Cairns is the end of the east coast route and the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest — two World Heritage sites side by side. Add a free lagoon, cheap night markets, party hostels and jobs in tourism and farm work. Here you'll find all 23 checked spots from our map with tips.
Cairns Airport is about 15 minutes from the centre; shuttles and taxis run into town. Coaches and the train from Brisbane arrive in the centre. Most hostels are on the Esplanade or within walking distance. For the Daintree, the Tablelands and Port Douglas you need a car or a tour.
May to October is the dry season: pleasantly warm, clear water on the reef and no dangerous jellyfish — the best time to visit. November to April is the wet season, with heat, storms and sometimes cyclones; then only swim in stinger nets or in a stinger suit. The waterfalls are most impressive in the wet season.
A huge party hostel with a lagoon pool and its own club in the centre. Ideal if you want to party — less so if you need peace and quiet.
A hostel on the Esplanade that organises lots of trips and nights out. Good for meeting people quickly.
A quiet hostel with a garden and pool, good value for its location. It's about a 15-minute walk to the Esplanade.
A free rest area near Babinda, close to the Boulders — handy with a van. Be sure to read the swimming warning for the Boulders.
A big saltwater lagoon on the waterfront, free and patrolled — free of jellyfish and crocodiles. The sea right behind it is mudflat and crocodile territory, so in Cairns itself the lagoon is the place to swim. Open all year, with toilets and showers.
Almost all tours to the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island and Fitzroy Island leave from here. Best time May to October. From November to May you wear a stinger suit when snorkelling; the boats usually provide one.
A palm-lined beach north of Cairns with a patrolled swimming area and cafés along the promenade. From November to May only swim in the stinger net. Note the crocodile warning below.
Safety: Saltwater crocodiles live along the entire coast around Cairns. Only swim between the flags or inside the net and follow the warning signs — outside jellyfish season too.
A mountainous rainforest island 45 minutes off Cairns, with corals right off Nudey Beach. You can hire snorkelling gear on the island, and walking tracks lead to the lighthouse. Best time May to October.
A flat coral island with reef all the way around — you often see turtles from the jetty. Take the earliest ferry, before the day groups arrive. Best time May to October.
Cascades and pools in the rainforest, 20 minutes from town. Only swim in the designated pools and don't jump — read the serious warning below. After rain, don't go in the water at all.
Safety: At least three people have drowned here since 2020. Strong currents, hidden obstacles and sudden depths — after rain, don't go in the water at all.
A clear creek pool between huge granite boulders, an hour south of Cairns. Swim only in the marked swimming area. Below it are dangerous suction points — read the warning below before you go.
Safety: 21 people have drowned here since 1916, most of them young men aged 18 to 24. Below the swimming area — at Devil's Pool and The Chute — suction points between the rocks pull even strong swimmers under. Never climb over the barriers.
A long, wide sandy beach in Port Douglas, an hour north of Cairns. From November to May only swim in the stinger net. Only swim in the patrolled area — crocodile territory.
Safety: Crocodile territory. Only swim in the patrolled area, and don't hang around river mouths.
A wide waterfall in the Barron Gorge near Kuranda, reachable by the Skyrail cable car, the Kuranda Scenic Railway or by car. In the dry season often just a trickle — January to March after rain is the best time.
Here the Daintree Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef — two World Heritage sites side by side. You reach Cape Tribulation via the Daintree ferry. In the wet season roads can be closed. Don't swim in the sea or in creeks.
Safety: Don't swim in the sea or in creeks: crocodiles and jellyfish. The warning signs here aren't decoration.
A rainforest gorge with loop walks on the edge of the Daintree. Access only by shuttle from the Mossman Gorge Centre. The Dreamtime Walks with Kuku Yalanji guides cost extra and are worth it. The operators advise against swimming in the river.
Safety: The operators advise against swimming in the river. The water level changes quickly; there have been injuries and deaths.
A covered night market with a food court right on the Esplanade, open every evening. The cheapest hot food in the centre, plus souvenirs and massages.
A market hall with tropical fruit straight from the grower, Friday to Sunday mornings. Just before closing, boxes to take away are often half price — perfect for the hostel kitchen.
The weekend market, Friday to Sunday, with tropical fruit and street food — cheap breakfast and shopping for the week.
Along the Esplanade there are lots of restaurants with sea views, often with cheap backpacker specials in the evening.
The legendary backpacker bar on Shields Street — people dance on the tables here. Many hostels hand out vouchers for cheap food and drinks.
Snorkelling and diving tours to the outer reef leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal. The outer reef has clearer water and more coral than the islands close to the coast. For your first dive there are introductory dives without a certificate.
Cairns has jobs in tourism and hospitality, plus farm work on the Atherton Tablelands in the hinterland — one option for the 88 days. The Queensland RSA helps for bar jobs.
A laundromat in Cairns — handy after days in the van or on a boat.
From May to October: clear water, pleasant temperatures and no dangerous jellyfish.
Not in town — the sea is mudflat and crocodile territory. For swimming there's the free Esplanade Lagoon, and on the northern beaches patrolled areas with stinger nets.
By car via the Daintree ferry, or on a tour from Cairns or Port Douglas.
All spots on the Cairns map. Nearby: Mission Beach to the south. The whole coast at a glance on the Great Barrier Reef Drive road trip; jobs and farm work on Work.
Updated September 2026. Checked against official sources and operator websites. Prices, opening hours and seasons change — check before you go.