10 Best Beaches Near Cairns, Including Mission, Trinity & Clifton Beaches

Beat the Aussie heat at the best beaches in Cairns, the ultimate destination for tropical vacations! Enjoy a fun-filled outdoor adventure filled with a great combination of relaxing and exhilarating activities—from sunbathing on the shore and shopping at the best gift stores to snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef and whitewater rafting.

Cairns is known to be a tropical paradise with tons of beach options to choose from. We’ve curated this travel guide to some of the best beaches in Cairns, saving you tons of time researching where to go for your next weekend getaway or holiday trip.

Scroll through our list and have fun out in the sun!

Soak up the sun and the saltwater at Nudey Beach in Fitzroy Island! A stunning stretch of white coral beach, Nudey Beach is known for topping most lists of best beaches in Cairns and Australia. It’s located in Fitzroy Island amongst the Great Barrier Reef. No longer clothing-optional, Nudey Beach also houses several native wildlife which you can see when you try out snorkelling in its calm clear waters.

To make the most out of your day trip in Nudey Beach, we suggest you book a day tour to Fitzroy Island filled with water activities. 

Take a 45-minute ferry cruise from Cairns going to the island and choose from a half-day tour, with a snorkel hire or glass-bottom boat tours, or a full-day tour of both water activities. The tour is inclusive of convenient cruise transfers to and from the island, so you can enjoy the trip hassle-free! Other water activities on the island include jumping on an ocean trampoline and exploring the island on a paddleboard.

True to its name, Four Mile Beach is a four-mile stretch of golden white shores that goes from Yule Point to Rocky Island Point. Known as a tropical paradise, a trip to one of the best beaches in Cairns usually consists of walking along the shore, laying on the beach to sunbathe, and splashing in its cool waters. If you’re seeking something exciting, kite surfing should be on your itinerary! The best time to enjoy this sport is from April to October.

Once you’ve completed the fun activities at Four Mile Beach, you can continue the excitement when you go skydiving over Cairns! Drive an hour away from Four Mile Beach, and you’ll reach the drop zone for tandem skydiving. Plunge from 14,000 feet and experience freefall at speeds up to 200 km/hr for up to 60 seconds! Experience up to 7 minutes of floating in the air, and take this chance to marvel at the wonderful view of Cairns from up above!

Have a fun outdoor adventure on the coral cay called Green Island, a part of the majestic Great Barrier Reef Natural Park.

With a plethora of water activities, Green Island is famous for being the only coral cay with a rainforest growing on it, as well as for its remarkable pristine coastlines considered as one of the best beaches in Cairns. Snorkel under the water and be amazed at the vibrant marine world unfolding before your eyes. Get up close with different creatures such as the colourful fishes and gentle sea turtles! Go a bit further down when you try scuba diving and be awed at the kaleidoscopic coral reefs that are part of the beloved World Heritage Site. 

For non-water activities, you can head onto the Marineland Melanesia and get the chance to meet Cassius, the island’s king croc and other crocodiles! The croc park also holds an exhibit on Melanesian tribal artifacts and amazing aquariums. You can also buy souvenirs to bring home at resort shops around the area!

Want to spend the holidays on the beach? Palm Cove is the perfect destination for you! Just a 30-minute drive from the city centre, this spa capital is brimming with luxury resorts and thrilling activities perfect for a holiday trip.

Take a stroll past palm trees at one of the best beaches in Cairns, and unwind at your chosen spa. Get your well-deserved R&R with retail therapy at nearby shops where you can buy resort wear, souvenirs, and other holiday essentials. 

If you prefer de-stressing with exhilarating activities, try this Barron River Rafting Experience! Go white water rafting for 2 hours and paddle through the World Heritage-listed Barron Gorge National Park. Take on the heart-racing Grade Three rapids of the Barron River. Make sure you hold on tight, and don’t let go when the currents come at your raft! Nothing beats the stress away more than a good adrenaline rush.

A small coastal town south of Cairns, Mission Beach possesses a laid back atmosphere that you’ll surely enjoy. Board a 10-minute ferry to this isolated island and experience a fun range of nature activities you won’t easily find anywhere!

Bask in the beauty of nature when you go biking along the Musgrave Track or stroll beachside on the Ulysses Track. Be careful of coconuts overhead! From Mission Beach, head over to Dunk Island, a haven for birdwatchers, and the exclusive Bedarra Island for some quiet beach time.

