I was born and raised in Mossman, 20 minutes from Port Douglas, and have worked in tourism on Kuku Yalanji country since 1999.<\/p>\n
The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n When I was young, Port Douglas was a bunch of local fishers, a handful of shops and the pubs. When the Sheraton resort opened in 1987, development really kicked off. Now it\u2019s one of those scenic resort towns you find all over the world.<\/p>\n There are no box jellyfish from May to October (dry season). That\u2019s peak season so it can go from about 3,500 people to 10,000. Wet season is from December or January until mid-April. You\u2019ll get rained on a bit but the creeks are full, the rainforest is lush and the energy is different with so few tourists around.<\/p>\n Food<\/p>\n Four Mile beach is on the eastern side of town, then there\u2019s a bustling marina with dive shops, boat centres, cafes and restaurants. The shopping area is mostly on Macrossan Street.<\/p>\n People are drawn to eat outside in the tropical climate so most of the restaurants have outdoor seating. Salsa Bar and Grill<\/a> is popular; it can be hard to get in. I order a steak but lots of people enjoy seafood like the saltwater barramundi.<\/p>\n Origin Espresso roasts its own beans. Photograph: Andrew Watson\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n The Surfy (Port Douglas Surf Life Saving Club<\/a>) is high on the levee on Four Mile beach with an open-air veranda overlooking the Coral Sea. I do the trout tacos to start and then I\u2019ll get a steak. It does wine matching too. Zinc<\/a> is a restaurant and cocktail bar that\u2019s a bit fancier.<\/p>\n Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The Tin Shed<\/a> on the marina does good bistro-style meals: chicken parmigiana, steaks, pastas and kids\u2019 meals. It does crocodile spring rolls and tacos, and gets fresh fish right off the boats, like nannygai (red snapper), red emperor, Spanish mackerel and tuna.<\/p>\n For coffee, Sparrow Port Douglas<\/a> opens at 6am so it\u2019s good for early starts. Origin Espresso<\/a> roasts its own beans and has baked goods and French pastries. It serves cold brew, green tea lattes and chai too.<\/p>\n NatureKuku Yalanji dreamtime walks at Mossman Gorge. Photograph: Phlipvids (Phil Warring)\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n Mossman Gorge is in the south of the world\u2019s oldest rainforest, the Daintree. It has an ancient, Jurassic Park-feel and is thought to be 180m years old, predating the Amazon by about 100m years.<\/p>\n The Kuku Yalanji dreamtime walks<\/a> at Mossman Gorge are called ngadiku (stories from a long time ago). There\u2019s a soap and paint-making demonstration as well as bush tea and damper.<\/p>\n The rainforest is so diverse. There\u2019s red mahogany trees, red tulip oaks and old strangler figs. Most of the bigger animals like pademelons and wallabies are nocturnal but you might see forest dragons, tree snakes or pythons and there are plenty of birds, butterflies and insects.<\/p>\n Port Douglas is about 30 minutes closer to the Great Barrier Reef than Cairns. The smaller boats are the best option. Sailaway<\/a> operates a solar-powered glass bottom boat and goes to the outer reefs. You\u2019ll likely see turtles and reef sharks as well as fish. Wavelength Reef Cruises<\/a> is a good small snorkelling boat and Calypso Reef Cruises<\/a> and ABC Snorkel Charters<\/a> do scuba diving too.<\/p>\n Four Mile beach has a designated swimming area year-round, with lifeguards on croc watch. Photograph: Reuben Nutt\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n Four Mile beach<\/a> in Port Douglas is pretty touristy. It\u2019s the only beach with a designated swimming area year-round with a box jellyfish enclosure and lifeguards watching for saltwater crocodiles. The crocs move around the coast all year here; not only during the wet season.<\/p>\n At other beaches, you might not see another person all day. Wonga beach<\/a> is a 30-minute drive north. It\u2019s a long stretch of white sand fringed with rainforest trees, coconut palms and beach lettuce. It\u2019s fun to go beachcombing with kids to see different shells and driftwood. We recommend taking a photo and leaving things in place.