Experience
Best Self-Guided Walks In and Around Port Douglas
With its breathtaking ocean views and lush, tropical hinterland, the Douglas shire is a walker’s paradise – whether you’re up for a beach stroll at sunrise or a serious day’s hiking in the rainforest.
So grab your hat and water bottle, and check out one of our four favourite walks. Some of them are so close by, you can set off on foot from Freestyle Resort!
1. Four Mile Beach
One of the world’s most photographed beaches lies right here on our doorstep, just 250m from Freestyle Resort. Four Mile Beach begins at a rocky headland that opens up to four uninterrupted kilometres (yes, kilometres not miles!) of palm-lined, creamy coloured sand, and the vast expanse of the sparkling Coral Sea. It’s never especially busy, and at the right time of year you may even have the place to yourself. Freestyle Resort is located at the northern end, where the Port Douglas Surf Life Saving Club patrols the swimming area. From here you can walk all the way south to the mangroves of the Mowbray River. Facing due east, early birds will love the amazing spectacle of sunrise.
2. Flagstaff Hill
Port Douglas’s newest walking trail hugs the stunning stretch of coastline between Four Mile Beach and Rex Smeal Park. It’s a winding, unsealed track with several sets of stone steps, and it affords incredible views of the Coral Sea right along its 1.5km length – including a couple of viewing platforms built out over the water. From Freestyle Resort, head down to the Esplanade then take the steps that rise up from the north end of the beach. After a short climb, there’s a detour off to the left to Flagstaff Hill Lookout. Come back down and carry on to Little Cove. You can finish the loop by meandering back up Macrossan Street, where cold drinks and ice creams are an optional extra.
3. Mossman Gorge
Over millions of years, the Mossman River has carved out a steep-sided gorge through the southern part of the Daintree National Park, and you can walk through this amazing place just 15 minutes drive from Freestyle Resort. Take the shuttle bus from the Mossman Gorge Centre to the start of the Baral Marrjanga Boardwalk, which has views of the river and the mountains beyond. Carry on over the Rex Creek suspension bridge and you’ll find the Rainforest Circuit Track, a fairly easy 2.4km loop through the magnificent forest. If you want to ask questions, join one of the Dreamtime Walks, where indigenous guides will take you along private trails, and share their generations of local knowledge.
4. The Bump Track
A 10-minute drive from Freestyle Resort, this steep, wide track traverses the rainforest of Mowbray National Park and was, for many years, the only link between Port Douglas and the hinterland. There are various stages, each marked by a board detailing the trials of the early travellers. At the end of a full-on 2km climb, you’ll reach The Chair, where you can gaze out to the Low Isles across the Mowbray Valley. After this point, things flatten off. Hardy hikers can carry on a further 2km to picturesque Robbins Creek, and another 2km to Black Mountain Road. There’s a side hustle to Mowbray Falls that isn’t for the fainthearted, but it’s a truly spectacular spot.
All Experiences