Tropical islands with quiet beaches, a quaint tourist town with weekend markets and warm days ending picturesque sunsets. This is what weekend getaways in Australia are all about. And Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands, certainly has it all.
We recently took the (very convenient) two-hour flight to Whitsunday Coast Airport in nearby Proserpine for a weekend away on the Queensland Coast. It had been about 10 years since we’d been and the soft sand of Whitehaven Beach were calling once again.
TL;DR: About Airlie Beach and out itinerary
- Where is it? Whitsunday Coast, Queensland
- Budgeting: The lagoon and boardwalks in town are free, but expect Whitsunday Islands tours to cost about $200-$300
- What to do and see: Airlie Beach Boardwalk, Airlie Beach Lagoon, Whitsunday Islands, Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet
- Best time to go: September through November (for the least rainfall and humidity with pleasant temperatures)
What we did on each day in Airlie Beach
Day 1: Explore the town via the boardwalk, browse the Saturday markets, have fish and chips and relax at the lagoon
Day 2: Take a full-day adventure out to the Whitsunday Islands and watch the sunset over the water
A little bit about the Whitsundays and Airlie Beach
Made up of 74 islands, the Whitsundays Islands are often overlooked for the likes of Cairns or the Gold Coast when it comes to Queensland holiday destinations. But we honestly have no idea why. Here, you’ll find coral reefs, isolated beaches, idyllic tropical isles, free swimming lagoons and sunset views over the water. The latter you certainly can’t get most places along the east coast!
Situated on the mainland, Airlie Beach acts as the gateway to the islands. The town is home to much more affordable accommodation than what you’ll find on the islands. It’s also within easy reach of Proserpine Airport, where you can get flights to major cities with Jetstar and Virgin Australia.
What to do in Airlie Beach
With free things to do and well-worth-it paid experiences, this gateway to the Whitsunday Islands has plenty to do, both in town and starting from it.
Here’s everything we did while in town.
Browse the stalls at the Saturday markets
Location: The Esplanade Beachfront Park
Length: About an hour
Price: Free to browse, snacks adn eats from a few dollars
Every Saturday morning, the Lions Airlie Beach Community Market sets up along the edge of the sands packed with stalls selling local goods, souvenirs, clothes, snacks and a few eats.
We tasted a few things and can recommend grabbing a gluten-free cinnamon donut and the mango sorbet made with pure mango. It was perfectly refreshing in the Whitsunday heat.
✅ We did this!
Spot a turtle or two along the boardwalks
Location: From Cannonvale Beach Foreshore Reserve to Airlie Beach Lagoon
Length: 3.7km each way
Price: Free
Although a bit longer than taking the main road, we opted to follow the waterfront trail from our accommodation at Bush Village into town as it was much nicer. Following the coast from Cannonvale Beach Foreshore Reserve, the combination of footpaths and boardwalks passes beaches, marinas, parks and mangroves until reaching the Airlie Beach Lagoon in town.
✅ We did this!
Cool off at the lagoon
Location:
Length: As long as you’d like!
Price: Free
If there’s one thing Queensland is great at, it’s free lagoon pools. They’re dotted all over the map, and Airlie Beach is blessed with one of the best. It’s huge and never feels crowded. There’s two sections, one with plenty of shade covers that’s great for kids, and the other that’s open to the sizzling Australian sun.
The pool has a few lines for those who want to do laps, a fake beach, plenty of seating along the edges and has nearby picnic tables, toilets and showers. It’s truly the perfect set up for a lazy afternoon in paradise.
✅ We did this!
Book a sailing trip on a schooner
Location: Departs from Coral Sea Marina, but includes pick-up from your accommodation
Length: 9 hours (7:30am-4:30pm)
Price: From $205 per person
No trip to Airlie Beach is complete without getting out on the water and exploring the stunning Whitsunday Islands. While there’s a few ways you can go about it, for this trip we opted for a full-day sailing trip aboard the schooner Providence. (On previous trips though, we’ve also gone ocean rafting and on multi-day sailings).
Full disclosure: This trip may not be for the faint hearted… or the seasick-prone. The swells were a bit large the day we went and the boat certainly was rocky and not a calm journey. But, we still loved it!
After setting off from the marina at 7:30, we sailed away from Airlie Beach toward Whitsunday Island, which is home to Hill Inlet and the famed Whitehaven Beach. By sail boat, the journey took about 2.5 to 3 hours, but it was very scenic along the way. We passed by dozens of the 74 islands that make up the chain before mooring up near the walking track up to the lookout points to the beach and inlet. After a couple hours checking out the views and enjoying the beach, we sailed over to a snorkelling spot. Unfortunately, the visibility was very poor so we didn’t see much but still managed to catch a bit of the fringing reef before heading back to Airlie
✅ We did this!
Where to eat in Airlie Beach
For a small town, there’s certainly no shortage of places to eat in the Airlie Beach area. While Most of the restaurants we ended up at were near the marina rather than along Shute Harbour Road (the main street in town), there’s plenty in the town centre too.
