How to See Gorgeous Green Island in Cairns

Gorgeous Green Island in Cairns is a small sand cay on Australia’s UNESCO World Heritage Great Barrier Reef. Surrounded by coral reefs, turquoise waters and golden beaches, this small island is a tropical paradise perfect for a romantic getaway or a day trip from Cairns.

So if you’re wondering “Is Green Island worth visiting?” The answer is Yes! If you want to relax in a tropical island paradise and discover the magical underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef then Green Island in Cairns is definitely worth visiting.

On a recent holiday in Cairns, I enjoyed an exciting day exploring beautiful Green Island. My day began with a scenic flight over Green Island in a small aeroplane followed by a ferry trip to the island with lunch and snorkelling included.

I discovered that Green Island is stunning from the air and fun to explore from the ground. So if you’re looking to visit a beautiful tropical island, surrounded by coral reefs and pristine sandy beaches, Green Island is a great choice.

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What is Green Island known for?

Green Island is known as a tropical island getaway and is one of the most popular destinations in Cairns. Of the hundreds of sandy cays on the Great Barrier Reef, Green Island is unique. Lush green rainforest covers the Island and around 55 different species of birds visit and nest in the area.

The island is surrounded by large sandy beaches, ideal for swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing. If you’re looking for fun things to do on Green Island, all kinds of water activities including reef diving, kayaking, and paddle boarding are possible on this idyllic tropical Island.

Green Island has a luxury resort so you can stay as long as you like in this tropical paradise and enjoy the island vibe, lovely beaches and beautiful coral reefs.

There’s also a wildlife zoo where you can meet Cassius, a huge old crocodile. Cassius is one of the largest crocodiles in Australia and is thought to be more than 110 years old.

Green Island is a perfect day trip from Cairns and a great addition to a Cairns itinerary.

Where is Green Island?

Green Island lies in the Coral Sea, 27 kilometres from Cairns and 13 kilometres (8 miles) off the coast of far north Queensland in Australia.

What to do on Green Island Cairns

If you’re wondering what to do on Green Island you’ll be spoilt for choice

Green Island snorkeling and swimming

Snorkelling, swimming and relaxing on the beach are some of the most popular things to do on Green Island. The water around the island is clear, shallow, and warm, perfect for beginner snorkelers (like me) young children and anyone who’s not confident in the water.

I enjoyed snorkelling directly from the beach and saw a variety of colourful fish swimming amongst the seagrass but the best snorkelling on Green Island is near the jetty where there’s more coral. You can hire your snorkel mask and flippers on the ferry from Cairns or hire snorkelling equipment on the island.

The Green Island coral reefs are made up of a huge variety of soft and hard corals found in the shallows and deeper water. Endangered sea turtles and dugongs are often seen around Green Island Cairns.

It can get very windy on the island but the main beach is fairly protected and there’s a lifeguard on duty at peak times. It’s also possible to book a variety of water activities and reef tours at the Island’s resort.

Glass-bottomed boat tour

A glass-bottomed boat coral viewing tour is one of the best things to do on Green Island if you’re not confident in the water or just don’t want to get wet. You’ll see the amazing underwater world around the Island and venture further out onto the reef and see more of the reef than I did snorkelling in the shallows.

Green Island snorkeling or diving boat trip

A Green Island snorkeling or diving boat trip is a great way to discover the best of the island’s coral and marine life.  If you book a tour with a Marine biologist, they’ll show you the top places to snorkel around the island and you’ll learn all about the reef and the amazing corals and sea creatures that live there.

Self-guided island walks

One of the most relaxing things to do on Green Island is enjoy exploring the island on foot. Green Island is a flat sandy cay covered with dense rainforest and there are shaded footpaths around the island. The famous Esplanade Boardwalk will take you from the jetty to several lovely beaches, to the resort and across to the other side of the island.

Green Island is quite small with a circumference of just 1.6 kilometres. It’s also very low and flat with its highest point only 4 metres above sea level and it takes only an hour or so to walk around.

Green Island from the air on a Scenic Reef Flight

But the most dramatic way to see Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef is from the air. In clear weather, it’s a truly spectacular sight. Even though most of the reef is underneath the water, I could see the islands, coral cays and reefs clearly from the air.

The different water depths create a variety of colours and I saw beautiful blues, turquoise and aqua patterns in a kaleidoscope of gorgeous colours. From the air, it’s possible to see the reef that surrounds Green Island and get an idea of the massive size of the Great Barrier Reef.

Reef flights in a small aeroplane

Scenic reef flights take off daily from Cairns Airport during the high season. The small aeroplanes have high wings for excellent visibility and there are 8 seats on the plane. Each one is a window seat so everyone gets a great view. Make sure you have your camera ready.

I flew on a 40-minute Reef Hopper flight and it was a spectacular introduction to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef and a highlight of my visit to Cairns.

Green Island Fly & Cruise package

For an action-packed day enjoying the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, you can’t beat the Green Island Fly & cruise package which includes a Reef Hopper flight and Green Cat Green Island Tour. I chose this tour to maximise my time out on the reef and it was a fantastic experience.

The day began with an early morning hotel transfer to Cairns Airport. Before we boarded the plane there was a short safety talk and we were given headphones and a life jacket to wear. Once we were in the air the view was spectacular. We flew over the Coral Sea, and Michaelmas Cay and circled over Green Island so that everyone had a great view.

 The spectacular reef flight was followed by a transfer to the Cairns Marina for the boat trip. Included in the package were a buffet Lunch on the Big Cat moored at Green Island and the option for snorkel hire or a glass-bottomed boat tour. I chose to snorkel from the beach. I’m happy to recommend this combined day trip as it was well organised and full of excitement.

