Barrier Reef Australia Blog

The Best Ways to See Whitehaven Beach

So really, what is the best way to see Whitehaven Beach? The answer can be a very personal one for a number of reasons such as you may suffer from sea-sickness so a boat tour is not for you, or you may prefer to see it from above and take a Great Barrier Reef helicopter ride or experience a really unique landing on the water in a seaplane, you may well also be limited on your time in the Whitsundays.

But, thankfully there are many ways to experience the best of Whitehaven Beach but, for starters let's think, what could be better than spending time lounging on the sand, swimming in the sparkling sea and hiking up to Hill Inlet Lookout to take in the views for one day of your life?

Getting there is easy. Take a day trip on a yacht from Airlie Beach, or a high-speed catamaran from Hamilton Island, or a Great Barrier Reef helicopter tour and you’ll be splashing about in those azure waters in no time at all.

Whitsundays Sailing & Luxury Yacht Charters
If you like the idea of spending a few days on the water and exploring further afield – after all, the Whitsundays consist of 74 islands - there is the option to visit Whitehaven Beach on a liveaboard sailing tour or a luxury yacht charter complete with crew and personal chef. These trips usually include a visit to Whitehaven Beach as well as options such as snorkelling, scuba diving and lots of in-waters toys and even kayaking in a number of choice locations around the Whitsunday Islands.

Great Barrier Reef Tours
If you don’t have the time to spend a few luxurious days on a boat however, there are quite a number of Great Barrier Reef day tours from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island that include Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet in a one day reef tour. These tours whisk their passengers away on all sorts of watercraft such as super-fast, semi-rigid, inflatable rafts, high speed catamarans, slow and easy sail boats or commercial grade cruise boats for a day of island bushwalks, swimming and exploring at Whitehaven Beach and then snorkelling on the stunning fringing reefs at Border Island or Dumbell Island. Which one of these is your travel style, slow and easy, fast and furious, or a bit pedestrian and casual?

Whitehaven Beach Scenic Flights
Taking in the beauty of Whitehaven Beach by air in a helicopter, fixed wing aircraft or seaplane is another amazing experience that also gives you the opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the best of the rest of the Whitsunday Islands and it's definitely our number one go to recommendation for visitors that wish to see Whitehaven Beach.

And as a bonus to your Whitehaven Beach scenic flights some helicopter scenic flights and airplane scenic flights also fly over the world-famous Heart Reef so have your camera ready to snap those memories of a lifetime. Now that is how you tick off two of the world's most beautiful natural icons in just one day on your Great Barrier Reef tours.

Alternatively, you can do ‘the lot’ on a fly/cruise tour. This option takes you sky-high on a scenic fixed wing flight for fabulous aerial views and then on a high-speed boating adventure around the Whitsunday Islands and to Whitehaven Beach, where you can get your feet wet in the crystal-clear water you’ve just seen from the air.

There are also helicopter tours that land on South Whitehaven Beach and give you 1.5 hours to explore the area or, if you are staying on Hamilton Island, why not take a seaplane tour that includes an exciting ocean landing and 1.5 hours of free time on South Whitehaven Beach, with a light bite and a glass of bubbles to enjoy while you lounge on those perfectly white shores?

You can also visit Whitehaven Beach on half day tour or a full day boat tour or even on jet skis or on your very own luxury superyacht. 

So, whichever way you decide is the best way to see what has been voted Australia’s best beach, you can be assured of powder soft sand, spectacular colours, scenery that will take your breath away and memories to last a lifetime on Australia’s Whitehaven Beach.

Some tourists ask what is the difference between North Whitehaven Beach and South Whitehaven Beach so we have covered this question here in this blog article.  

Other tourists ask how to visit Whitehaven Beach from Hamilton Island and how to get to Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach so we have covered both questions in the Barrier Reef Australia places to see blogs.

Don't forget our Barrier Reef Australia team are here to guide you on your Great Barrier Reef Tours so reach out if you need assistance.

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Discover more Whitsunday Sailing options, and private Whitsunday charter boats to suit your preferred style of Whitsundays Sailing experience.  Plus further HOT DEALS on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Mystery of Whitehaven Beach

Some people say that Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the most beautiful place they have ever seen.

Others claim that the white sand from the beach, which contains 98% silica, was used to make the glass in the Hubble Space Telescope in the 1970s.  NASA has as yet made no comment on this interesting rumour, but the fact that such a story even exists goes to show that there really is something special about this Australian beach, and in particular its squeaky sand that does not get hot.

No one really knows where the sand came from. There are no other beaches in the Whitsunday Islands with silica sand and it could not have come from the rocks around the beach.

Possible explanations include the sand having come from the interior of Australia with the rise of the oceans or washing ashore from elsewhere in the world over thousands of years.  Regardless of its origins, the sand is as fine and soft as baby powder and travellers from all over the world come to sink their toes into it.

Because of its high silica content, the sand doesn’t hold the heat, so you can take long, barefoot walks on the beach without the risk of burning your feet, and it is even said to be excellent for cleaning jewellery!

Almost as famous as Whitehaven Beach is Hill Inlet, a breathtakingly beautiful cove at the northern end of the beach where, as the tides change, the white of the sand and the turquoise of the water blend to create a stunning mosaic of swirling tropical colours.  Visit at low tide to see this fusion of water and sand at its brilliant best.

If you have any more questions on the what is the best way to see Whitehaven Beach then just give us a call on Whatsapp or on Livechat here and our Great Barrier Reef Holiday Specialists will be pleased to assist. 

Explore more fascinating and informative information about the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef tours on our "Guide to the best Great Barrier Reef Tours & Experiences".