Port Douglas Low Isles & Outer Reef
Take a sailing boat from Port Douglas to the Low Isles — a coral cay 15 kilometres offshore — then continue to the outer reef for a full day combining coral cay walking and reef snorkelling.
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Port Douglas Marina
Port Douglas Marina is the departure point for the most relaxed reef experience in Queensland — the upmarket beach town is an hour north of Cairns and its reef operators offer a more intimate experience than the Cairns fleet.
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Low Isles Coral Cay
The Low Isles are a coral cay and a mangrove island 15 kilometres offshore — the lighthouse-topped cay has been a scientific research station since 1928, and its fringing reef is one of the best-studied in the world.
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Low Isles Lighthouse
The Low Isles Lighthouse (1878) is still operational — the sand cay around the lighthouse is barely 300 metres long and is home to nesting seabirds whose eggs have to be avoided during the landing walk.
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Agincourt Ribbon Reef
The Agincourt Ribbon Reefs are the outer barrier — a series of continuous ribbon reefs that form the edge of the continental shelf, with the clearest water in the reef system and an extraordinary coral diversity.
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Crystal Turquoise Water
The outer ribbon reef water has visibility up to 30 metres — the turquoise colour results from the combination of shallow white sand lagoons and the deep blue of the open Coral Sea beyond the reef edge.
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Sailback to Port Douglas
Sailing back to Port Douglas in the afternoon trade winds is among Queensland's most pleasant experiences — the forested coast and the backdrop of the Daintree mountains make the return journey as beautiful as the destination.