Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas

Travel to Daintree Rainforest, the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent, and home to the world’s largest range of plant and animal species. Located on the north east coast of Queensland just two hours from Cairns, the Daintree Rainforest contains almost a third of Australia’s total frog, reptile, and marsupial population, as well as several ancient plants—some of which are counted among the oldest on earth.

Many travelers take day trips up to the Daintree from Cairns area or Port Douglas. The best way to access the rainforest is by cable ferry that operates from 6am to midnight each day, however if time permits, it is a great adventure to stay overnight within the Rainforest itself.

As spectacular as it is accessible to travelers, a number of eco-tourism operators provide fascinating itineraries to explore Daintree Rainforest with unique insight into the wildlife that inhabits this beautiful yet remote river-system. Take a cruise down the Daintree River to see the jungle homes of reptiles, including estuarine crocodiles, pythons, animals and birds.

Daintree’s foliage spreads from the coastline north of the Daintree River with tropical rainforest growing right down to the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, making this is the only place in the world where two UNESCO World Heritage sites stand directly next to one another.

Not far along the bend of the Daintree River is the small town of Daintree Village. Here are several small hotels and B&B’s, some shops and a couple of restaurants. Leaving Daintree Village, travelers will pass through tropical and lowland rainforest until arriving at Cow Bay and Cape Kimberly. These two areas make an excellent place to catch a glimpse of where the rainforest touches the reef.

At Cape Tribulation there are a couple of isolated resorts located along beautiful stretches of beach. Ecology and history buffs will want to explore the Copper Creek Wilderness area near the Cape. This portion of the rainforest contains the last remnant of the oldest surviving trees in the world estimated to have survived 160 million years.

Coconut Beach is the main beach in Daintree, with daily trips available out to the Great Barrier Reef. Ziplining, or “jungle surfing,” is also a very popular activity among travelers. Going further north from here along the Bloomfield Track, the canopies of the rainforest sit alongside the coast, and the road eventually reaches the more isolated towns in the far north of Australia.

Travel to Daintree Rainforest for the only tropical adventure of its kind in Australia, featuring all the unusual beauty and wonder that nature can possibly summon.