Enjoy all the experiences you would expect from a paradise island. Hamilton Island is the largest inhabited island in the Whitsundays - a tropical paradise at the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. While Hamilton Island may be the ideal launch pad for exploring all that this stunning part of the world has to offer, there is plenty to keep you entertained on the island itself.

1. Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, and home to the most diverse plant and animal life on the planet - including spectacular coral formations, hundreds of species of fish, turtles, manta rays and even visiting dolphins and whales. Hamilton Island, in the heart of the reef, is the perfect base for exploring this magnificent part of the world. Join a full-day cruise from Hamilton Island and explore some of the most pristine and secluded sections of the Great barrier Reef. Upgrade and get the best of both worlds with an incredible scenic seaplane or helicopter over the reef.

Travel Answers Group Great Barrier Reef

2. Whitehaven Beach

No visit to Hamilton Island would be complete without a visit to the pristine and world-famous Whitehaven Beach. Located in the heart of the Whitsunday Islands, Whitehaven Beach is one of the world’s most unspoiled and beautiful beaches, named in 2013 as the ‘number one beach in Australia’ by the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Beaches Awards.  Accessible by a thirty-minute trip on a high-speed catamaran from Hamilton Island, Whitehaven Beach can be accessed on several day trips or guests can explore the beach via a helicopter or seaplane from the island.

Travel Answers Group Whitehaven Beach

3. Hikes and Scenic Trails

Despite the plethora of resorts, restaurants, and community on the island, most of Hamilton Island is virgin rainforest, best explored on one of the many walking trails that crisscross the island. For a challenge, head up to Passage Peak to the northeast of the island. Start on the Scenic Trail then connect with the Saddle Trail to reach the summit of the peak and a spectacular view of the Whitsundays. Grab your day packs and take in the free hikes to find four iconic landmarks: a 3-meter-tall chair, a giant swing, a hammock and a breathtaking panoramic viewing platform. Check out the trail map here.

Travel Answers Group Hamilton Island Bush Walk

4. Meet the Wildlife

Located resort side, Hamilton Island provides the perfect place to get up close and personal with some unique Australian wildlife. There are so many animals to explore – koalas, crocs, snakes, lizards, kangaroos, and birds!  Get your photo taken with one of the resident koalas, snakes or baby saltwater crocs – one of only a few places in the world where you can experience the thrill and excitement of holding Australia’s native wildlife.

Travel Answers Group Hamilton Island Wild Life

5. Spa Time

Relaxing on Hamilton Island might involve poolside cocktails and lazy beach days but spoil yourself with a treatment or two at one of the on-site spas. For qualia guests, Spa qualia puts the luxury resort’s name – a Latin word for a collection of deeper sensory experiences – into practice in truly tranquil surrounds. It offers a range of treatments, including full-body massage, mud wraps and marine mineral facials, as well as holistic therapies like reflexology and Indian head massage.

For guests staying at other Island properties, Spa wumurdaylin – which means dragonfly and symbolizes renewal – for a range of treatments including body scrubs and wraps, facials, massages, and signature packages: the three-hour Island Escape combines sugar exfoliation with a full-body massage and facial, plus an express manicure and pedicure.

Travel Answers Group Hamilton Island Spa Treatment