Whitsundays and surrounds

Why come here

• Whitehaven Beach and the Hill Inlet swirl — the single most photographed stretch of sand in Australia, and it earns it.
• The islands sit inside the reef, so the water is protected: this is the easiest sailing in Australia, and you do not need to be a sailor to do it.
• Reef access without the long crossing — fringing reef sits right off the island beaches, snorkellable straight from the boat.
• It scales across every budget, from a bunk on a shared sailing boat out of Airlie Beach to a private island resort.
• Sea turtles, manta rays and — between July and September — humpback whales that come into the passage to calve.

The Whitsundays and surrounds

Everything on this map is a day trip or a short hop from The Whitsundays — the way Tourism Australia itself organises the country, around a gateway city and the destinations it opens up.

Things to do

1. Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet

   Seven kilometres of 98% pure silica sand, reachable only by boat or seaplane. Climb to the Hill Inlet lookout at the northern end for the tidal swirl of sand and water that ends up on every poster of Australia.

2. Sail the islands for two or three days

   The classic Whitsundays trip. Crewed boats out of Airlie Beach range from party catamarans to small, quiet maxi yachts — you sleep aboard, anchor in bays, and snorkel the fringing reef each morning.

3. Snorkel the fringing reef

   You do not need the outer reef here. Blue Pearl Bay off Hayman, Manta Ray Bay off Hook Island and Luncheon Bay all have coral and fish directly off the beach.

4. Take a scenic flight over Heart Reef

   The naturally heart-shaped coral formation cannot be visited by boat — a seaplane or helicopter is the only way to see it, usually combined with a Whitehaven landing.

5. Dive the Great Barrier Reef

   Full-day trips run out to the outer reef at Bait and Hardy Reefs, roughly two and a half hours each way — worth it for divers, optional for snorkellers who already have the fringing reef.

6. Walk Hamilton Island to Passage Peak

   The island's high point, about an hour up, with a view across the whole passage. Start early — it is exposed.

7. Swim the Airlie Beach lagoon

   A free, netted, stinger-safe swimming lagoon on the foreshore — how the town gets around stinger season.

Where to base yourself

• Airlie Beach

  The mainland base — the marina, the lagoon, the tour desks and the widest price range.

• Hamilton Island

  The airport island — resorts, golf buggies, and the best-organised base if you want to arrive and stop thinking.

• Hayman Island

  The northernmost and the most expensive — a single luxury resort on its own island.

• Daydream & Long Island

  Small, close in, and a short ferry from Airlie — mid-range resort islands.

• Shute Harbour & Cannonvale

  Quieter mainland alternatives a few minutes from Airlie, usually cheaper for longer stays.

4 days in The Whitsundays

1. Day 1

   Arrive at Airlie Beach

   Settle in, swim the lagoon, and walk the Bicentennial boardwalk to Cannonvale at sunset. Book your Whitehaven trip and check the wind forecast.

2. Day 2

   Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet

   A full-day boat trip — the Hill Inlet lookout in the morning while the tide is right, then a long afternoon on the beach itself, with a snorkel stop on the way back.

3. Day 3

   Islands and fringing reef

   A second boat day out to Hook or Hayman — Manta Ray Bay and Blue Pearl Bay for snorkelling — or a scenic flight over Heart Reef if the weather is clear.

4. Day 4

   Hamilton Island, or the outer reef

   Ferry across for the Passage Peak walk and an afternoon at Catseye Beach — or take the long day out to Bait Reef if you are diving.

Eat & drink

Eating in the Whitsundays is straightforward: seafood, on a deck, looking at water. Airlie Beach has the range — the main street runs from cheap backpacker feeds to a handful of good waterfront kitchens — while Hamilton Island's options are resort-priced but genuinely competent. Coral trout, barramundi and Whitsunday-caught prawns are the things to order. Most multi-day sailing trips include all meals aboard, which is usually better than it sounds.

• Airlie Beach Esplanade — The waterfront strip — where most people eat every night, and reasonably so.
• Abell Point Marina — Quieter, a short walk north of town, with the better sunset views over the boats.
• Hamilton Island's Front Street — The island's main run of restaurants and bars, a buggy ride from the resorts.
• Airlie Beach markets — Saturday morning on the foreshore — tropical produce, coffee and breakfast.

Getting there & around

Getting there. Two airports: Hamilton Island (HTI) puts you on an island with resort transfers waiting, and Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast (PPP) is 40 minutes' drive from Airlie Beach and generally cheaper. Both have direct flights from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Airlie Beach is a 10-hour drive north of Brisbane on the Pacific Coast Way.

Getting around. Boats, not cars. Ferries connect Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Daydream Island several times a day. Day tours and multi-day sailing trips all leave from Port of Airlie or Abell Point Marina. Hamilton Island itself is golf-buggy-only for visitors — you hire one at the terminal.