The term “Bucket List” is rather overused these days, but there is no mistaking that Palm Cove is one of the most beautiful places in Australia to visit for a Great Barrier Reef holiday.
About 30 minutes north of Cairns, Palm Cove is a tiny beachside village centred around an esplanade lined with 500-year-old melaleuca trees. Walk around barefoot, choose a bike instead of a car and buy fresh seafood for a sunset barbecue on the beach. You can hire a kayak and paddle right off the beach or take a tour to nearby Double Island. The Palm Cove jetty is a great fishing spot, with plenty of Spanish mackerel, cod, whiting and flathead to be caught.
So you must put Palm Cove on your ...um...travel shopping list with a good solid list of "gotta-do" activities.
Search Search and Stay and book yourself some holiday accommodation in Palm Cove near the Great Barrier Reef. Here are a few of the amazing things you can tick off your list when staying in a holiday rental in Palm Cove:
- Dive or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef - Palm Cove is the perfect spot from where to visit the Great Barrier Reef, conveniently located between Cairns and Port Douglas, take your pick which departure point you choose. After a busy day diving or snorkeling the Reef, you'll love the chilled, village atmosphere.
- Spa treatment to spoil yourself - This tranquil beachside destination in Australia’s tropical north has been dubbed the ‘Spa Capital of Australia’, due to the abundance of spas available within a short walking distance along Williams Esplanade and within the village of Palm Cove.
- Swim in the Coral Sea - Palm Cove Beach is the focus of all holidays in this tropical oasis with a selection of Search and Stay beachfront holiday accommodation offering stunning ocean views through the palm trees. Many of the holiday apartments and beach rentals line the cobblestoned esplanade and overlook to outlying islands and out to the Great Barrier Reef.
- Eat at a different spot every day for a month - Taste the flavours of the north in the seaside village of Palm Cove, where restaurants take pride in local produce, fresh flavours and providing a warm tropical welcome served with an icy-cold drink.
- Visit a working crocodile farm - Legend has it that the original owner of Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, Pop Evans, entertained motorists by feeding Charlie the resident crocodile while scones cooked in the wood stove, and become the first person in Australia to perform crocodile shows for the public. Eighty-eight years later, Hartley’s world-famous Crocodile Attack Show is as popular as ever.
- Hold a Koala - Queensland, often known as Australia's koala-cuddling capital, as one of three Australian states that allows visitors to hold a koala. When in palm cove make the trip to Kuranda Koala Gardens, home to all the cute Aussies - wallabies, wombats, quokkas, gliders and freshwater crocodiles - here's your chance to cuddle a Koala.
- Day trip to the Daintree Rainforest, the world's oldest rainforest. The Daintree Rainforest is estimated to be 180 million years old which is tens of millions of years older than the Amazon Rainforest. This tropical rainforest ecosystem is one of the most complex on earth. It's unrivalled on the Australian continent and represents the origins of our more familiar ‘Australian’ flora
- Drive the waterfall circuit and swim in pure water
- Enjoy some traditional Aboriginal culture and hospitality
- Shop up an absolute storm - For die-hard shopper you will find a plethora of boutiques, surf wear and swimwear shops, menswear stores, homeware, giftware and art galleries and the obligatory souvenir and trinket shops for a gift to take home to those to didn't get to experience a Palm Cove holiday escape. The Palm Cove shops are located on the palm-fringed beachfront of Williams' esplanade combo your shopping trip in a small village atmosphere on the cobble-stoned esplanade with stunning views and a sea breeze.
- Day trip to Herberton Village. With more than 60 original buildings dating back to 1880s and its years as a tin mining town, everything at the museum town has been lovingly collected and restored.
- Stop and do nothing - try a Tropical North Queensland holiday home with a pool or just sit under the air conditioner in your Palm Cove holiday rental, easily booked on Search and Stay.
Book yourself a holiday rental in Palm Cove like Palm Cove Retreat # 31. In the perfect spot, Palm Cove Retreat # 31 is a self-contained studio apartment less than 100 metres to the Beach. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, just relax in the large swimming pool or hot spa tub while you cook up some fresh seafood on the fully covered outdoor BBQ setting. There's also free covered parking for your hire care.
Need something larger for a family holiday in Palm Cove, try Palm Cove Penthouse, a top-floor apartment offering 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms plus a huge covered outdoor dining area with a peaceful outlook.
An easy walk to the Palm Cove Jetty and Restaurants, the very spacious holiday apartment is ideal for families. The building features an extra large swimming pool, a bbq area, and private covered car parking dedicated to this Palm Cove Penthouse.
Destination Images: Tourism and Event Queensland