30 October 2023
6 mins Read
Our top recommendations for places to stay in Port Douglas takes into account all types of travellers and a range of options to suit different budgets. From swanky hotels and resorts to campgrounds, caravan parks, and elegant Airbnbs, here is our list of the best Port Douglas accommodation.
Oaks Port Douglas Resort is paradise found for a lot of people, from honeymooners who want to drop and flop to families who want to keep the kids occupied while in relaxation mode. Dive head first into that relaxing tropical beach vibe with a sunrise stroll along Four Mile Beach followed by a swim in the sprawling lagoon. Enjoy pizzas by the pool from The Little Pizza Co., and swim a length or two in order to earn those cocktails at the swim-up bar.
Port Douglas has a lot to offer that’s in walking distance. As well as being one of Queensland’s most romantic destinations, beach lovers can’t help but fall for the charms of Four Mile Beach and you’ll find this bewitching stretch of sand just metres from your front door at Niramaya Villas and Spa. Each Balinese-style pavilion at Niramaya Villas and Spa has its own plunge pool and there is a 30-metre infinity-edge pool and day spa for those who want a wellness weekend.
On a sunny day, when the water and sky are a clear sharp blue, Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort & Spa is a veritable oasis. Nature has a lot to do with it, as the sprawling resort is located a short stroll away from Four Mile Beach and surrounded by palm trees bent into the wind. But the lagoon-style pool is also part of the allure and it has to be in the running for one of the best in Port. Park yourself by the pool for a leisurely lunch and then escape to Vie Spa for the arvo.
Peppers Beach Club feels positively presidential. In fact, it’s somewhere former US president Bill and Hillary Clinton might have stayed during one of their jaunts to Tropical North Queensland. Again, it’s all about the pool, which is large and tinted the right shade of turquoise. Get yourself a poolside lagoon suite so you can bombie off the your own private pontoon and sit by Koko Poolside Bar & Kitchen for all-day snacks such as soft-shell crab bao buns and a bucket of prawns.
While the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas Resort put the sleepy seaside town on the map back in the 80s, a $43 million refresh has ensured the resort will continue to turn heads. Facetime your friends while reclined on your day bed overlooking the lagoon swimming pool, while tucking into line-caught coral trout at Harrisons by Spencer Patrick, or playing a round of golf at Mirage Country Club.
It’s not only the wildlife that wows at Thala Beach Nature Reserve. The eco accommodation, located on a private headland along the road that curls from Cairns to Port Douglas, is aimed at nature lovers who will appreciate the expansive views from the treetop bungalows which look out over sandy beaches below. Eating fresh seafood caught in the Coral Sea is made even more memorable when you add a tropical sea breeze at Osprey’s Restaurant, perched like an eyrie on the headland.
Stuff your fringed tote bag with bangles, boho dresses and your best crochet bikini and book a stay at the Boho Beach Apartment so you can test-drive your much-dreamed-about Port Douglas sea change. This tropical-inspired two-bedroom retro Port Douglas Airbnb, which can sleep four guests and has a pool on site, is a short walk to Macrossan Street. The smartly curated apartment is filled with mid-century furniture, and hippie chic treasures. It’s a big thumbs-up.
In a destination like Port Douglas, location is everything. The Sandy Feet Retreat is, as the name suggests, all about the toes-in-the-sand luxury of living beachside just moments from Four Mile Beach and the main strip of Macrossan Street. The average year-round temperature of Port Douglas is about 26ºC so the plunge pool and private al fresco area make the three-bedroom home popular with families. There is also a cubby house, slide and sandpit.
Plantation Retreat is a one-bedroom unit with views overlooking a tropical pond where you can enjoy the evening symphony from the resident frogs. The apartment is a real haven, with the al fresco kitchen area offering guests a taster of the lifestyle enjoyed by residents of Tropical North Queensland. We love this Port Douglas Airbnb because it’s in the thick of it: wander down to the Courthouse Hotel for a pub lunch and then park yourself beside the pool.
If the thought of unzipping your tent and being surrounded by a tangle of lush tropical rainforest appeals then your go-to will be Glengarry Big 4, which is located in the Mowbray Valley on the outskirts of Port Douglas. Nudge your kids toward the bouncing pillow to flip and somersault to their heart’s content before cooling off in the water park and lagoon pool. The holiday park has villas and cabins as well as powered and unpowered grass sites.
Stay in one of two private fully self-contained guest houses at Port Douglas Sunrise Retreat located in the midst of the neon-green hills of the beautiful Mowbray Valley, just a 10-minute drive from the Port Douglas town centre and its famous Four Mile Beach. Add an al fresco spa bath and an infinity pool with magnificent ocean and mountain views and immerse yourself in the landscape.
Pandanus Tourist Park is a 10-minute walk to the marina, and a five-minute walk to Four Mile Beach. The tourist park has a lot to offer families and has a mix of powered and unpowered camping sites for caravans, trailers and tents, as well as fully self-contained cabins and units. Come rain or shine, you’ll find children splashing about in the pool and making friends while parents mingle around the tidy barbecue area.
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