Fitzroy Island is the prettiest island I have ever been to in Australia… and I’ve lived here for 7 years!
I was skeptical before I visited – sure, I’d seen the photos, but lots of places look great in photos and then turn out to be underwhelming in person. Fitzroy, however, is every bit as perfect in person as it is in its profile picture (yes, we’re still talking about islands here!).
A small-ish island with fringing reef and rainforest just off the coast of Cairns, Fitzroy Island is one of the most popular day trips to do in the area. We visited last week for the first time, and I’m still star-struck. Tourism Australia clearly agrees, having crowned Nudey Beach (the island’s most well-known beach) as the “best beach in Australia” in 2018.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting.
Is it worth visiting Fitzroy Island?
Okay, real talk. While Fitzroy (and especially Nudey Beach) is gorgeous, it’s also somewhat expensive to get to. I shopped around a lot, and the cheapest viable option I could find was $99 per person for a basic return trip, not including additional activities or a day pass to use resort facilities.
I would absolutely say that we got our money’s worth from the trip, but I also think it depends on what you are wanting out of the experience.
Reasons to visit
- Admire its beauty (and take great photos). Nudey Beach is a photographer’s dream. The water is crystal-clear, with fascinating shades of turquoise and blue glittering against a backdrop of emerald-green rainforest and tan-white coral. I have never, ever seen a beach with such distinct layers of color. For this reason alone, I feel like the trip was worth it.
- Relax by the beach. Despite Nudey Beach being so famous, it’s surprisingly easy to find a nice shady (or sunny, you decide) spot for yourself, a good distance away from other humans. I never once felt like it was too crowded, which is a problem that I often have with touristy places. It’s a fantastic way to spend the afternoon: chilling out or having a picnic with some of the most beautiful views on the planet.
- One of the more accessible options to view the reef. There is fringing reef around Fitzroy Island, so you can snorkel or take a glass bottom boat to see coral and marine life. While it’s not the best snorkeling or reef by far, it’s also only 45 minutes from Cairns and doesn’t cost nearly as much as an outer reef trip. If you can’t afford an outer reef trip, or there are family members who are squeamish at the thought of spending 2 hours on a boat one way, or if not everyone wants to spend the entire day at a pontoon… Fitzroy is for you.
Reasons NOT to visit
- If you want the ultimate Great Barrier Reef experience. If your main aim is to see the Great Barrier Reef, and you are expecting the kind of experience that rivals trips to the outer reef, you will be disappointed. Besides having unfortunately experienced severe bleaching in recent years, the reef around Fitzroy is inner or fringing reef, which inherently has lower biodiversity, fewer colors, and lower visibility. If the GBR experience is what you are here for, you should put the money towards an outer reef trip instead.
- If you are expecting a soft, sandy beach. The beaches on Fitzroy Island are coral beaches, not sand beaches. Dead coral is stabby, and it helps to wear sandals or reef shoes. You will not be able to take long barefoot walks on the beach, feeling the sand between your toes. If you’re looking for a sandy beach around Cairns, you should either go to Palm Cove or take a day trip to Green Island instead.
- If you are looking for a nudist beach. I have no idea why it’s called Nudey Beach, but Nudey Beach is not actually a nudist beach! I didn’t even think about it until someone asked us that on our hike back, ha.
The best time to visit Fitzroy Island
Time of the year
My recommendation is to visit during the cooler months, usually between May to September. Cairns is in the wet tropics, in Far North Queensland. During the warmer months, the heat and humidity is brutal, and those months are also typically wetter – you’ll get a ton of rain and thunderstorms. Cyclone season also runs from December to April, and the area is susceptible to tropical cyclones during that time.
If you visit between May to September, you’ll get fine sunny weather, and it’s not actually cold – daytime temps are usually between 20-25C. The water temperature will also be nice, and you can actually jump in the ocean without worrying too much about jellyfish since it’s not stinger season.
Note: It takes a bit of a hike to get to and from Nudey Beach, and if you are day-tripping, it’s impossible to avoid hiking during the heat of the day. We were here in July, the coldest month of the year, and I was still dripping with sweat after each of the hikes (although I probably do have less tolerance for heat than most).
Day of travel
If possible, you should visit on a day with calm, clear weather conditions. The vibrant hues of turquoise in Nudey Beach rely on having a clear day with a blue sky, so if you visit on a cloudy or rainy day, the water will just be grey or slate blue. Obviously, snorkeling conditions will be affected as well, and there isn’t really all that much to do on the island on a bad weather day. The trip on the ferry will also be a lot more pleasant on a day with less wind and low swell.
Time of the day
You don’t really have much choice with ferry times, but if you are planning to snorkel, check the tide times and make sure your visit coincides with low tide. The reef will be too far underwater for you to see much during high tide or even medium tide.
How to get to Fitzroy Island
The only way to get to Fitzroy Island is by boat from Cairns. Fitzroy Island itself does not have an airport, but Cairns has an international airport. The boat ride from Cairns to Fitzroy takes around 45 minutes. It’s generally a smoother ride compared to rides to the outer reef since Fitzroy Island is quite close to shore, but it does depend on the weather and sea conditions.
There are a few different companies offering Fitzroy Island transfers, with different times, boats, and add-ons depending on which package you choose. You can either book online (recommended) or head to the Reef Fleet Terminal next to the pier in Cairns to book in-person.
Fitzroy Flyer ferry
We chose the Fitzroy Flyer ($99 per person round trip) because they had the most flexible timings, and they were also the only one to offer a 5pm return time (most of the others required you to leave at 4pm or earlier). I booked our tickets online on the morning of the day of travel itself, but it was a close call – we got 2 of the 3 last tickets for the 5pm ferry. If you’re wanting to travel during popular times, I’d recommend booking the day before at least – the weather forecast should be quite reliable by then.
