Discover the stunning scenery along Captain Cook Highway. The road runs for 75 kilometers (46 miles) through the rainforest and coral-studded waterways. Because it’s only a small highway, it’s best to take it slowly. Follow the Captain Cook Highway to Port Douglas and then on to the Daintree Rainforest. On the route, you’ll come across beaches, waterfalls, and beautiful hiking trails.
The Captain Cook Highway is used by many tourists who travel to Port Douglas, north of Cairns.
Where is the Captain Cook Highway located ?
The road is located on Queensland’s north coast. Beginning in Cairns City, the road ends in Mossman, a rural town on the river bearing the same name. It has a length of 75 kilometers (46 miles) and is a one-of-a-kind coastal drive that will provide you with an unforgettable driving experience.
You can locate the Captain Cook Highway on the map below:
Enlarge the map
Facts about the Captain Cook Highway:
The Captain Cook Highway invites you on a scenic journey through tropical rainforests and past stunning coral-studded waterways. With its winding roads, the drive promises to be an enjoyable experience. Explore popular tourist destinations like Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree National Park as you make your way along this picturesque route. Both car and motorcycle enthusiasts will love the thrill of the sweeping turns. Take a break from the road and enjoy panoramic views of the Coral Sea and coastline.
Tourists traveling to Port Douglas use the roadway frequently. It’s a critical link between two tourist destinations, as well as a scenic roadway that runs beside the coast and offers some spectacular views of the tropical seaside rainforest as you go to Port Douglas and Daintree National Park.
How to get to the road?
The Captain Cook Highway begins in Cairns at the northern terminus of the A1 Bruce Highway and continues north through the city to the suburbs. It connects the Barron River’s south and north arms. It then becomes State Route 44, passing via Kewarra Beach and Palm Cove. After then, it almost reaches Port Douglas before heading north-west to Mossman, where it ends.
There are other dope roads in Australia, such as the Black Spur Drive, the Eyre Highway or the Great Ocean Road.
You can visualize how to get there on this map of the drive:
A video of the journey:
You can have a preview of that drive. You just have to watch this YouTube video as it shows a part of the road:
Is Captain Cook Highway open ?
The road is open all year, but the weather in the area is very unpredictable. On this road, you can go at speeds ranging from 60 to 80 km/h (37-50 mph).
It is the primary road that connects Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree National Park to Cairns, making it a popular tourist destination. The roadway is popular with bikers because of its sweeping curves, which provide for a thrilling ride.
The highway runs for around 75 kilometers (46 miles) along the coast between the two cities, offering access to several magnificent undeveloped beaches along the way. It is one of the nicest drives in the country, with beautiful ocean views and mountain landscapes. On weekends and during the peak holiday season, the route becomes more congested.
Concluding, the Captain Cook Highway offers a scenic coastal drive that connects two cities, with access to stunning isolated beaches. The blend of ocean views and majestic mountain scenery adds to the journey’s experience, making it a visually stunning drive to take in all the breathtaking views.
Picture credit: By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44315080 / By Bahnfrend – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44315081
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