Whitehaven Beach Guide
Here’s why you will simply love Whitehaven Beach!
Whitehaven Beach has been voted No. 1
Whitehaven Beach is located on Whitsunday Island, which is the largest of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays and close to the great barrier reef. In 2017 it was rated the No 1 beach by the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, in the south Pacific.
Whitehaven Beach is protected!
Being protected by the Whitsundays Islands National Park, its the top ecologically conserved beach in the world. Boasting a pure and pristine environment while having the whitest silica sands you have ever seen. Furthermore Whitehaven displays the most beautiful turquoise waters lapping up against its shores.
Make sure you don’t leave any rubbish on the beach and clean up after yourself!
The silica sands of Whitehaven Beach
Whitehaven’s Beach consists of 98% silica which is well rounded sand and composed of almost pure quartz grains. The sand found here is so pure that it remains somewhat of a mystery to the scientific community. Quartz or silicon dioxide (SiO2) is the most common mineral found on the Earths surface. Quartz is found in rocks like granite, gnesiss and sandstone. Therefore because Whitehaven is nearly entirely made from it, the beach has nearly a luminescent look and feel, while boasting a natural display of outstanding beauty.
Whitehaven’s sand might have helped humanity explore our universe!
There is a well known claim that the sand of Whitehaven is so pure and refined that NASA in fact used the sand to create the glass for the Hubble Telescope back in the 1970’s. Paul Duffield, of London’s independent newspaper, actually contacted NASA to try and confirm or disprove this claim. However after many people on the Hubble project were contacted and due to the time passed since Hubble was built, NASA had difficulty confirming or denying whether this is true. That withstanding they followed with that it could be possible, due to the unique nature of the quartz crystals of Whitehaven Beach. Well that’s enough for us for it to be true, so just go with it.
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Best time to go?
Whitehaven Beach is open for your pleasure all year round. With our weather here in the Whitsundays, there’s no time like the present to see one of natures truly spectacular wonders of the world.
Can I take the sand from Whitehaven Beach home?
Absolutely not! The beach is protected and there is an on the spot fine of $10,000 if you get caught doing this. Please respect our natural wonder and keep this beach as pristine as it is.
Oprah Winfrey loved Whitehaven
The queen of daytime TV visited Whitehaven in 2010 after flying into Hamilton Island on her private jet. Oprah was treated to a barbecue cooked up by celebrity chef Curtis Stone right on the beach. Here’s what she said about our magical beach:
“I will be telling everybody that it is better than anything in a book or a magazine”
“It is a really long trip but it is worth it”
“The people here are really friendly”
“Oh my God, it is so beautiful”
What should you bring to Whitehaven Beach?
If you are sailing there on your own boat then your options are pretty limitless but we thought we would give you the absolute necessities:
- Don’t forget your camera!
- Sunscreen
- Hat & Sunglasses
- Swimwear
- Towel
- Light footwear
- Buy or rent a stinger suit
How to get to there?
We are here to help! There are a number of options available to you, so be sure to check them out. Dont hesitate to give us a call and one of our experienced travel advisers can assist you with finding the best option to your needs.
Flights to the Beach
Heart Reef
Fly & Reef
Heli Tour
Scenic flights over the beach
Fly & Cruise Package
Scenic Flight
Hill Inlet and Whitehaven lookout tours
Multi-hull
Thundercat $189
Fast Rib
Rib Speed Boat
Mono hull
Whitehaven Xpress $190
Speed Boat
Big Fury $170
30 Knt catamaran
Camira $209
Fly & Cruise Package
Heart Reef
Fly & Reef
Tallship
Heli Tour
Fly to Whitehaven
Scenic Flight
From Airlie Beach
Fly to Whitehaven
Heli Tour
Tallship
Heart Reef
30 Knt catamaran
Camira $209
Speed Boat
Big Fury $170
Mono hull
Whitehaven Xpress $190
Rib Speed Boat
Fast Rib
Multi-hull
Thundercat $189
Cruise
Things to do on Whitehaven beach
Walk down the beach and relax
Simply put it, enjoy the beach! Whitehaven is seven kilometres long so there is plenty of space to enjoy yourself. Go for a long walk, have a picnic and top up on your sun tan. Don’`t forget your Sunscreen!
Go swimming and snorkelling
Whitehaven beach’s marine life is equally spectacular, make sure you wear a stinger suit to protect you from jelly fish. See our Whitsunday harmful wildlife guide for more information.
Keep an eye out for turtles!
In the Whitsundays its always turtle season, as they live here all year long. So you have a chance of seeing them if you go snorkelling in the shallows of Whitehaven beach.
Breeding turtles lay their eggs between November and February. They head up onto the beaches in the Whitsundays looking for the perfect place to lay their eggs. Once they have laid their eggs, the mothers, who are 30-40 year old turtles, will visit their nesting spot several more times to check up on their babies.
The hatch-lings can be spotted after January, where they hatch at night crawling down the beach into the ocean guided by a full moon.
Go to the Whitehaven beach lookout
If you want the best view for awesome pictures of Whitehaven, make sure your go to Tongue Point on Whitsunday Island. The best time to do this is by timing your visit at low tide so you can see the incredible variation in colours of the beach and surrounding environment.
Whitehaven Beach tide times
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Check out Hill Inlet
Hill Inlet is one of natures wonders and is located on the northern shore of Whitehaven Beach. If you travel to Whitehaven Beach by boat you will most likely anchor in Tongue bay and you can then walk up the hill to the lookout. The you will have magical views of hill inlet and the beach. As the tides shifts, the white sands and blue-green waters of the inlet blend seamlessly, creating a swirling magical fusion of turquoise hues. Not all operators visit hill inlet and the tongue point lookout so we have listed the operators above that do stop here.
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