Port Douglas Apartments: Explore where the rainforest meets the reef

With two lagoon-style swimming pools winding through the resort and a tropical backdrop of palm trees and native flora, Shantara offers a tranquil adults-only escape. You can choose from five different apartment options, from spacious studios to deluxe Shantara apartments complete with private courtyards, a Jacuzzi and direct pool access. After dropping your bags and kicking off your shoes, you can sit back with a glass of bubbles and admire the pool view from your sun-drenched private balcony or timber deck.

Indoors, apartments are decorated in neutral tones with striking Asian accents. Sliding Japanese screens separate the bedrooms from open-plan kitchens, living and dining rooms, while studios have kitchenettes with bar fridges and microwaves for whipping up tasty treats. For easy, feastful mornings, order a breakfast hamper with three days’ worth of continental delights like vegetable frittatas, blueberry muffins and toasted muesli, or make your own cooked breakfast of organic free-range eggs, smoked salmon and avocado.

Those after some weekend pampering can head to the on-site day spa. Treat yourself to a deep tissue massage or healing stone treatment, or spruce up with a French Tip manicure. You’ll be all set to wander down to the popular dining strip on Macrossan Street, or stay in for an intimate meal for two on your private deck or balcony.

The clean, airy apartments at By The Sea Port Douglas offer the freedom of self-contained living directly on the beach. You’ll drift off to the sound of the ocean and wake to refreshing sea breezes floating through the window of your Sea View Studio. For additional space and privacy, check into the Rainforest Terrace, where you can sit out on a striped deckchair on your nine-metre-long balcony overlooking lush greenery.

If you’re travelling with a group of friends, the Beachfront Villas make for lazy-day catch-ups while you wiggle your toes in the sand. Each with three bedrooms, the cheekily-named Jelly Bean and Jelly Baby villas have views of the Coral Sea from two floors. Savour an alfresco BBQ lunch, then take an afternoon snooze on one of the outdoor day beds before hitting the beach.

The team at By The Sea strive to make their guests’ stays as comfortable as possible and are ready to help with advice and local tips. We recommend borrowing a bike and pedalling into town for a seaside ride, or grab a water inflatable, body board, picnic basket and beach umbrella for a fun-filled afternoon on the beach.

Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort combines the independence and privacy of a self-catering getaway with the top-shelf facilities of a five-star resort. Unwind in the 3,000m² lagoon pool, one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, or choose a Swim Out Apartment and jump straight from your sundeck into the crystal-clear water.

By night, bask in the glow of the flame-lit lagoon from your table at Aluco Restaurant and Bar while you tuck into fresh local seafood. Most tempting is the signature seafood platter for two, which plates up crayfish mango salsa, freshly shucked oysters, Moreton slipper lobsters and scallops with avocado mousse.

For a touch of romance, you might like to book a couples’ suite at Vie Spa. Try the White Flannel Flower Ritual featuring an organic coconut and jasmine body polish, followed by a wild yam and white flannel flower hydrating cocoon. The royal treatment can continue back at your apartment, where you can soak up the sunshine on your private rooftop terrace in the Penthouse Apartment or cool off in your own courtyard and pool in the Plunge Pool Apartment.

Meaning ‘rejuvenation of the body through returning oneself to nature’, Niramaya Villas and Spa is designed to live up to its name. You’ll find these elegant, Balinese-inspired villas in 15 hectares of frangipani-scented gardens and lilypad-dotted lakes. Featuring soaring ceilings with timber fans and touches of sandstone and limestone, all apartments have private courtyards for lazing on a sun lounger with your favourite book. Sleek gourmet kitchens boast Miele appliances, while marble ensuites surrounded by private rainforest gardens give you the choice between an indoor or outdoor shower.

