The Whitsundays
Scattered off the central Queensland coast, the 74 Whitsunday Islands are among the most beautiful in the world — steep, forested continental islands ringed with white-sand bays and fringing coral, floating within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This is the home of Whitehaven Beach, world-class sailing, a handful of iconic island resorts, and easy access to the outer reef and the famous Heart Reef. This is the guide we give our own guests — the islands, the experiences, and how to build the trip that suits you. (Planning your mainland base? See our Airlie Beach guide.)
Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet
The Whitsundays' signature is Whitehaven Beach — 7 km of 98% pure silica sand so white and fine it squeaks underfoot and stays cool in the sun. At its northern end, Hill Inlet is where the tide swirls white sand and turquoise water into ever-changing patterns, best seen from the Tongue Point lookout. It's reached by boat or seaplane for the day — the full story is in our Whitehaven Beach guide.
The islands & their resorts
Most of the 74 islands are untouched national park; only a handful carry resorts, and each has a personality. Hamilton is the lively all-rounder with its own airport; Daydream is family-friendly and close to shore; Hayman is the InterContinental luxury flagship; and Long Island offers intimate eco-escapes. The rest — including Whitsunday Island, home to Whitehaven — are for day trips, sailing and camping.
Sailing, the reef & scenic flights
The Whitsundays are one of the world's great sailing grounds — day sails, 2–3 night liveaboards, or a self-skippered bareboat (no licence needed). Offshore, the Great Barrier Reef is reached by fast catamaran to a pontoon at Hardy Reef. And the region's most spectacular half-day is a scenic flight over the heart-shaped coral of Heart Reef and the Whitehaven swirl — sights you can only see from the air.
The essentials
Planning the Whitsundays: your questions
The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands off the central Queensland coast, sitting within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. They're famous for Whitehaven Beach and its pure silica sand, world-class sailing, luxury and family island resorts (Hamilton, Hayman, Daydream), and access to the outer Great Barrier Reef. The mainland town of Airlie Beach is the main gateway.
By boat or air. Most day tours and sailing trips leave from Airlie Beach (Coral Sea Marina and the Port of Airlie). Hamilton Island has its own airport with direct flights; Daydream, Hayman and Long Island are reached by ferry or launch transfer. Whitehaven Beach and the national-park islands are visited by day tour, sailing trip or scenic flight. See our getting there guide.
Three to five days covers the essentials — a Whitehaven and Hill Inlet day, a sailing trip or island day, and a Great Barrier Reef or scenic-flight experience. Add more if you want a multi-day liveaboard sail or an island-resort stay. Many visitors split their time between the mainland and an island.
It depends on your style: Hamilton Island for facilities, activities and easy access; Daydream Island for families close to the mainland; Hayman Island (InterContinental) for luxury; or Long Island for intimate eco-escapes. Or base on the mainland at Airlie Beach and day-trip out.
The dry season (May–October) is prime — warm, sunny, low humidity and the steadiest trade winds for sailing. It overlaps whale season (July–September). The wet season (Nov–April) is hotter and more humid, and overlaps marine stinger season. See our best time to visit guide.