Planning a trip to Palm Cove in Tropical North Queensland? Below are the best places to include in your travel wish list!

These places will certainly help you make the most of the all-year-round great weather in Palm Cove and will make you go back wanting more.

The Great Barrier Reef

This is a no-brainer! You can’t travel all the way to Palm Cove and not explore the calm currents of the Great Barrier Reef. That would be such an incomplete trip.

The Great Barrier Reef is only one of the many natural wonders of the world that you must see at least once in your life.

The water is crystal clear, and the weather is calm all year round, perfect for an ultimate water adventure with the kids. You can go snorkelling, scuba diving and just play with the colourful aquatic life!

The Great Barrier Reef is also considered a World Heritage as well so it would be great to bring your kids there and teach them how to take care of such natural attractions!

Every time you’re travelling to the Tropical Northern Queensland, make sure to put The Reef on the top of your bucket list.

The Daintree Rainforest

Another World Heritage site on the list! The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest living rainforest in the world. And it’s been there for at least 135 million years! Yes, dinosaurs literally once walked in this vast forest.

To get the ultimate Daintree experience, you can book several tours that allow an on-foot expedition through the century-old trees and giant boulders!

Another way to appreciate the vastness of the Daintree Rainforest is to glide through its towering trees! The Skyrail Cableway will allow you to experience the old rainforest with a bird’s eye view! You are just a few meters above the trees and it feels like you can almost touch them!

However, if you have a fear of heights, this is the last thing that you want to do. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the Daintree!

You can try the Billy Tea Safaris Tour which is a more chill tour of the forest. Basically, it’s a river cruise that will bring you to the Daintree River where mangrove forests and rare wildlife thrive.

This tour also includes a side trip to the Emmagen Creek where you can dip or swim, then top it off with a barbecue lunch!

Animal parks and sanctuaries

Palm Cove is just a stone throw away from the natural habitat of rare wildlife. That’s why it’s no wonder that it’s also near several animal parks and sanctuaries.

Some of the most notable places are the Koala Gardens, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure Park, and Birdworld Kuranda!  

If you haven’t seen the world-famous koalas up close and personal, then you should visit the Koala Gardens. You watch them, eat, sleep, play, and even take pictures and videos with them!

We promise these guys are scene and heart stealers!

After the Koala Gardens, head on to Hartley’s if you want something wilder. They offer educational and entertaining shows that highlight the stars of the show: crocodiles.

Aside from crocodiles, Hartley’s is also a haven for snakes, wombats, and other kinds of reptiles.

If you’re more of a bird lover, then the Birdworld Kuranda is more of your happy place. It’s a sanctuary where more than 60 species of birds fly freely. Look out because sometimes, some birds love to hitch a ride on the shoulders of unassuming tourists!

Galleries and museums

There is more to Palm Cove than mountains and beaches. You can also make a side trip to some of its beautiful art galleries and museums!

If you are an artsy traveler, then you would love a visit to the Pandanus Gallery or the Village Gallery.

These galleries house the most beautiful paintings, carvings, art prints, and other works of art that are made by hundreds of aboriginal artists that live near the area.

Aside from art, these galleries also place authentic historical artifacts on exhibit so that everyone will learn more about the history and culture of Australia in general. 

Reef House

Aside from the trips itself, accommodation is one of the most important things on your travel checklist.

Every time you’re travelling to Palm Cove, make sure you check in to Reef House. It’s a boutique hotel that does not only offer world-class accommodation but also offers the best view of the sunset in town.

It’s overlooking Palm Cove Beach so you get the most serene views and the calming sound of the waves.

Not to mention, there are also a lot of Reef House Palm Cove activities that you can do in or near the hotel when you’re not out there in the wild!