Hatted Chapter One restaurant serves three or four-course menus showcasing the best local produce, including quail breast with white asparagus and pork belly with braised tamarind eggplant. A complimentary daily a la carte breakfast plates up mango and lemongrass chia bowls or pancakes topped with compressed and caramelised apple. After breakfast, you might care to sign up for yoga or Reiki at Niramaya Spa & Beauty. If you’re after a pamper session, try a restorative facial using Dr Rose organic products, then jump into the infinity pool or beat the heat in a daybed pavilion shaded by palm trees.

The 33 apartments at Coconut Grove, available as one-, two- or three-bedroom stays, are located in the heart of Port Douglas and are 140 metres from Four Mile Beach. Decked out in a pale marine colour palette, these apartments give off a sense of luxury with natural stone finishes and metallic hues. On the rooftop terrace of the Penthouse Apartment, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the Coral Sea and mountains from the comfort of your sun lounger. That’s before you cool off in your private plunge pool or take a soak in the adjoining spa.

Split over three levels, you can also choose a Terrace Pool Apartment with private outdoor terrace, covered barbecue area and plunge pool and spa. Run some bubbles from L’Occitane under the tap in your spa ensuite for a scented soak, or whip up gourmet creations in the kitchen with Miele appliances and waterfall island benchtops. If you’d rather head out, cross-communal areas landscaped with tropical gardens, soothing water features and stepping stones to the covered entertaining area to grill up a feast on the shared barbecue. Should you want a change of scene, the friendly tour desk concierge can help plan your preferred getaway.

The moment you settle into your sun lounger around the 50-metre lagoon pool at Peppers Beach Club, you’re set for the day. When you’re not snoozing or flicking through a magazine, cool off with a revitalising dip or swim straight to your apartment’s private pontoon for a change of scenery. Or, with the sand between your toes, order a sumptuous snack of local king prawn bun or club sandwich from the beach.

The fresh façades of the club’s three-storey buildings complement the hues of the turquoise sea and bright, clear sky. The sandy colour palette continues into modern apartment interiors fitted with lush sofas, white plantation shutters and a chef’s kitchen with stainless steel appliances. As the sun sets, you’ll want to head over to Sublime Bar & Grill for local reef and paddock produce such as prawn and clam linguini or miso cod with smoked mash. Splash out on a crispy baby barramundi for two, flavoured with Malaysian curry or sticky Thai glaze. For a more intimate experience, order the chef’s cheeseboard selection served with quince paste and crackers to enjoy in your room.

Saltwater Luxury Apartments offer an unexpectedly peaceful spot on bustling Macrossan Street and are just steps away from the beach and marina. Soak up the serenity by stretching out on a four-poster day bed beside a heated outdoor pool. From beneath your spot under colourful market umbrellas, take in the view across the Daintree Ranges.

Depending on your personal tastes, you can choose a two-bedroom Pool View apartment with chic, Scandinavian-style furnishings against crisp pops of vibrant green and turquoise or Canopy View apartments, which feature wraparound balconies overlooking tree-lined streets. Inside, decked out kitchens with European appliances are ready to host a home-cooked seafood feast, which you’ll want to serve on your private balcony. Alternatively, you can head back down to the pool deck and grill to your heart’s content on the communal barbecue before retreating to the outdoor lounge to finish the evening with a glass of wine and view of the sunset.

Just 50 metres from Four Mile Beach, accessed via a bushland walkway, you’ll find the whitewashed Mandalay Luxury Apartments. Only a five-minute stroll from Macrossan Street, Mandalay offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of the action. One-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are neutrally decorated with textures of rattan and bamboo for a warm, casual feel.

When the first rays of morning light reach your window, throw open your plantation shutters and step onto your private terrace or balcony overlooking tropical gardens. In executive apartments, you’ll find gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances for stoking your inner Masterchef. Make sure you nab the master ensuite for yourself so you can ease into the free-standing bath at day’s end.

When you feel like a little exercise, you can work on your backhand at the on-site tennis court while your friends cheer you on from the undercover pavilion. Reward yourself with an alfresco grilled lunch, or keep your energy up in the lap lane of one of two swimming pools. You can wind down for the evening by stargazing from a bubbly seat in the outdoor spa.