Green Island National Park Tropical North Queensland

Overnight visitors can enjoy stunning sunsets from the Green Island beach walk. Photo credit: Maxime Coquard © Queensland Government

A small rainforest-clad coral cay, Green Island is one of the most popular destinations on the Great Barrier Reef. Photo credit: © Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises

Beach walk

Stroll around this tiny cay's sandy beach, and feel surrounded by sparkling blue waters as far as the eye can see.

Journey type
Walk
Distance
1.5km return circuit The same start and finish point, but the traveller doesn’t return along the same path
Time suggested
Allow 1hr walking time.
Grade
Easy (walk)

Accessible by

  • Boat

Journey facilities

  • Walking

Emerge from the cool interior of the island’s rainforest and set out onto the sandy beach. Look for the fringe of coastal plants around the beach—casuarinas and beach almonds. These plants can tolerate the harsh conditions of sand, salt and wind, and shelter the rainforest.

As you walk, gaze out over the Great Barrier Reef where the coral reef flat and seagrass beds are home to turtles, stingrays and colourful fish and other fascinating marine life. Overhead, watch ospreys and white-bellied sea-eagles soar, and, on the beach, spot shorebirds such as oyster-catchers, egrets and terns fossicking along the shoreline.

Green Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, famed for its superlative natural beauty, outstanding examples of reef ecosystem development, evolutionary history and amazing diversity.

Getting there and getting around

The Beach walk is in Green Island National Park and Recreation Area, 27km offshore from Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef.

  • The Beach walk circumnavigates this tiny coral cay along the beach.
  • The island can be reached by ferry or private boat, and is one of the most accessible islands on the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Commercial helicopter services also fly to and from the island.

Ferry

Most visitors travel to Green Island via regular ferry services, which depart from the Reef Fleet Terminal in Spence Street, Cairns.Travel time to the island is about 50mins.

  • For tourism information for all regions in Queensland, see Queensland.com, and for friendly advice on how to get there, where to stay and what to do, find your closest accredited visitor information centre.

Private vessels

Green Island has safe anchorage and public moorings for private vessels.

Wheelchair access

  • There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities on the Beach walk.
  • Wheelchair-accessible toilets are available in the Green Island day-use area.
  • The Boardwalk, jetty and the paths in the resort area are accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Drinking water

  • Treated water is available on tap in the amenities block in the day-use area.
  • You can purchase bottled drinking water from the resort.

Before you visit

Opening hours

Beach walk is open 24 hours a day.

Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.

Visiting safely

For more safety information see Visiting Green Island safely and Walk with care.

  • There are currently no park alerts for this park.

View all park alerts