Lizard Island: What It's Like, and How It Compares With the Whitsundays

I went to Lizard Island in 2025, and it's one of my two favorite places I've stayed in Australia. The other is Southern Ocean Lodge. Here is what it's like, how to get there, and how it compares with the Whitsundays, the other island trip people ask me about.

What Lizard Island Is Like

Lizard Island sits near the far northern end of the Great Barrier Reef, off the Queensland coast north of Cairns. Most of the island is national park. The resort is the only place to stay, apart from a basic campground and a research station, so there are no day-trippers and no town.

The island feels deserted. The reef starts right off the beach, and you can see sharks close to shore. You don't need a boat to see good coral; you can snorkel straight from the sand. There is some obvious coral bleaching, which is true of much of the reef now, but there is still a lot of healthy coral and fish.

The food is great, and the stay is all-inclusive. Meals, most drinks, picnic hampers, snorkel gear, paddleboards and kayaks are part of the rate. You can also take a small motor dinghy out on your own to one of the island's many beaches and have it to yourself for the afternoon. Guests must be 10 or older, so it's quiet and works best for couples, honeymooners and families with older children.

The Diving

We dove the Cod Hole, and it didn't disappoint. It's a site on the Ribbon Reefs, the outer reef northeast of the island, known for the large potato cod that come right up to divers. The resort runs dive and snorkel trips to the Ribbon Reefs and closer sites, and it can arrange courses if you're not certified yet.

If you don't dive, the snorkelling from the beaches and on the shorter boat trips is still the main event. Plan at least one full day out on the outer reef.

Getting There

The only realistic way in is by air from Cairns. The flight takes about an hour. You need a private or small charter plane, which isn't cheap, but you can see the reef and sea life from the plane on the way in, so it doubles as a scenic flight.

Most people fly into Cairns from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, so it helps to spend a night in Cairns or Port Douglas if your international flight lands late. Pack light and in soft bags, because the small planes have tight luggage limits.

When to Go

April to October is the best time. You avoid the heat and humidity of the wet season and the marine stingers that come with it, and the water is clear. From about November to May, the stinger months, you swim in a full-length lycra suit. Water temperatures are warm all year.

How Long to Stay

Four nights is a good minimum. That gives you a reef day, a dive or snorkel trip, and time to do very little. With the charter flight in and out, two nights feels rushed.

Lizard Island or the Whitsundays?

The Whitsundays are a group of islands further south, off Airlie Beach, best known for Whitehaven Beach and the white silica sand and turquoise water at Hill Inlet. They are a very different trip.

Reef access

On Lizard Island you're on the reef itself, with coral off the beach and short boat rides to the outer reef. In the Whitsundays, the islands are some way from the outer reef, so you reach it on day trips to pontoons or by seaplane or helicopter. The beaches are more famous than the snorkelling right off them.

Getting there

The Whitsundays are much easier. There are direct flights to Hamilton Island from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and boat transfers to the other islands. Lizard Island needs a connection through Cairns and a charter.

Atmosphere

Lizard Island is one resort, few guests and very quiet. The Whitsundays have several resorts, including qualia on Hamilton Island, plus restaurants, marinas, sailing and more to do. They are more social and work well for families with younger children.

Which to choose

• Choose Lizard Island if diving and snorkelling are the point, you want privacy, and you're happy to pay for remoteness.
• Choose the Whitsundays if you want the famous beaches, sailing, easier flights, more choice of hotels, or you're travelling with young children.

Some people do both: a few days in the Whitsundays for the beaches and sailing, then Lizard Island for the reef.

Fitting It Into an Australia Trip

Lizard Island works best at the end of a trip, after Sydney, Melbourne or the south. You can read where else we stayed in my Postcards from Australia, and my Australia guide covers the rest of the country.

If you would like to plan a reef trip, tell me what you have in mind.