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Four Mile Beach Australia is a picture postcard tropical beach in Port Douglas Australia. This beautiful sandy beach which is not, in fact, 4 miles long, is to be found in Far North Queensland on the northeast coast of Australia. It is lapped by the Coral Sea, protected by The Great Barrier Reef, and beyond that wonder of the natural world, lies The Pacific Ocean. There is only one real beach in Port Douglas Australia, Four Mile, but several more beaches nearby.
In this post you can find the following information about our local beach, plus more! There are photos, of course.
- Why is it called Four Mile if it isn’t 4 miles long?
- Is is safe to swim at Four Mile Beach?
- Where is the cliff walk and lookout for the best views of Four Mile?
- Beach-side hotels, are there any?
- The swimming enclosure or stinger net.
- Crocodiles, yes, there are crocodiles at Four Mile Beach from time to time.
- Can you surf at Four Mile?
- Dogs
Four Mile Beach
Four Mile Beach Australia has a tropical climate, and so, has year-round beach weather, more or less. We’ll talk about swimming conditions, weather, safety, stingers (jellyfish) and activities on Four Mile Beach Australia
The little town of Port Douglas has a village-like feel and is hugely popular as a holiday or short break destination. Most of our visitors take trips to the reef from Port Douglas, but the beach is also popular as a year-round place to swim. The beach is closed occasionally by bad weather or wildlife dangers.
Tourists and locals use Port Douglas Beach almost constantly. Wildlife incidents are rare, but read on.
Can You Swim at Four Mile Beach?
Yes, absolutely, you can swim at Four Mile Beach year round with the exception of infrequent beach closures. In stinger season always use the stinger net which is right outside the lifeguard station.
You need to be croc smart. See the QLD government’s directions and use common sense.
Is it safe? No beach is completely safe, accidents happen. I swim there and so do my kids. The beach is very popular for swimming, but stay near the lifeguard station and read the section below.
4 Mile Beach Dangers, Crocodiles, Stingers, and More
Australia has some beautiful and interesting wildlife. That wildlife includes saltwater crocodiles and deadly jellyfish. So you probably need to know about those if you’re planning to visit the Four Mile Beach for a swim.
Saltwater crocodiles do, occasionally swim the length of Four Mile Beach between the Dickson’s Inlet and the mouth of the Mowbray River. From time to time one has been spotted on the sand. I know of a small handful of crocodile attacks, fatalities, and incidents in our region in recent decades. While I won’t say there’s no danger of crocodiles at Four Mile, I’ll tell you that I’ve swum there, dozens of times, with my kids.
We’re all still alive along with thousands of other tourists and locals who swim at Four Mile pretty much year-round. I would not swim anywhere near the Mowbray River mouth, the southern end of Four Mile. I certainly wouldn’t swim in or near the Inlet or Sugar Wharf.
Unvelievably, I have seen swimmers in the water around the Sugar Wharf. I’d be thinking about bull sharks as well as crocodiles around there.
I never worry about sharks on the beach in Port Douglas. Great White sharks like cold waters, it’s too hot up here for great whites. That’s the theory, anyway! There are no shark nets or drum lines (that I know of) off Port Douglas as there are further south.
The beach is sometimes closed by rough weather if the stinger net becomes ineffective because of waves and choppy seas. If a crocodile is spotted the beach will also close, or if the risk of stingers is extreme. The lifeguards keep a watchful eye on conditions to keep us safe.
Stinger Season is roughly November to May. If there is a risk of marine stingers (deadly jellyfish, box jellies and Irudkanji, use the net and protective clothing is sensible. You will see plenty of people in bikinis of course.
The Swimming Enclosure or Stinger Net
The swimming enclosure is outside the lifeguard station on the Port Douglas Esplanade at the Macrossan Street end of the beach. It is in the water between November and May, approximately.
The stinger net has a float on the top and weights on the bottom. It is hauled up and down the beach with the tide. You can see what it looks like in the photograph above.
4 Mile Beach Location
The beach stretches from Macrossan Street, the heart of Port Douglas, south to the mouth of the Mowbray River. The northernmost limit of the beach is the rocky outcrop at the base of Flagstaff Hill.
You can walk the full length of Port Douglas beach in about 45 mins to an hour, it is 4 km long, not 4 miles. It is thought to be named after the Fourmile family, local residents from days gone by.
You can walk around Flagstaff Hill, at the beach’s northern end, using the Flagstaff Hill scenic walk, it’s a nice scenic walk, great for a stroll or serious exercise, but not suitable for everyone.
This scenic walk has a lot of steps and steep slopes. It’s probably not for you if you have mobility issues or if you’re pushing a baby in a stroller or pram. It makes a good place to run for athletes, and those training to be athletes.
As you round this rocky outcrop you will find a tiny bay, with sand. It almost directly faces Dickson’s Inlet, which is where the crocodiles live, although it is a popular, and pretty, wedding spot.
Another popular wedding location is Rex Smeal Park, a grassy area with palm trees overlooking the inlet. You’ll find this grassy area at the end of your Flagstaff Hill walk if you start on the eastern side, at the top of the beach.
There is more sand further into the inlet near the historic Sugar Wharf. This is not safe for swimmers and you shouldn’t get close to the water’s edge because of the crocodiles. This is not a useable beach in Port Douglas. 4 Mile Beach will be your safest bet.
Other Beaches Near 4 Mile Australia
North of Port Douglas you will find more sandy beaches, Cooya Beach is before Mossman, Wonga Beach is further north before you hit the Daintree Village, the Daintree River and Daintree Rainforest. None of these beaches have swimming enclosures and all of them have a risk of crocodiles. Once you cross the Daintree River you’ll find more beaches still, Cow Bay, Thornton’s Beach, but crocodile risk is high. These beaches are very unspoiled and beautiful.
