Airlie Beach

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Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays – a colourful, cosmopolitan and inviting holiday town lying on the shores of a palm fringed beach and overlooking the calm waters of Pioneer Bay dotted with yachts. Airlie is part of a picturesque peninsula that reaches out to the Whitsunday Passage and provides the ideal mainland base for holiday fun and adventure in the Whitsundays.

As you drive into Airlie Beach through the neighbouring community of Cannonvale the road climbs above Abel Point Marina, providing expansive views of the indented coastline, the aquamarine sea and the shapes of distant islands on the horizon. You can’t avoid the holiday feeling that scene evokes, nor the relaxed tropical ambience as you wander around the village streets and down to the vast lagoon. Set in landscaped parkland overlooking the bay, Airlie Lagoon provides stinger free swimming with lifeguard attendants and a children’s pool.

Airlie Beach offers visitors a broad array of accommodation from stylish resort hotels on the water’s edge and apartments on the hillside overlooking the panorama of beach, bay and islands, to bed and breakfast options, motels, camping and caravan parks as well as a host of backpacker accommodation. Airlie provides many of the essential services for travellers in the region and the town’s shopping areas are open seven days a week. Every Saturday the foreshore parkland turns into a bustling market with stalls selling fresh fruit and veggies, local arts and crafts and all manner of goods under the shade of coconut palms.

The mainland’s dining and entertainment options centre around Airlie Beach, ranging from silver service resort dining to al fresco cafes and cheap eats, while Airlie’s clubs and bars provide plenty of entertainment well into the night.

Airlie marks the spot

Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays' mainland hub, is a vibrant village and base for exploring the islands. It's a jump-off point for any number of day trips or larger cruises. And you can learn to dive here! The beachside coastal village of Airlie Beach is the perfect base from which to explore the mainland national parks and the Great Barrier Reef and islands.
There’s a lovely community feel about Airlie Beach. The locals are warm and friendly and often stop to say hello and chat about the weather, which is almost always perfect. Beachside markets every Saturday add to the community atmosphere and are as popular with the tourists as they are with the locals.
Airlie is a great family base offering safe, calm water beaches, inexpensive meals and an excellent variety of accommodation from luxury resorts to backpacker lodges.
From Airlie you can take scenic flights over the region and a range of tours out to the tropical islands of the Whitsundays including those with resorts or those
uninhabited. Some of the largest bareboat charter fleets operate from here if you fancy skippering your own boat.
The range of activities on offer is limitless with every watersport imaginable from windsurfing to parasailing. You can learn to dive or snorkel and take a day trip to the outer reef to see some of the most vivid coral and fish in the world.
For those wanting to explore inland, a short trip from Airlie will take you to the Conway and Dryander National Parks and state forests. Take a four-wheel drive tour to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the rainforest, home to the Proserpine rock wallaby, ferns, orchids and enormous hardwoods.

Whitsunday gateway

Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays' mainland hub, is a vibrant village with thriving community markets, that doubles as a base for exploring the islands. It's a jump-off point for any number of day trips or larger cruises. And you can learn to dive here! The beachside coastal village of Airlie Beach is the perfect base from which to explore the mainland national parks and the Great Barrier Reef and islands.
There’s a lovely community feel about Airlie Beach. The locals are warm and friendly and often stop to say hello and chat about the weather, which is almost always perfect. Beachside markets every Saturday add to the community atmosphere and are as popular with the tourists as they are with the locals.
Airlie is a great family base offering safe, calm water beaches, inexpensive meals, and an excellent variety of accommodation from luxury resorts to backpacker lodges.
From Airlie you can take scenic flights over the region and a range of tours out to the tropical islands of the Whitsundays including those with resorts or those uninhabited. Some of the largest bareboat charter fleets operate from here if you fancy skippering your own boat.
The range of activities on offer is limitless with every watersport imaginable from windsurfing to parasailing. You can learn to dive or snorkel and take a day trip to the outer reef to see some of the most vivid coral and fish in the world.
For those wanting to explore inland, a short trip from Airlie will take you to the Conway and Dryander National Parks and state forests. Take a four-wheel drive tour to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the rainforest, home to the Proserpine rock wallaby, ferns, orchids and enormous hardwoods.

Activites and Experiences at Airlie Beach

Accommodation
Beach
RTN, QH and National Distributors (TQ)

Nearest Airport: Whitsunday Coast

Accommodation In Airlie Beach

Discover some of the accommodation in and around Airlie Beach

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