There are so many great things to do in sunny, tropical Townsville. Located on the coastline of the Great Barrier Reef, Townsville is a popular destination for those visiting the Great Barrier Reef, but there is plenty to do on dry land! The best things to do in Townsville include visiting the Great Barrier Reef and Magnetic Island, taking in the views from Castle Hill, walking along the Strand, relaxing at The Ville Pool Bar and going on a sunset sail, to name a few.
I’ve visited Townsville twice – for the first time as part of a week travelling through Queensland‘s tropics, and then more recently for my sister’s hens party. My sister & her husband live in Townsville, so another trip is always on the horizon!
Visit Magnetic Island
Visiting Magnetic Island is one of the absolute best things to do in Townsville – this beautiful tropical island is just a 20-minute ferry from the mainland! You can stay overnight on Magnetic Island, or do as I did and visit on a day trip from Townsville. The sunset from the beach at Horseshoe Bay is magnificent!
Magnetic Island is home to the largest koala colony in North Australia. Koalas were introduced in the 1930s, to offer them a safe haven from predators and other threats on the mainland. Koalas are famous for sleeping all day, but keep your eyes peeled to spot them snoozing in the eucalyptus trees.
Pool Bar at The Ville
The swim up pool bar at The Ville has to be one of the best things to do in Townsville on a sunny day, which is most days in the tropics! Surrounded by bright white architecture, lashing of bougainvillaea and with a view straight onto the Coral Sea, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d landed in Santorini.
I spent an afternoon here with my sister and her bridesmaids for her hens party, it was such a highlight of the trip! You need to buy a day pass which can be credited towards your food and drink spend. I expected it to be packed, but they limit the number of guests each day so it’s never over crowded. Will 100% be going back on my next trip to Townsville.
Castle Hill Lookout
Castle Hill is a dramatic pink granite monolith that towers over Townsville. It’s really more of a mountain than a hill, and falls just a few metres short of the official mountain classification.
Castle Hill absolutely glows at sunset, and is illuminated beautifully at night. You can hike up Castle Hill, or drive (as we did – it was hot!) to the top, to get the best views over Townsville.
Visit the Great Barrier Reef
You can visit the Great Barrier Reef on a day trip from Townsville. When I first visited Townsville, I already had a reef day trip booked from Cairns in the same trip, but you can find guided day trips from Townsville to the Great Barrier Reef too. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and one of the #1 reasons that international visitors come to Australia.
Lunch at Anelay
Anelay is a beautiful new restaurant on The Strand, with a second floor deck that offers views out to the Coral Sea. I had lunch here on my last visit and would definitely return!
The Strand
The Strand is Townsville’s beautiful beachy foreshore. Lined with restaurants and palm trees, stroll along the Strand to soak up Townsville’s tropical atmosphere. Book a dinner reservation in time for sunset!
Sunset sail
There are dozens of sunset sail sailing tours available from Townsville. You can sail to magnetic island, or sail during the day, but I think there’s nothing better than a sunset sail. On my last trip to Townsville we booked with a small owner-operator, which was perfect for my sister’s hens party, but there are a number of larger operators with more sailing options and inclusions.
Coffee at Pedlar Project
Pedlar Project is a super cute cafe near Flinders Street Mall. It has a warm, relaxed tree house vibe, a great breakfast menu & excellent coffee. It’s a lovely spot to start the day and really embraces the outdoor lifestyle in the tropics.
Museum of Underwater Art
This looks INSANE. The Museum of Underwater Art is a collection of underwater sculptures and artworks by Jason deCaires Taylor. It’s the first underwater museum in Australia
I’ve never seen anything like it! I’m really keen to visit this next time I visit Townsville, and I’m definitely going to get an underwater camera, or underwater housing for my camera, before I do this.