Airlie Beach is a small marina town, and most of your days start at a marina at breakfast time. The swimming in town is in the free lagoon; the sea needs a stinger suit. Here is what the town, the water and the fares are like, before you book your Airlie Beach guided tours.
The town faces Pioneer Bay, with Conway National Park in the hills behind it. The main street is Shute Harbour Road, and the Airlie Beach Lagoon sits on the waterfront at the centre. The tour boats leave from three places:
Coral Sea Marina carries most of the departures. Each operator has its own meeting point there, so check your confirmation and the departure map the night before.
You can swim in town every day of the year, in the right place. The lagoon is the safe choice. Boathaven Beach has a stinger net in the summer months, Tourism Whitsundays says, and Cannonvale Beach and the town beach are for picnics, playgrounds and a line in the water.
| Where | Stingers | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Airlie Beach Lagoon | Stinger-free all year, lifeguards every day | A toddler wading pool, a children's pool to 1.5 m and a lap pool to 2 m; free, 4:30am to 6pm |
| Boathaven Beach | A stinger net in the summer months | A town beach you can swim from all year, per Tourism Whitsundays |
| Airlie Beach | No net named | Picnic lawns and a large new playground |
| Cannonvale Beach | No net named | A small playground; people fish off it |
| The islands | No lifeguards; stingers in any month | Swim in a stinger suit, from the boat or the beach |
The lagoon covers about 4,000 square metres, with lawns, shade and free barbecues round it. It opens at 4:30am and closes at 6pm, and there is no charge.
Medical help can be hours away on the islands, the park adds. Never swim at dawn, at dusk or at night, when crocodiles are most active. If you are stung, leave the water, pour vinegar on the sting and call for help.
No fare pays an entry fee to the town, because there is none. What changes from boat to boat is lunch, drinks, the suit and how you reach the marina. Here is what each listing says:
| Tour | Lunch | Drinks | Stinger suit or wetsuit | Getting to the boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Rafting, Whitehaven Beach | Lunch on the beach | Alcohol not in the fare | Sunsuit or wetsuit | Courtesy bus |
| Red Cat, Whitehaven and snorkel | Buffet lunch | Not included | Not listed; no fins | Pickup from set points |
| Red Cat full day, from Shute Harbour | Lunch and two teas | Tea and coffee only | No snorkel stop | Free bus pickup |
| Big Fury speedboat | Picnic lunch | Not included | Not listed | Meet at the marina |
| ZigZag eco cruise | Buffet lunch | Water refills; bar on board | Yes | A 10–20 minute walk |
| Camira day sail | Lunch | Included, alcohol too | Not listed | Walk to the Port of Airlie |
| Tongarra sail and snorkel | Lunch | Bring your own; ice supplied | Yes | Meet at the marina |
| Wings III sail | Buffet lunch | Bring your own; fridge on board | Wetsuit | A short walk from town |
| Guided jet ski | Longest route only | Bottled water | Riding gear | Hotel pickup |
| Sunset sail | Canapés | Champagne; bring the rest | No swim planned | Walk to the Port of Airlie |
| Cedar Creek Falls bus | Banana bread | Tea and coffee | Water shoes lent | From the lagoon |
Bring your own drinks where the fare says so. Tongarra and Wings III are bring-your-own boats with ice or a fridge on board; ZigZag runs a bar. Red Cat does not supply fins or prescription masks, and Ocean Rafting hires a prescription mask for $25 at check-in.
Compare every tour by where it goes, what it includes and how late you can cancel.
Boats usually sail in rain and wind, with the crew changing the route or the order of the stops. The flights are different: they depend on the weather, so book one early in your stay and leave room to rebook. The hinterland bus runs rain or shine.
A cancellation for weather by the operator is handled under the fare's own terms. Most of the fares refund in full up to 24 hours before, but the Prosail sails and the private charters are non-refundable, so read the terms before you pay. The month-by-month picture is on the weather page.
The lagoon, the beaches, the marinas and the packing advice are Tourism Whitsundays' own, checked 21 September 2026. Stingers, crocodiles and the islands are Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's. Every fare detail is from the operator's own description of that tour.
Seven hours by speedboat to the beach, with a stop at the inlet, a picnic lunch on the sand and snorkel gear with a lesson if you need one. Children from three; not suited to cruise-ship passengers.
From $174 per person
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Ten hours under sail on a big catamaran, with lunch and drinks in the fare, about three hours at the northern end of the beach and a reef snorkel. The lookout walk depends on the tide; cancel three days out.
From $187 per person
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Six hours on a 60-foot sailing catamaran to a fringing reef and the bays of the northern islands, with snorkel gear, paddle boards and a clear-bottom kayak. It does not go to Whitehaven Beach; bring your own drinks.
From $174 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see the free things to do on things to do, find your meeting point on the map, or compare every tour on Airlie Beach Tours.