South of Port Douglas you will find a collection of beaches known as the “Northern Beaches” before you arrive in Cairns city itself. Cairns is roughly 1 hour south of Port Douglas by car or shuttle bus, and lies at the point where an estuary meets the coral sea at Trinity Inlet. There are crocodiles in the Trinity Inlet, so again, no swimming, although the Cairns Ironman swim has been held here, I was in it!
Several of these Northern Beaches have stinger nets and lifeguard stations and are used for swimming.
Palm Cove is a pretty beach between Cairns and Port Douglas popular with tourists and holiday makers as it has plenty of nice hotels and dining options. Palm Cove does have a swimming inclosure for use in stinger season.
4 Mile Beach Best Hotels
Building regulations in this part of Australia, the Douglas Shire don’t allow development beach-side development, so all of Port Douglas’s hotels are set back a little way from the beach behind at least a row of palm trees and some grass, and near Macrossan Street along the Port Douglas Esplanade
These hotels are the closest to “beachside” in Port Douglas. Two of the nicest resorts in Port Douglas are almost on 4 mile beach, from one you have a reasonable view of the beach.
- The Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas. This is a beautiful hotel with a huge lagoon pool just behind the beach itself. This hotel is fairly close to the centre of Port Douglas and you can walk along the beach to Macrossan Street.
- Pullman Sea Temple Port Douglas. Another of the very best hotels in Port Douglas is towards the south end of 4 Mile Beach. Guests can use short boardwalks to access the beach from the hotel. As this hotel is a little out of town (about 45 mins walk) you may use your own vehicle or local shuttles to go into Port Douglas for dining. Many local tours will pick up guest from their hotels.
4 Mile Beach Camping
No free camping is allowed in Port Douglas Australia and there are no campsites adjacent to the beach itself. Most campsites in Port Douglas are just a short walk from the beach.
4 Mile Beach Conditions
If you plan to visit Four Mile Beach for a swim you can check current beach conditions using the beach-cam below.
Do as we do and check the 4 Mile Beach webcam. here.
If you see larger swell then waves may be coming over the swimming enclosure, in which case the net will be ineffective and therefore closed to swimmers.
This beach is patrolled (near the net and lifeguard station) by surf lifesavers, you’ll find flags and a sign giving you information on sea conditions, UV dangers and current status with regards stinger risk, plus any crocodile sightings.
Beaches Near 4 Mile Beach
- Oak Beach. Oak Beach is approximately 16 Km south of Port Douglas, a 15 min or so drive. Oak Beach has a small residential area and a creek running to the rear of the main sandy beach.
- Wonga Beach. Wonga Beach is at least a 30 minute drive north of Port Douglas, at a distance of 37 Km approx. It’s quite a big residential area.
- Cooya Beach. Cooya Beach is to the north of Port Douglas on the way to Mossman. It’s the closest Coral Sea beach to Mossman. Cooya Beach has some modest play equipment for small children and a slipway for boats. The boat ramp opens onto the river directly behind Cooya Beach at the north end of the Cooya Beach Road. There is no lifeguard station and no stinger net at Cooya Beach. There are abundant warning signs about crocodiles and jellyfish. To drive from Port Douglas (Macrossan St.) to Cooya takes about 17 mins (18.5Km) along the Captain Cook Highway.
- Pebbly Beach. Pebbly Beach is to the south of Port Douglas The drive from Port Douglas to Pebbly Beach, Queensland, is about 14 mins, 14 Km. There is also a Pebbly Beach in New South Wales.
- Ellis Beach. Ellis Beach is another of the beaches between Cairns and Port Douglas, this one does have a lifeguard station and a stinger net in season.
- Palm Cove. Palm Cove is a major holiday destination on the way north from Cairns to Port Douglas. It has a nice stretch of sand, a jetty, or pier, and many tourist facilities and good hotels. You’ll see Double Island just of Palm Cove beach
Surfing
In stormy conditions we do sometimes get fairly large waves at Four Mile Beach. You may be able to body surf and have fun, but I’ve never seen a surfboard at Four Mile Beach. A little further south, I have seen people surfing, but only once and in extreme conditions.
The beach is far more likely to be flat or glassed-out, but check the web cam for current conditions.
Dogs on Four Mile Beach
The beach is popular for early morning dog walking, before the heat of the day. Dogs should be on a lead and are not allowed in the stinger net area near the lifeguard station. The little bubbles in the sand are made by bubbler crabs, these are a common site on FourMile Beach.
4 Mile Beach Activities
Activities available on 4 Mile Beach Port Douglas vary with time of year, weather conditions, and tourist numbers. Broadly, expect the following activities and facilities to be available on Port Douglas Beach.
These beach activities are a very small part of the extensive Port Douglas activities.
- Deckchair and sunshade hire
- Inflatables to rent
- Snorkelling
- Kayak hire
- Segway tours
- Kite surfing
- Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP)
- Showers and washrooms are available behind the beach
- Free public barbecues behind the beach.
If you have brought your own snorkel and mask, it is worth snorkelling inside the stinger net. You’ll sometimes find very large fish trapped in the folds of the net. We saw a large guitar shark or shovel-nosed ray inside the stinger net just last week. Do not touch the net, nor get too close, there could be jellyfish caught in it.
Four Mile Beach is a nice beach. It’s kept very natural, so expect some natural marine debris and nowhere to stop for a coffee on the sands. As with many beaches in Queensland and Australia, there is no development on the beach itself.
If you’re looking for souvenir shops and restaurants, find those on Macrossan St and at the Port Douglas Superyacht Marina.