But… if you’re after incredible views while you dine, or a sundowner or two, we recommend checking out what’s by Coral Sea Marina. Most of these restaurants faced west and offered sunset views over the water.
Whispers Restaurant and Gin Bar
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Location: Inside Mirage Whitsundays, 11 Altmann Avenue, Cannonvale
Price range: $$
Not expecting much from a hotel restaurant, we found the food here to be simply delicious. In fact, this meal was surprisingly the highlight of the trip.
We ended up dining here on our first night as it was close to our accommodation, and after checking into our cabin after flying in from Sydney we were hungry and going here was the easiest option. We ordered a few things from the shared section of the menu including soft-shell crab tacos, beef Rendang rolled into zucchini and pork ribs. And, because we could, we paired it all with the local 74 Islands gin and tonic.
Website and menu: https://www.whisperginbar.com/
✅ We ate here!
The Garden Bar Bistro
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Location: Coral Sea Marina, Shingley Drive, Airlie Beach
Price range: $$
This place is popular, especially on a Saturday night, and now that we’ve been, we know why. Not only was the food great, but it’s got a lovely setup overlooking the marina with prime sunset views. Once the sun sets, fairy lights add a little ambience to the breezy outdoor space. We ordered a seafood platter and grilled fish tacos, which was a nice change from the usually-fried option at most places. It can get a bit busy here, so we recommend you book in advance.
Website and menu: https://www.gardenbarbistro.com.au/
✅ We ate here!
Sorrento Restaurant and Bar
Cuisine: Italian
Location: Coral Sea Marina, Shingley Drive, Airlie Beach
Price range: $$
We’re calling it, this is the sunset restaurant. (Just look at the picture above!) With a few outdoor dining areas and incredible waterfront views, Sorrento was the perfect spot for our final dinner in Airlie Beach. Keeping with the theme, we opted for a seafood pasta that was packed with prawns, scallops, mussels and smoked salmon with delicious cocktails to match. While we couldn’t get a table outside, we were seated right next to the open doorways which made it feel like we were, but also got to enjoy the air conditioning.
Website and menu: https://www.sorrentowhitsunday.com/
✅ We ate here!
Boho Cafe
Cuisine: Breakfast
Location: Coral Sea Marina, Shingley Drive, Airlie Beach
Price range: $$
After passing this place a few times along the walk into town, on our final morning we popped into Boho Cafe for a couple of delicious smoothie bowls, which we enjoyed while overlooking the aquamarine waters of Coral Sea Marina.
Website and menu: https://boho-cafe-airliebeach.square.site/
✅ We ate here!
Whitsunday Seafood Bar
Cuisine: Fish and chips
Location: 4 Airlie Esplanade, Airlie Beach
Price range: $
For us, no trip to the seaside is complete until we’ve had fish and chips. And this place didn’t disappoint (other than the lack of chicken salt on the chips…). A fisherman’s basket with a few extra pieces thrown in was a perfect meal for two and was also one of the more affordable meals on our trip.
Tip: While there are a few seats on the sidewalk out front, we recommend taking it across the street. There’s a few shady tables in the beachfront shelters where you’ll get beautiful views of the sea. Just watch out for cheeky seagulls!
Website and menu: https://www.whitsundayseafoodbar.com.au/
✅ We ate here!
Where to stay in Airlie Beach
We travelled to Airlie over a long weekend, so budget-friendly accommodation was a bit limited, but we were still very happy with our stay at Bush Village Cabins. Although a bit out of town, we enjoyed the stroll along the boardwalk in each day.
That said, we did pass by a few places that looked pretty dreamy, and after looking into them would consider staying at too. Here’s where we stayed, and where we’d like to stay in the future:
Bush Village Cabins
A small “village” of cabins, this accommodation offers basic-but-clean rooms, each with its own little outdoor seating area and many with hammocks. There’s a pool, too, but we didn’t use it as we opted to head into town to the lagoon. While it’s a bit out of town, it can be walked in about 30 minuets, or you can hop on the local bus for just 50 cents.
Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
✅ We stayed here!
Mirage Whitsundays
While we didn’t stay here, we did eat at the restaurant here, Whispers. What we could see of the resort looked lovely, and part of the boardwalk passed along its border. The rooms we saw from the boardwalk would have incredible water views and glimpses of the sunest each night as they face west.
Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
Coral Sea Resort
Another resort along our walk into town, Coral Sea Resort is perched on a small peninsula and surrounded by the sea with views on three sides. It’s very close to town, but still separated by a small beach meaning it’s likely nice and quiet.
Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
If you prefer to stay on one of the Whitsunday Islands, you can. There’s accommodation available on Hamilton Island, Daydream Island, Hayman Island, Long Island as well as camping on various others. Thos include Whitsunday Island, Hook Island, South Molle Island and Henning Island. You will need to get a permit in advance if you want to camp on any of the islands.
