Australia has so many great places to visit and things to do, it’s important to have a “must do” list before setting your trip itinerary. For my husband and I, diving the Great Barrier Reef was at the top of our list. Mr. Wino had been diving for about 20 years and I was fairly new, so both of us were excited about going to one of the best places on the planet to dive.
Every diver dreams of going to the Great Barrier Reef!
In our research, we discovered that there are two places where Great Barrier Reef dive boats go out – Port Douglas and Cairns. Both are located on the northeast side of Australia and they’re only about 45 minutes away from each other. We found both towns to be appealing because Cairns sounded like it had “more going on”, but Port Douglas had the reputation of being a “charming resort town” with dive boats closer in proximity to the outer reef (which is known as the best place to dive).
We couldn’t decide where to stay…so we chose both! And after staying four days in each place we have a clear favorite. First, a little detail on how each town ranked on our most important criteria.
Which place has the best selection of dive shops?
The best places to stay when diving the Great Barrier Reef are in Cairns and Port Douglas.
In terms of sheer volume, I’d go with Cairns since there’s dive and travel shops on nearly every corner. Collectively, they offer a wide selection of dive and snorkel packages to various locations along the reef. In terms of quality, Port Douglas is the way to go. There’s about a dozen dive shops in Port Douglas and all are high quality operations that have closer access to the outer reef. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are larger boats such as Quicksilver Diving that accommodate both divers and snorkelers at an anchored location on the Agincourt Reef. However, if you aren’t a fan of crowds this may not work for you.
We chose to dive with ABC Diving in Port Douglas and we were glad we did!
Luckily, Port Douglas also has several dive operations that take smaller groups. No matter which you choose, you should be aware that the cost of diving at the Great Barrier Reef is very expensive! It was nearly double what we’ve paid in the United States, Caribbean and Mexico. However, most are 3 tank dives, which slightly offsets the increased cost (but only slightly!). After much deliberation on our part, we went with ABC Diving in Port Douglas because we wanted to dive with a smaller group. We found this group to be very professional and they were able to work out a deal with us that prevented us from breaking the bank (thank you ABC!!!) The dive locations were fantastic and because we left out of Port Douglas, the long trip out to the reef was a bit shorter.
Bottom line: Because there are several high-quality dive shops in Port Douglas, and because they have better access to the outer reef, we think Port Douglas offers the best selection of dive shops.
Which place has the best selection of budget accommodations?
Cairns is a larger town than Port Douglas and because of this, there’s more options for affordable lodging. You’ll find more hotels, more hostels, and more Airbnbs. Most lodging in Cairns is located near the center of town, which is very convenient. In Port Douglas there are fewer affordable lodging options (although there’s still a great selection) and many of them are located outside of the downtown area, which means you either have a long walk or a shuttle ride into town. Port Douglas is a bit of a resort town though, so you have more of a chance of finding affordable lodging at a resort, even if you book through Airbnb.
A view of the beach near the Ramada in Port Douglas.
During our visit to Port Douglas we stayed in a small Airbnb studio with basic cooking amenities at the Ramada Resort. We discovered that there are a lot of privately owned units that are rented out there. This worked out well for us because we were able to stay in a nice resort for about $70 per night. We had access to the pool, bar, and lounge areas and there was a restaurant on site if we wanted to eat out. On the down side, it was further from town and we had to take a shuttle (about $3 per person each way) to get there.
In Cairns we stayed in a spacious one-bedroom apartment unit in the center of town for about $60 per night. It was in walking distance to all amenities. However, downtown Cairns is less attractive than Port Douglas. It’s not a touristy town or charming village, but rather a busy downtown area packed with budget shopping, restaurants and even a few nightclubs. This is something to keep in mind when you are thinking about booking lodging at either place.
Bottom line: Because lodging in Cairns is more abundant and because you can get more space for your dollar in a central location, we think Cairns has the best selection of budget accommodations.
Which place has the best access to mass transit, groceries, restaurants, and wine stores?
We enjoyed a short coastal walk outside of Port Douglas and enjoyed this amazing view!
Although both downtown Cairns and Port Douglas have grocery stores, bottle shops (beer, wine and liquor stores), low-end and high-end restaurants, and access to mass transportation, Cairns just simply has more. There are more choices of restaurants, which means you can shop around for the type of food you crave at a price you want to pay. Most lodging is within walking distance to large grocery stores and there’s even dollar stores where you can buy most everything at a steeply discounted price (think travel sized shampoos for $1!)