Our experience with this ferry was pretty good – they have air-conditioned stable catamarans with clean toilets, and the boats departed on time. They require you to check in at least 30 minutes prior to departure, and they don’t allow you to bring an esky on board (which is annoying, considering how few food options are available on the island).
Sunlover day tour
Sunlover runs day tours to the island with optional addons. Prices start at $99 per person round trip for a basic transfer, $115 for either a snorkeling or glass bottom boat addon, and $145 for 2 activities or 1 activity + lunch.
Fitzroy Island Adventures
Fitzroy Island Adventures offers full or half day tours to the island. The full-day tour ($99 per person) departs at 8.30am and returns at 4pm, and the half-day tour (which bizarrely costs the same) departs at 10.45am and returns at 2pm. I have no idea why anyone would even pick the half-day tour – you’ll only really have about 2 hours at the island itself, which isn’t nearly enough.
Where to stay at Fitzroy Island
There are only two places to stay at Fitzroy Island:
Fitzroy Island Resort
Fitzroy Island Resort ($200-$400 per night) is apparently a 4-star hotel and the prices seem to be on par with similar hotels in Cairns. However, multiple reviews painted a rather concerning picture of the maintenance and rooms, so I decided not to chance it. If you do stay at the resort, bear in mind that your only options for food are one restaurant, one bar, and one general store which closes at 4pm. The cheaper rooms don’t provide cooking facilities and there are no communal cooking facilities. Ferry transfers are not included for resort guests and you have to book them separately.
Fitzroy Island Campground
Fitzroy Island Campground ($39-$97 per night) is a council campground with tent sites, cold showers, and toilets. You have to bring your own tents and stove, and you can’t use the resort facilities (e.g. pool, pool bar, etc).
There is also a third option…
Stay in Cairns and day trip
Due to the limited options for accommodation and food, many people choose to stay in Cairns and day trip to Fitzroy Island. That was what we did, and I think it was the best decision for us. Cairns has a ton of food options and stuff to do at night, so spending the day in Fitzroy and the night in Cairns worked out well for us.
Things to do at Fitzroy Island
Relax or swim at Nudey Beach
If you were visiting Fitzroy Island just for Nudey Beach, you wouldn’t be alone. This picture-perfect beach received the mantle of “Best Beach in Australia” in 2018, and I can certainly see why.
The main thing to know about getting to Nudey Beach is that it involves a 20-25 minute hike over partly uneven ground, with a bit of rock scrambling. It’s not very steep or difficult, but unfortunately it does mean that people with mobility issues will have difficulty accessing it. It also has no toilets or facilities, so make sure you bring water, sunscreen, and whatever else you’ll need. I also recommend wearing reef shoes (which protects your feet from the coral in addition to making the hike easier), and bringing a towel or picnic rug. Pick up some sandwiches from the general store before you head out for a picnic with views!
While on the hike, you’ll come across a lookout point just before you descend to the beach itself. Do not skip the lookout – you’ll get the best top-down views of Nudey Beach from there.
Nudey Beach isn’t a particularly large beach, but it’s bigger than people think. Go around the corner behind the trees for another stretch of beach, and then around the rocks at the end. The views are breathtaking all the way. We spent more than 2 hours here and it felt like the blink of an eye.
You can also snorkel here, but there isn’t much reef. Welcome Bay is much better for snorkeling.
Snorkel or watch the marine life at Welcome Bay
Welcome Bay is right next to where you’re dropped off by the ferry. There’s a pretty large stretch of reef there, and it’s teeming with marine life. Naturally, this is the best snorkeling spot on Fitzroy Island.
There are shoals of reef fish that circle around the jetty all the time, and they can be seen even by people who aren’t snorkeling. We weren’t able to make it for the 11.30am fish feeding at the jetty (which I think is reserved for resort guests anyway), but we saw plenty of fish.
Take a glass bottom boat ride
Some operators offer glass bottom boat rides, either booked from the resort at Fitzroy Island Sports Hub, or booked through your day tour operator (e.g. Sunlover). We didn’t have the time for this, but it seems like pretty good value for money, with the resort ride costing only $29 per person.
Hike to the lighthouse and summit lookout
There are several hikes that you can do on Fitzroy Island, with the most well-known being the lighthouse and summit tracks. The QLD government website has a good overview of them.
Where to eat at Fitzroy Island
There are two places to eat on the island, and one general store that sells basic food and drinks.
Foxy’s Bar and Cafe
Foxy’s is the only restaurant that is open for lunch and that allows day-trippers. It appears to serve standard bar food at fairly high prices, and has mixed reviews on service and quality. While it technically has water views, there are only a few tables that have them, and those tables were always occupied every single time we passed by (including at off-peak times, e.g. 4pm before our ferry back).
Zephyr Restaurant
Only overnight guests are allowed to dine at the restaurant, and it’s only open for breakfast and dinner anyhow. It has mixed reviews, and is also very pricey.
Grab some food from the General Store and have a picnic (recommended)
The General Store sells sandwiches, wraps, cold drinks, and a few hot food items (pies, rolls), in addition to the usual range of snacks. We picked up a couple of sandwiches, cheese and crackers, and brought them with us to Nudey Beach for a picnic with a view. In my opinion, this is the best option for both maximizing your time on the island and saving on costs.
The store was open from 8.30am to 4pm when we were there.
Additional tips
- There are outdoor showers next to the Fitzroy Island Sports Hub. If you need to, you can freshen up here after swimming in Nudey Beach (which has no showers).
- Bring sandals or reef shoes! The beaches on the island are coral, which are pretty ouchy on bare feet. I’d recommend reef shoes over sandals – if you try to wade with sandals, the waves will just push coral under your feet.
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