Douglas Area

Port Douglas keeps its own easy, low-rise charm an hour north of Cairns, laid-back by day and properly polished by evening. The Great Barrier Reef sits one boat ride offshore, daily cruises heading out to the outer reef's coral gardens. The Daintree waits just the other way, the oldest continuously surviving rainforest on the planet, older even than the Amazon, close enough for an easy day trip. Walk Four Mile Beach at sunset, or wander the town's own quiet streets before deciding which World Heritage wonder gets the next day.