Continue with your nature trip as you venture into the gorgeous landscapes of the Atherton Tablelands, a 3-hour drive from Mission Beach! Visit the iconic Mt. Hypipamee crater and the hidden Dinner Falls as you stroll along the national park, and discover the gorgeous variety of flora and fauna, majestic waterfalls, and world-famous rainforests in this guided tour.

Trinity Beach, one of the best beaches in Cairns, is a local favourite. With its calm waters, shady walking trails, and an extensive line of holiday resorts, it certainly is a top family destination. Its charm lies in its chill, laid back atmosphere as well as its affordability while offering the same scenic seascapes as other beaches.

Trinity Beach holds a lot of dining places and shopping spots, as well as sightseeing tours and day trips. Visit the Outer Great Barrier Reef and go scuba diving at Lizard Island. You can also visit Daintree Forest, a World Heritage site, from this beach.

If you ever visit Trinity Beach, we suggest you try the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and scenic rail in Kuranda! Rise above the lush foliage of the rainforest with the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, and go past majestic waterfalls and lush rainforest views. Pass through the sea of trees with the Kuranda Scenic Rail, and you’ll be able to get stunning views of raw Australian nature as you move along.

Clifton Beach is Cairns’ best-kept secret. The small shopping suburb with chill waterfront amenities is perfect for families with kids or people who prefer a quiet beach.

From Clifton Beach, you can go on Great Barrier Reef tours or visit the Low Isles for some snorkelling fun. You can also book a tour of the Daintree Rainforest, and cast your eyes upon crocodiles in the area!

If you’re looking for time to spend indoors, drive 25 minutes north to Cairns Aquarium where you will get to meet Australia’s diverse marine ecosystem and exotic land animal species including grey reef sharks, freshwater sawfish, pythons, tree monitors and more! Be prepared to learn many fun facts about the underwater world and don’t miss the opportunity to feel some of the adorable creatures inside the aquarium! You can also enjoy a savoury lunch surrounded by the life-size aquarium with the lunch package option.

Although smaller than Clifton Beach, Kewarra Beach offers the same beauty as its neighbour and is known for being the best spots for dog walking and fishing. Head on over to the beachfront Kewarra Beach Resort and achieve zen with relaxing packages at their day spa. Or you can try yoga by the beach to heal both body and mind.

30 minutes away from Kewarra Beach is the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary. Calm your mind at the sight of over a thousand multi-coloured tropical butterflies as you enjoy a guided tour around the sanctuary and into their lab and aviary. Don’t forget to snap photos of the beautiful butterflies, most of which are endemic to Australia.

Also half an hour away is the Kuranda Koala Gardens where a unique experience with adorable koalas awaits you! Wander through different zones in the park as you discover more about not just koalas but also other marsupials such as the smiling quokkas, wallabies, wombats, as well as Australian reptiles like crocodiles, lizards and large snakes. 

Another quiet beach suburb is Ellis Beach, located just north of Palm Cove. This stunning strip of white sand offers you an uninterrupted view of the azure waters of the Coral Sea. Its pristine shore is perfect for sunbathing, beach-combing and swimming. No wonder it’s called one of the best beaches in Cairns. 

If you’re looking for something exhilarating to match the laid back atmosphere, drive 11 minutes north of Ellis Beach and visit Hartley’s Crocodile Park! Enjoy an awesome day out in this award-winning park as you journey through fun croc facts about the coastal melaleuca habitat and the evolutionary process of Australian animals. Meet crocodiles and other native wildlife of the North, and upgrade your experience by booking the Breakfast with Koala package. 

Although not technically a beach, Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is still worth a shoutout. Soak up some sun and enjoy a quick dip at the 4800-sqm saltwater swimming lagoon that overlooks the Coral Sea. Rest assured that their pools are supervised by lifeguards and have filtered seawater, so you can swim at ease.

Near Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is Cairns Reef Fleet Terminal where you can take the Great Barrier Reef Full Day Tour or the Fitzroy Island Ferry Transfer.

Board a spacious superyacht and enjoy 5 hours of fun adventure on the World Heritage Site, the outer Great Barrier Reef.  Journey to two tour-exclusive reef sites, Saxon or Norman Reef and North Hastings Reef. Snorkelling equipment and floatation devices are provided as well as professional dive instructors so you can easily hop into the water and snorkel or dive deep to see multicoloured coral and other marine life. 

If you’re looking to explore Fitzroy Island and visit some of the other best beaches in Cairns, this ferry transfer ticket is the quickest and most effective way to get to the beautiful and unspoiled island. Choose between a half-day option or a full day. A half-day tour gives you 2 hours to explore Fitzroy Island while with the full day tour, you get up to 6 hours to enjoy water activities at Fitzroy Island.