The Ultimate Traveller's Guide To: Airlie Beach, Queensland

Recently Josh and I had a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway at Airlie Beach, eating our way through the beachside town and getting out and about in the Whitsundays Islands. 

I was taking notes of all the cool activities we went to and amazing dining destinations to compile this ‘guide to Airlie Beach’.

Whether you have a trip already planned or are searching for some travel inspiration – read on for all the best places to go in Airlie.

ACCOMODATION

We originally booked a 5 star hotel but at the last minute opted out for an AirBnb and we are SO glad we did! Although the AirBnb was advertised as 'entire home' and ended up being the underneath of a house someone was living in (which is often the case), it was still entierley private and extremley quiet. It was a great experience to go low key and live more like a local so that there was a lesser 'touristy vibe' being in a hotel. Our view was of the STUNNING Airlie marina so we woke up each morning to beautiful blue waters and palm trees. Not to mention the incredible sunsets of purples, oranges, pinks and blues.

ACTIVITIES

Whitsundays / Whitehaven Day Trip 
If you go to Airlie Beach you HAVE to take the Whitsundays day trip and go to Whitehaven beach. Picture this. WHITE sand, like PURE white. The beautiful Queensland sun shining on you in crystal clear and cyan blue waters. In the waters are beautiful tropical fish of all colours. This beauty is found only on a deserted beach, on an island, accessible only by charter boat. There is absolutely no better way to spend the day than at Whitehaven beach so it is a must do when you are in Airlie, Hamilton Island or anywhere in the Whitsundays for that matter.

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Fishing Trip 
Josh and I wanted to try something a bit offbeat and refreshing so we signed up for a morning fishing trip and it was definitely AN EXPERIENCE. I actually really enjoyed how relaxing it was to be out in the ocean, deep sea fishing. Because we went out so deep, we were able to investigate a bit and see a lot of different areas of the Whitsundays that you otherwise wouldn't usually explore. I learned a lot about fishing itself - how to put bait on properly, what kinds of fish you are able to keep and others you have to throw back, using other little fish as bait and some tactics you can use to catch fish - albeit not employed successfully by myself. I did end up catching a couple of small fish towards the end so that was awesome. The seas were super rough and you are on a boat for a long time so keep that in mind if you get easily sea-sick or bored.

FOOD
One of the most important parts of this trip was, in fact, the food. This is because we had been suggested a few local places to try from a friend and Josh had already been there before and had some places he wanted to revisit. It’s also because we just love food so it always takes a top priority. We ate some INCREDIBLE food on this trip so I had to share our experiences

Magnums 
This local bar and backpackers is a central place in the heart of Airlie perfect for pizza, beer and live music. It always has a buzzing atmosphere and is a great place to chill out.

Garuma Café 
We had an amazing breakfast with here that had the perfect balance of eggs, toast, bacon and avocado. Seriously, it was like my absolute ideal breakfast with everything I like. The coffee and smoothies were incredible also.

The Anchor Bar 
If you go here I would definitely recommend getting the share platter with a little bit of everything. We had our Valentine's dinner here and the candlelit, outdoor atmosphere was perfect. We shared a bottle of red with the platter which included things like; mussels, fish tacos, arancini balls, ribs, calamari, wings and more! We defintiely couldn't get through everything but if my stomach capacity had allowed me I would have seriously kept eating until it was all gone.

Kiosk Café 
After our fishing trip we stopped in here to refuel on buttermilk crusted chicken burgers, homemade sausage rolls, turkish bread sandwiches and iced coffees. Everything here was hands down AMAZING so definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

Northerlies Bar and Grill 
This was by far the dinner place with the best location. It was a little far out from the main strip of Airlie and featured a view of a secluded beach surrounded by softly lapping water and palm trees. We had the most amazing steak there and everything was spot on. I would definitely recommend trying this place out for a strong 10/10 dinner.

Mangrove Jacks 
For our last lunch of the trip we stopped in here for a pulled pork burger and steak burger with onion rings and fries. Again, like with everywhere, the food was awesome. This location had a more laid back bar feel and was a great place to chill out for the rest of the day until we headed off back home.

So that's a wrap up of our recent Airlie Beach trip with all activity and food recommendations. I would definitely recommend checking out this amazing holiday destination for a chilled out long weekend or adventurous week away. With so many things to see and too many resteraunts to possibly get around to them all, you will never be short of something to do in Airlie.