Unless you are staying in one of the few downtown locations available in Port Douglas, a shuttle is required to get to the downtown area, which can be a bit inconvenient. However, most resorts and accommodations are near shuttle stops and the cost for a round-trip fare to town is reasonably low at about $10 AUD per person. But again, it’s not very convenient to access services unless you’re staying directly in town. Port Douglas offers one larger grocery store in town and in the same shopping center you can find a decent bottle shop and pharmacy. Low-end and high-end dining is also available in Port Douglas, but with far fewer options than Cairns.
Bottom line: Because grocery stores, bottle shops, restaurants and bars are far more convenient to find in Cairns, we think it has the best access to services.
Which place is best to experience tourist activities?
Unless you are there to just dive at the Great Barrier Reef, you may want to experience other activities like visiting the oldest rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest. Or you might want to go to the Skyway Rainforest Cableway or on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. So which town is best to stay in to enjoy other activities? It depends.
November through May is stinger season when jellyfish are close to shore. Swim only in netted areas.
First, it is important to note that both places have great things to experience right in town that are free. In Port Douglas you can spend some time at the beach (although from November through May jelly fish migration, a.k.a. stinger season, can limit your water activity to small netted areas…and crocodile sightings can prevent water activity year-round!) You can also do a short coastal hike for a fantastic view of the water and the Port Douglas beach. In Cairns there’s a fantastic Esplanade area with a water Lagoon. Here you’ll find a massive oceanside pool that you can soak in for FREE!! This along with the “Muddy Lagoon” children’s area and plenty of picnic and park space can make for an enjoyable day all on its own.
Hiking in the oldest rainforest in the world – the Daintree just north of Port Douglas, Australia.
For us, we wanted to visit the Daintree Rainforest because it’s not often you get to hang out in a one! Plus, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, so we know it’s a special place to visit. To give some perspective on the location, Cairns is about 40 minutes south of Port Douglas. About 20 km north of Port Douglas is the Daintree National Park. Because the Daintree is located closer to Port Douglas than Cairns, it is much more convenient to stay in Port Douglas and rent a car or take a tour bus from there. If you do this from Cairns it’s an additional 40-minute drive.
For all of the other activities in the area such as the Skyway Rainforest Cableway and the Kuranda Railway, Cairns is closer (a 10-20 minute drive) and offers more tour options with its abundant travel shops.
Bottom Line: Unless you rent a car the entire time you are visiting the area, it’s easier to get to most tourist activities from Cairns.
Which place offers ease of access to the airport, mass transit, and/or rental car companies?
To visit places like Mossman Gorge, you will need to rent a car or go on an organized tour.
The main regional airport is located in Cairns so a drive into town is shorter and costs less than a drive into Port Douglas. There’s a shuttle bus from the airport to both towns but it’s a 40-minute drive north at a higher cost when you head to Port Douglas. On the other hand, because it’s so close to Cairns, you can find other transportation options such as taxis or Ubers at a decent price if you don’t want to take the shuttle.
Both Port Douglas and Cairns have mass transit busses/shuttles, so getting around without renting a car is possible. If you’re staying in downtown Cairns, most everything is in walking distance, so most of the time mass transit is not needed. Both Port Douglas and Cairns have convenient rental car companies in right in town. However, as with most everything else, Cairns just simply has more to offer, so you have more choices on rental car companies and you can shop around a bit more to look for better pricing.
Bottom line: Because the airport is closer to Cairns and because there’s better access to taxis, Ubers, mass transit and rental car companies, we think it offers the best access to transportation services.
Summary
There’s advantages to staying in both Cairns and Port Douglas but our choice…Cairns!
After staying four days in both Port Douglas and Cairns and deciding which place had the best dive shops, budget accommodations, convenient proximity to services, access to free or low-cost activities, and easiest access to transportation, our clear winner is Cairns. There is one exception though.
If you are visiting the area just to dive the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas is the clear winner. By being located closer to the outer reef, it’s simply more convenient to stay there and do all your diving from that location. Or if you plan on spending most of your time at the Daintree Rainforest (or a combination of both that and diving), the close proximity of Port Douglas outweighs any perks you’ll get from staying in Cairns.
And if you’re like us, you can always decide to do both! By staying in Port Douglas you can enjoy a charming resort setting for your diving and Raintree adventures…then head down south to Cairns for an affordable, convenient stay that puts you in the center of more activities and more energy. No matter what you choose, you can’t go wrong!