The Green Island Fly & cruise package includes:

• 40-minute Reef Hopper flight
• Guaranteed window seats
• Courtesy bus transfers
• In-flight pilot commentary
• A fleet of high-wing aircraft for excellent visibility
• Full-day Big Cat Island Reef Cruise
• Buffet Lunch
• Glass bottom boat coral viewing tour or snorkel equipment hire
• Self-guided walks and fish-feeding
• Use of the Big Cat vessel as an air-conditioned base

**Big Cat Green Island Reef cruises are eco-certified and committed to sustainable tourism

**I paid for my combined flight and cruise package & it was a fabulous day. I’m under no obligation to write this Green Island review and, as usual, the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Scenic Helicopter Flights

Green Island has a helicopter landing pad on the far side of the Island and you can fly there in style from Cairns on a chartered helicopter flight.

How to get there

The easiest way to get to Green Island is to book a ferry transfer from Cairns and arrive by boat. Several companies will take you there including Great Barrier Reef & Green Island tours and Big Cat Reef Cruises.

How long is the boat ride from Cairns to Green Island?

On a fast Green Island ferry, you can be there in under an hour. The fast boat leaves from the Marlin Marina in Cairns and takes around 45 minutes to make the crossing

TIP: Make sure you book the fast ferry. The slow boat takes twice as long.

One of the most accessible islands in far north Queensland, Green Island is a favourite day trip from Cairns. Opt for a full day on the island or choose an earlier return or a later departure on the Green Island ferry.

TIP: It can get a bit rough out on the water so take precautions if you’re prone to seasickness and take a tablet 20 minutes before departure.

And if you don’t want to travel by boat, another option is to charter a helicopter and fly there in style.

Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef

Green Island is part of the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. This gives international recognition and protection to the Island and its reef.

The surrounding 1200 hectares of coral are also part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park offering protection by the Australian government for the reef and its unique underwater habitats.

Green Island is a coral cay and one of the hundreds of small islands and cays on the Great Barrier Reef. It was formed by sand washing up on the reef and collecting in a sand bar that eventually became an island.

The Great Barrier Reef extends for 2,300 kilometres along Australia’s northeast coast and, as the name suggests, the Reef forms a barrier that protects Australia’s coastline. So the waters of the Coral Sea that surround Green Island are typically calm and warm, around 25°C in winter.

Can you stay on Green Island?                       

Yes, the luxury Green Island Resort provides comfortable 4.5-star accommodations and gets exceptional reviews. All rooms have Wi-Fi and are beautifully appointed. The quiet and peaceful resort is an ideal choice for a romantic getaway. It’s the perfect place to relax in style and enjoy island sunrises and sunsets on the Great Barrier Reef. 

Green Island vs Fitzroy Island  

Both are stunning tropical islands that lie offshore from Cairns but is Green Island or Fitzroy Island better? They both provide access to the magical underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef, a wide variety of water activities, lush rainforests and pristine beaches.

Both islands can be reached by ferry and day trips are very popular.  But which island is better? Well, that’s a hard call but I’ll give it a go…

A highlight for me was the Fly and Cruise Package to Green Island and it’s the most spectacular way to see the Great Barrier Reef. At the resort, there’s a choice of places to eat, coffee shops a kiosk, a bar and a helicopter landing pad and there are public changerooms, toilets and showers that day-trippers can use.

But Green Island is quite small. It only takes an hour or so to walk around and the resort takes up a fair chunk of the island so if you want to escape the crowds and disappear into the rainforest, Fitzroy Island is a better choice.

Green Island is a small coral cay but Fitzroy Island was once connected to the mainland and is a much larger Island, around 4 km long. There are hiking trails and stunning lookout points with sweeping views over the island and out to sea.

Fitzroy Island has a lighthouse, a turtle rehabilitation Centre and 4-star resort accommodations. It’s less built up but the internet is patchy. The facilities for day visitors are not as upmarket as those on Green Island but there is a restaurant, a general store, locker facilities and a basic toilet block that doubles as a change room.

Both islands offer stunning scenery and pristine beaches but if I had to choose, Fitzroy Island is the one I would go back to, perhaps because it’s larger, you can roam further afield and this makes it easier to escape from other visitors.

If you’re trying to decide which island is better, perhaps visit both and you can decide for yourself.

Low Isles vs Green Island

While it’s fun to snorkel from the beach on Green Island, I saw a lot more of the reef in the Low Isles. Maybe that was just my experience. Green Island snorkelling reviews are generally very positive about the coral near the jetty and sea turtles are often seen in the water. But all I saw when I was snorkelling in the shallows was a lot of sea grass and a few pretty fish.

In comparison, in the Low Isles, the coral reef was just a few metres from the beach, and I saw several turtles, a reef shark, a giant clam and lots of coral and colourful fish. The Low Isles are accessible from Port Douglas, about an hour by road from Cairns.

I really enjoyed the half-day Calypso snorkel tour to the Low Isles.

Final Thoughts – Is Green Island worth visiting?

I loved visiting Green Island and would recommend spending at least a few hours enjoying this lovely island. It’s the perfect place for a romantic escape with a luxury resort, stunning sunrises and sunsets and a great choice of activities.

I enjoyed the Green Island Fly & Cruise package and had an unforgettable day visiting gorgeous Green Island and flying over the Great Barrier Reef on a scenic reef flight. I hope you’ve found this Green Island review helpful and enjoy visiting as much as I did!

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