The short answer
- Fitzroy Island is 29 km off Cairns — about 45 minutes by ferry, and the cheapest boat off the mainland.
- Yes, it's on the Great Barrier Reef, with fringing reef straight off the beach.
- Ferries start around $108 per adult return, with island access included.
- It's a continental island, so it's hilly and forested with real walking tracks.
- Nudey Beach is crushed coral, not sand, and it's the reason most people come.
Fitzroy Island is the cheapest way to get off the mainland from Cairns, and the most active of the island days. It suits people who'd rather walk a headland and snorkel off a beach than sit on a pontoon.
It's also the island people most often misunderstand, so let's start there.
What Fitzroy Island is
A continental island — the top of a drowned coastal mountain, separated from the mainland when sea levels rose. That's a completely different thing from Green Island's coral cay, and it explains everything about the day.
Because it's a mountain, Fitzroy is hilly, forested and much bigger than Green Island, with real walking tracks including a summit climb and a lighthouse road. It has granite headlands, proper rainforest, and beaches in coves rather than a ring of sand.
There's a resort, a campground, a bar and cafe, a kiosk, and the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Outside the resort area it's national park.
Quick picks
Two operators, and a straight comparison against Green Island.
- Best valueFitzroy Island Adventures — from $108See the day →
- With a packageSunlover Fitzroy — from $166See the day →
- Comparing the islandsFitzroy against Green IslandCompare →
On this page
Is Fitzroy Island on the Great Barrier Reef?
Yes. It sits inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, 29 km offshore, and it has fringing reef directly off its beaches — coral growing on the island's own margin.
The distinction worth understanding: Fitzroy's fringing reef is not the same as the outer reef, which sits 40 to 70 km out. Fringing reef is shallower, closer to shore, and more affected by tides and runoff. On a good day the snorkelling off Nudey Beach is genuinely excellent. After heavy rain it can be murky.
So if the reef itself is your priority, do an outer reef day — see our reef tour comparison. If you want an island day where snorkelling is one part of it, Fitzroy is the better value by a wide margin.
How to get to Fitzroy Island from Cairns
29 kilometres, about 45 minutes by ferry from the Reef Fleet Terminal in the city.
| Operator | From | Child | Departs | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy Island Adventures | $108 | $62 | 8:30am | Return ferry and island access. Activities extra. |
| Sunlover Fitzroy | $166 | $110 | 10:15am | Package including snorkel gear, glass-bottom boat and lunch. |
Adult from-prices per our tour pages. Later departures mean less island time; check what suits you.
The choice is straightforward. Ferry-only from $108 if you want to bring your own food and gear and spend nothing else — that makes Fitzroy the cheapest good day available from Cairns. A package from $166 if you'd rather have snorkel gear, a glass-bottom boat trip and lunch handled.
Note the departure times: an 8:30am start gives you meaningfully more island time than 10:15am. If you're going to walk the summit, take the earlier boat.
Nudey Beach
The reason most people come, and worth knowing two things about it.
First, it isn't sand. Nudey Beach is crushed coral — white, coarse, and hard on bare feet. Take reef shoes or sandals. It's also what makes the water so clear.
Second, it isn't a nudist beach, despite the name and the number of people who ask. It's named after a family, not a dress code.
Getting there is a 20 to 25 minute walk from the jetty on a well-formed track, partly through forest. It's the best snorkelling on the island, with fringing reef a short swim out, and it's noticeably quieter than the resort beach because a lot of day visitors don't bother with the walk.
Do Nudey Beach first, not last. Most day visitors drift there after lunch. Walk over as soon as you land, snorkel while it's empty, and come back to the resort beach when the crowd goes the other way.
What to do on Fitzroy Island
Snorkel off Nudey Beach or the resort beach
Fringing reef straight off the sand, no boat needed. Gear hire is available on the island if your ticket is ferry-only.
Walk the summit track
A proper climb to the island's high point with views back to the mainland. Take water, and don't do it at midday in February. The lighthouse road is the gentler alternative.
The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre
A rehabilitation facility for injured green turtles on the island, running guided tours. Genuinely interesting, and a good rainy-hour option.
Kayak or paddleboard
Hire on the beach. The water in the coves is usually flat, and paddling around to a quieter cove is easy.
The glass-bottom boat
Included on the Sunlover package and available separately. The dry way to see the fringing reef.
Do very little
There's a bar, a beach and shade. Fitzroy is one of the few island days where sitting still all afternoon is a legitimate plan.
Is Fitzroy Island safe?
Yes, with the same rules that apply anywhere on this coast.
- Stingers, roughly November to May. There's no netted enclosure on the island. Wear a lycra suit — operators supply them free in season, and they're the best sun protection anyway. See our stinger season guide.
- Crocodiles. This is an offshore island and sightings are very rare. The general rule still applies: don't swim at creek mouths, and follow any signage. Full picture in crocodiles in Cairns.
- Coral cuts. The most likely injury by far, because the reef is shallow and close in. Don't stand on it, wear reef shoes, and keep your fins up.
- The summit track in heat. It's a real climb with no shade at the top. Take water and go early.
- Sun. White crushed coral reflects a startling amount of light. People who never burn, burn at Nudey Beach.
There are no lifeguards, so this is unpatrolled swimming. Stay within your depth and don't swim alone.
What to take to Fitzroy Island
- Reef shoes or sandals — crushed coral is hard underfoot and the entry is rocky in places.
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest. Non-negotiable here.
- Water and food if you're on a ferry-only ticket. There's a kiosk and a cafe, but bringing your own is what makes this the cheap day.
- Your own snorkel gear if you have it, otherwise hire on the island.
- A dry bag, and a towel.
Staying overnight
Fitzroy has both a resort and a campground, which makes it the most accessible island stay from Cairns and considerably cheaper than Green Island.
The argument for it is the same and it's a good one: the day boats leave mid-afternoon, and after that you have a national park island to yourself. Sunset from the beach, no light pollution, and Nudey Beach empty at 7am.
If you're choosing where to spend a night in the region, this competes well with a night on the Tablelands — see where to stay in Cairns.
Fitzroy or Green Island?
They're 2 km apart in distance and completely different days. We've put them side by side — coral cay against continental island, beach against walking tracks.
Compare the two →How we know this
We book both Fitzroy operators and we send guests there most weeks, so the practical notes here — the walk times, the crushed coral, the departure trade-off — come from what people report back. Prices are the adult from-rates on the operators' own tour pages.
There are no lifeguards on the island and swimming is unpatrolled. Follow current signage.
Fitzroy Island: our verdict
The best-value day off the mainland, and the most active of the island trips. 29 km, 45 minutes, ferries from $108 including island access — bring your own food and gear and nothing else costs you anything. It's a continental island, so expect hills, walking tracks and coves rather than a ring of sand. Walk to Nudey Beach early, take reef shoes because it's crushed coral, and wear a lycra suit in stinger season.