<\/p>\n Cape Kimberley beach<\/a> is across the Mossman River and is similar to Wonga. Further north in Cape Tribulation is Coconut beach, where the rainforest and the reef meet. At low tide, you can see the reef\u2019s northern fringe.<\/p>\n I live at Cooya beach<\/a>, five minutes from Mossman. The water recedes more than a kilometre at low tide and you can walk to some smaller sections of the fringing reef.<\/p>\n Nightlife\u2018An easy stop on the marina\u2019: Hemingway\u2019s Brewery, Port Douglas. Photograph: Krista Eppelstun\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been out on a boat all day, Hemingway\u2019s Brewery<\/a> is an easy stop on the marina. It brews ales, lagers, pilsners and hefeweizen (wheat beer) and serves them on a big open deck overlooking the yachts.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Saved for Later<\/p>\n Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia’s culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Chillys Pizza<\/a> has open-air dining and a nice little bar. You can have a punt on the cane toads too. You pick a toad and they race from the centre of a circle. If yours is the first toad to jump out, you win. It gets pretty rowdy.<\/p>\n Jimmy Rum\u2019s<\/a> is a cocktail bar that does fancy drinks. It\u2019s a city-style small bar that does cocktails with smoke and flames and the lot.<\/p>\n Rattle n Hum<\/a> is great for younger folk. Its kids\u2019 meals are all $12, including pizza made in its large stone oven. Paddy\u2019s Irish pub<\/a> is very popular. It has live music on weekends, an open mic on Wednesday night and a Sunday roast lunch.<\/p>\n InspirationA Walkabout cultural tour on Cooya beach. Photograph: PixelFrame\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n My company, Walkabout Cultural Adventures<\/a>, does spearing and mud-crabbing walks on Cooya beach. You can see a beautiful place anytime, but people on our tours come to understand how differently Kuku Yalanji and Aboriginal people see things. We notice everything \u2013 the changes, the animals and the ecosystems. Nature is still so important for human survival.<\/p>\n Janbal Gallery<\/a> is an Aboriginal art gallery in Mossman run by Brian \u201cBinna\u201d Swindley. He does contemporary dot art with designs of fruits, medicines, seeds and wildlife from cassowaries to sea turtles, crocodiles and goannas. Binna\u2019s depictions are all about how we find them. He runs art classes too.<\/p>\n Brian \u2018Binna\u2019 Swindley, owner of Janbal Gallery, Mossman. Photograph: Phil Warring\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n Mossman markets<\/a> are on Saturdays unless it\u2019s bucketing down with rain. There\u2019s tropical fruits and local chocolate tastings. The vendors are culturally diverse and everyone\u2019s keen for a yarn. Port Douglas market<\/a> on a Sunday is bigger and has everything from fresh sugarcane juice to coconuts, chocolate-coated bananas, tandoori, massage and local buskers.<\/p>\n Taste Port Douglas<\/a> (6-9 August 2026) is a tropical food and drink festival based at Sheraton resort. They get Australian and global chefs up to do classes on their signature dishes, like laksa or prawn shell bisque.<\/p>\n AccommodationSheraton Grand Mirage, Port Douglas has lagoon-style pools right near Four Mile beach. Photograph: Katie Purling\/Tourism and Events Queensland<\/p>\n Sheraton Grand Mirage<\/a> (from $395 for an entry-level room) is the only resort right on Four Mile beach. It has palm trees and lagoon-style pools and is high end. Silky Oaks Lodge<\/a> (from $1,200 a night including food, wine, minibar and yoga) is on the Mossman River. It\u2019s very flash treehouse-style accommodation and the restaurant uses lots of native ingredients.<\/p>\n Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa<\/a> (from $295 for a studio room) is away from the crowds. You can walk out of your room right into a central pool. My kids love waking up and having a swim or a Jacuzzi. Mandalay<\/a> (from $425 a night for a two-bedroom standard apartment) is great for families too and right opposite Four Mile beach.<\/p>\n Tropic Breeze Caravan Park<\/a> (from $38 a night for a campsite) is quieter than the other caravan parks. If you want party-style camping, Dougies Backpackers Resort<\/a> (from $38 a night for a supplied tent and linen) is the one.<\/p>\n