7 Cooktown Beaches You Simply Must Visit!

Add These Pristine Stretches of Sand to your Cape York Peninsula Bucketlist

There are seven fantastic beaches in Cooktown, Queensland

Given how remote the Cape York Peninsula is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise at how pristine Cooktown beaches are.

One of the biggest towns in the furthest northern reaches of Queensland, Cooktown is best known for being Australia’s first white ‘settlement’.

It was developed after Captain James Cook and the rest of the crew on the HMB Endeavour rocked up to the Endeavour River’s shoreline, not long after hitting the Great Barrier Reef, just past the north coast of Cape Tribulation.

The town was officially founded during the Palmer River gold rush in 1874 and once had a population of over 30,000 residents. However, only about 3000 live permanently in the area now.

Those who do so have a choice of seven excellent beaches in Cooktown they can go to enjoy some sand, salty air and sunshine. Most of them comprise expansive spaces where it’s easy to enjoy a digital detox and let both your adventurous spirit and your mind wander.

Best of all, because the area is so isolated, there is a good chance that you’ll have any of these beaches all to yourself if you do visit them.

Warning

As sparkling as the Coral Sea looks around these parts. Don’t be tempted to swim, particularly before sunrise and after sunset.

Crocs and stingers are rife in the area, and the water might may dangerous rips.

That said, you shouldn’t let this spoil your enjoyment of beach-combing, sunbathing and exploring.

Watch out for these fellas when at any of the Cooktown Beaches

Where is Cooktown

Cooktown is a port and a town in northeastern Queensland that resides on the Cape York Peninsula at the mouth of the Endeavour River.

It is located about a four hour drive north from Cairns and can be reached via State Highway 81.

Alternatively, if you are coming from Cape Tribulation, you can take a two hour drive up the Bloomfield Track, although you will need a reliable 4WD vehicle to do this and visit many of the Cooktown beaches.

Best Cooktown Beaches

As Cooktown faces the Great Barrier Reef, it is an excellent place to book snorkelling tours to this world heritage site.

However, before you head off there, make sure you check out these awesome Cooktown beaches!

Archer Point

Situated 20 km out of town, Archer Point is known for being a wonderful spot for self-sufficient camping (there are no amenities here) on Cooktown beaches. To get to it, you will have to go down an unsealed road. So, you should always check the weather and travelling conditions before setting off, especially during the wet season.

However, if you do get there, you will find its comely white sands to be a haven for birdwatching and kite surfing. During low tide, the Great Barrier Reef is even within easy reach.

Cherry Tree Bay

Cherry Tree Bay is one of the smaller Cooktown beaches that you can visit. It is so secluded, you will have to walk to it or get there by boat.

Sheltered between two hillsides, this beach can be reached on foot via the Scenic Rim walking trail, which you can join from Grassy Hill or the Cooktown Botanic Gardens.

Although it takes a bit of an effort to get there, you will most likely have it to yourself when you do arrive.

With only the odd turtle for company, which you might see swimming in the bay, you can revel in the peace and serenity of a coastal area that is defined by grassy headlands, lush rainforest, palm-tree fringed edges, and shimmering white sand.

Elim Beach (Coloured Sands)

The vibrant coloured sand cliffs at Elim Beach are one of the iconic images of all Cooktown beaches.

Hugging the coastline that runs north of the town, this beach is a popular spot for families who make their way up the sand dunes to race down it on sandboards. Even if you don’t fancy hurtling down them, you can sit and take in superb views of the Great Barrier Reef.

This is another beach that is best accessed via a 4WD. You could easily spend a day here enjoying all it has to offer.

Finch Bay

Finch Bay is arguably the most popular of all Cooktown beaches, mainly because it is close to the CBD and easy to get to via car.

Locals come here to walk their dog along the 500 metre stretch of sand, and as it faces north-east and is protected by a headland, it provides them with some relief from the strong winds that are often blow.

As this is Cooktown’s only swimming beach you should bring a towel with you. However, exercise caution around the channel and tidal creek, as the water can be a little rough. For this reason, stick to the northern half of the beach if you fancy going for a dip.

Quarantine Bay

Quarantine Bay is another of the Cooktown beaches that can best be reached via a sealed road. It is only a 5 km drive from the town and can be accessed via the Mulligan Highway – it is not far from the Cooktown Golf Club.

Once you arrive, you’ll think you have stepped into a laptop screensaver. The pebbly beach enjoys an idyllic setting at the foot of Mt Cook, with a spectacular backdrop of rainforest covering its slope.

You’ll definitely want to bring your camera as you’ll want to take tons of photos of it and yourself on the beach swing set that resides there.

If you are into fishing, Quarantine Bay is close to the reef, which makes it a favoured spot for many anglers to catch a reef fish.

Walker Bay

Walker Bay is another fishing spot that attracts locals and tourists because it resides at the mouth of the Annan River.

It is located just a 10 minute drive south of the CBD, near to the golf course and like many other Cooktown beaches can only be accessed via a 4WD dirt track.

Due to it being quite a long stretch, many residents bring their dogs here for a walk or do their own exercise here.

Weary Bay

Named by the crew of the HMB Endeavour, there is a touch of the castaway vibes at Weary Bay. It is so remote, you half expect to bump into Tom Hanks and Wilson while you are here!

Undeniably, one of the most stunning of all Cooktown beaches, this incredible beach is an hour’s drive south of the main CBD. You can get to it from Weary Bay road in Ayton.

This secluded bay stretches for 9 km and is another exceptional coastal destination for walking (with or without your four-legged friend).

As part of it sits around the lip of the Bloomfield River, you can enjoy good fishing there.