charm that moves at about the same pace as the heat – which is to say, things happen slowly here. From major capital cities, fly into Whitsunday Coast Airport in Proserpine, then either drive or catch a shuttle bus to Airlie Beach. The commute takes about 30 minutes. You can also catch flights from select Australian capital cities to Hamilton Island, one of the main islands in the Whitsundays group.

Cruising into the Whitsundays

When you’re in this immense watery paradise, the best way to explore is on a cruise – naturally.

Types of Whitsunday cruises

Whether you have a day, a week or longer; whether you love cruising with hundreds of others or prefer an intimate experience, there are multiple ways to explore the Coral Sea on the water.

Multi-day Cruise

Carnival offers several multi-day cruise options when it’s time to dive into this part of Queensland. The 6-Day Great Barrier Reef cruise from Brisbane spends a day in the Whitsundays, docking at Airlie Beach and giving you the chance to purchase a Shore Excursion to explore the turquoise waters in a catamaran, go ocean rafting, snorkel or dive the World Heritage-listed reef, or pad along powdery beaches. You can also drop in here on shorter getaway cruises lasting just four days.

 

Day Cruise

Fancy yourself as a captain? You can hire a super yacht to explore the Coral Sea in serious style. Or, jump aboard a catamaran to zip out to Whitsunday Island’s legendary Whitehaven Beach, spend a day hopping between multiple islands.

Exploring the best Whitsunday islands and islets

Choosing ‘the best’ islands in the Whitsundays is a tall order – they’re incredibly beautiful and diverse in their own way. Some islands see more visitors than others, whether due to proximity to the mainland, island infrastructure or natural assets. Here are some of the top picks.

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island remains a hit for the fact that you can fly in and then bed down at resorts that range from ultra-luxe qualia to family-friendly Reef View Hotel. It also has all the amenities you need while on a tropical holiday, from restaurants, bars and shops to travel operators on call to organise your day’s explorations – whether hiking, kayaking, sailing or blissing out in a spa.

Whitsunday Island

The largest of the 74 islands, Whitsunday is one of the most popular, but one of the least developed of its kind in the archipelago. On a Carnival Shore Excursion, you can explore the famous Whitehaven Beach – regularly voted the prettiest in Australia, indeed the world. There’s also hiking to be enjoyed.

Daydream Island

Daydream is essentially one big family-friendly fun park – the namesake resort takes up the entire island and is packed with adventures to be had. On land there’s an aquarium, mini-golf, rainforest trails and an open-air cinema; in the water, you can snorkel, jet-ski, kayak and dive. Jump into the pool for an unbeatable view of the other Whitsunday Islands surrounding Daydream.

Best Whitsunday Beaches

Whether on the mainland or amid the islands, the Whitsundays delivers some of the best beaches in Australia.

Whitehaven Beach

If you’ve ever picked up a postcard of the Whitsundays, chances are it has a picture of Whitehaven Beach on it. Sink your toes into the white silica sands of this long cove – it spans seven kilometres along Whitsunday Island. Then cool off in opaline water so crystal-clear you’ll think someone has taken the glasses off your nose and polished them for the first time.

Horseshoe Bay

An hour north of Airlie Beach, the town of Bowen is a magnet for swimmers and surfers alike. Horseshoe Bay is framed by two granite outcrops, not to mention the fringing reef which you can flipper to in no time to come mask-to-fin with all manner of tropical fish. Rent snorkelling gear from the Horseshoe Bay Resort.

Hydeaway Bay Beach

This beach is located on the southern curve of Horseshoe, stretching 1.5 kilometres and boasting glimmering views out to Gloucester and Saddleback Islands. Often, your footprints will be the only ones in the sand. This means you can take a tranquil dip, then bliss out under shady trees that fringe the beach in peace.

Boathaven Beach

You don’t have to travel far from Airlie to reach Boathaven Beach – it’s situated on the peninsula near the town’s port. Despite its accessibility, it’s a truly captivating stretch of white sand, and you can easily walk into town to grab sundowners after a day of swimming and soaking up the sun.

Must-try activities to soak up the fun and sun

On the water, the land or in the air, the Whitsundays is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tee off on a private island

There aren’t many golf courses around the world that are set on their own private island. The Hamilton Island Golf Club is one. The 18-hole championship course is challenging, its fairways are strung along spectacular ridges and steep valleys. But there are scene-stealing views over the Great Barrier Reef to compensate. Regular ferries run from Hamilton Island marina to Dent Island, where the golf course is located.

See the Great Barrier Reef from above

The Great Barrier Reef is immense – it covers a staggering 344,400 square kilometres. One of the best ways to gain some perspective for just how big (and significant) this World Heritage Site is, is from above. Several companies offer scenic flights in both helicopters and planes, giving you a stunning bird’s-eye view of icons like Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach.

Discover alfresco art

The Ngaro Sea Trail is designed to spotlight the Whitsundays’ incredible flora, fauna and history, uniting seaways with coastal walks, so you can explore on foot, in a kayak or a boat, with camping sites along the way. Spot sculptures of manta rays at Hook Island, Māori wrasse at Hayman Island, turtles at Langford Island, and Indigenous rock art at the Ngara Cultural Site in Nara Inlet.

Glide through the Great Barrier Reef on a kayak

There are plenty of places around the Whitsundays to hire a kayak and enjoy a scenic paddle. Or you can join an island-hopping tour.

Go Chasing Waterfalls

Just 20 kilometres from Proserpine you’ll find cool respite from the tropical heat at Cedar Creek Falls. The fairytale setting emerges through tall stands of cedar trees (hence the name), revealing magical tiered waterfalls that tumble into swimming holes where you can take a dip.

Head out to a Pontoon

From Airlie Beach, head out to Hardy Bay’s Reefworld pontoon, where you can spend a day snorkelling, swimming and exploring what’s beneath the surface, from sea turtles to giant groupers. If you want to linger, the pontoon also offers overnight accommodation in the form of Reefsuites – Australia’s first underwater accommodation.

The Best Time to Cruise the Whitsundays

There’s no “bad” time to visit the Whitsundays – this tropical destination dazzles throughout the year. But for lower humidity, sparkling blue skies and excellent underwater visibility, the months from April through August are hard to beat.

The archipelago comes to life at this time of year, with boat races that draw crowds, as well as the chance to spot whales on their annual migration path along the east coast of Australia.

September to October is the peak season, which can mean accommodation, cruises and other experiences book out fast. January to March is the “rainy season” – although this has its pros if you love chasing waterfalls and cooling off in well-fed natural swimming holes.

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