Palm Cove is located in tropical North of Queensland, Australia and is about 25 minutes north of the airport. You can get a taxi, an Uber or airport transfer, though we found Uber was the cheapest. Palm Cove is south of Port Douglas and a smaller location. It has a boutique feel, with hotels, apartments and a number of restaurants. Walk along the esplanade and the beach or enjoy some fishing by the water. There’s a few shops and a grocery store to grab the necessities.
It’s in a good location to get picked up for any tours you book, and a number of travel agents who can make these arrangements for you.
Where to Eat
A restaurant on the esplanade selling breakfast, lunch and dinner. We were super hungry after our flight and went here for dinner. We all ordered a protein dish – lamb shanks, barramundi and chicken. All meals were perfectly cooked, amazing taste and came out very quickly. Quite expensive, but it is a holiday town.
This place is on the esplanade and has a wonderful menu! So many choices and lots are inspired by asian flavours. We ordered the pancake – full of greens, herbs and prawns. Huge size, very flavoursome and value for money. We also ordered the special – a healthy egg white omelette with a beetroot relish, enoki mushrooms, a slice of rye and greens – this was awesome. We also got a few juices (these were expensive, about $9-$10). Staff were friendly and service was extremely fast, which was good considering that there was heaps of people there. Worth a visit if if in area.
Chill is a cafe and bar on the esplanade in Palm Cove. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We wee there for a couple of drinks on a Sunday night. They also had a cool band playing which was great entertainment. Staff were pretty fun and dealing well with the crazy crowd. They sell food in the form of tapas like tacos or oysters or larger mains like fish and burgers.
Jack and Shannan’s is in the lobby area of the Imagine Drift apartments. It is a cafe, restaurant and bar. We went there for our morning coffee as they did a great coffee, brewed chai and not too much of a wait.
We decided to go here for dinner as the food seemed a bit cheaper than most places in the area. Selling your typical mexican food, like burritos, quesadillas and fajitas, we all decided on the fajitas. Select beef, chicken or pork and that comes sizzling on a plate. You then get three wraps, a few small bowls of black beans, tomatoes and cheese to make your own wrap. It was a nice meal. Clean and tidy restaurant and friendly service.
This is a lovey restaurant on the esplanade, open, with views of the ocean. They do breakfast, lunch, tapas and dinner. We were here for dinner and ordered a range of things to share; dumplings, mixed greens, an OUTSTANDING gorgonzola infused wagyu, kingfish sashimi and prawn schnitzels. The food was all excellent and no critiquing here! It is expensive, so go for a special occasion. The staff were efficient and friendly, but there did seem to be a noticeable feeling stress amongst them.
A fairly basic looking cafe from the outside and the menu makes it appear like an average dining venue. However this was certainly not the case. The food was incredible and presentation was like fine dining. This is not only true for what I had, but what I saw when other diners had their dishes come out. I was after something remotely healthy so ordered a beef tartare. It came out on a board, topped with a raw egg, some capers, crunchy bread, some mustards and sauces and beautifully presented with edible flowers. Coffees were also good!
What to do?
Cairns Active Explorer
Take a trip to Mossman Gorge and the Daintree Rainforest
- see our BLOG here
Where to stay?
There’s plenty of hotels and apartments along the esplanade for you to choose from. We stayed in the Imagine Drift Apartments. Large rooms, we had a 2 bedroom, with a kitchen and lounge space. The kitchen was fully set up and came with some tea and coffee making facilities. There were two bathrooms and a laundry in one. Big balcony overlooking the large pool. The pool is in a leafy area so it doesn’t get much sun. There is also a spa and a basic gym. It is all you need for a week away and perfect to travel with your friends and family.
Hope you all have a great time if you choose to travel to Palm Cove!
Little bit similar to me; photos of wine against nice backdrop!!