Travelling from Cairns to Port Douglas could take a quick hour, but why drive in the fast lane when the unhurried route offers so much more?

Take a day instead of minutes, one week instead of one hour, and unwind while you explore.

The leisurely route along the Captain Cook Highway deserves to be enjoyed.

Drive it like a local, stopping to gaze into the endless view, slurp on a tropical fruit ice cream and listen to the breeze rustling through the palm trees.

Flying in over a patchwork of deep green to Cairns to enjoy a weekend in this vibrant city is the perfect way to start.

Position yourself on the Esplanade and you’ll not only have Coral Sea views at Crystalbrook Flynn, but you are also within easy walking distance of great dining.

With relaxing rainforest showers, an in-room Nespresso machine, king-sized beds, free, fast Wi-Fi and not one but two glass swimming pools, your holiday starts here.

A morning and evening stroll along the waterside boardwalk quickly works you into the local rhythm. With adults and children happily splashing about, it is easy to see why the sandy beaches of the Esplanade Lagoon are such a popular spot.

Still, others prefer to relax under shady trees and hear the lorikeets chattering.

Cairns is filled with excellent dining and bars worth finding. For locally caught prawns and the freshest seafood, pull up a crate at the trawler boat dining experience of Prawn Star.

An aerial view of the Cook Highway.

Sophisticated dining with marina-edge views awaits at Salt House, where you’ll enjoy premium Atherton Tablelands beef.

At Dundee’s, it’s dining with a difference with a 70,000-litre saltwater marine aquarium as the backdrop.

It’s just a hint of what you’ll see inside at the Cairns Aquarium.

Try Whiskey & Wine at Crystalbrook Flynn for a sunset drink and settle back with a Toffee Apple Sour to watch the sea turn pink.

From exotic fruits to high-altitude coffee and tea, tropical north Queensland is a region where your taste buds will dance with the flavours.

The best way to explore is to take it easy with expert guide Konrad Borowiecki on a No Limits Adventures Cairns Tablelands Tasting Tour.

This is a whole day trip into the hinterland, stopping to taste Davidson’s plum fruits and native raspberries at tropical orchard Rainforest Heart and lunch at organic Mungalli Creek Biodynamic Dairy.

You’ll talk with coffee farmers at Crater Mountain Coffee, sip their finest brew, try locally distilled spirits at Mount Uncle Distillery and relax over a beer with a cane-field view at Macalister Brewing Co.

Next, hop in the car for a 30-minute drive to the north. It’s almost an outer suburb of Cairns but Palm Cove is more like another world.

This cosy seaside village will seduce you with its long stretch of gentle, palm-fringed beach flanked by lofty paperbarks and its boutique shopping.

The Palm Cove esplanade.

Stay at the tropical haven of Peppers Palm Cove, a peaceful beachside sanctuary filled with vibrant green foliage topped with rich red and orange blooms.

Just another 30 minutes’ drive north is Port Douglas, offering yet another version of a tropical getaway. For five-star luxury, holiday at Sheraton Grand Mirage Port Douglas.

This resort, set on 147ha of manicured grounds, oozes understated elegance. There are 2ha of lagoon pools surrounding the stylish, recently refurbished rooms.

Begin the day with a stroll along Four Mile Beach, which is actually 4km long. It’s just on the resort’s doorstep.

Then, venture out and test your stamina through a Swim with the Salties experience at Wildlife Habitat’s CrocArena.

Eat at Harrisons, where chef Spencer Patrick treats premium North Queensland produce with a touch of his trademark English flair. But there’s more local food to explore when local chef Peter Davidson takes you on his culinary tour, Port on a Plate. You’ll sip freshly pressed cane juice overlooking cane fields, pick up premium local produce, sample barramundi sashimi at a barramundi farm and enjoy lunch at a tropical winery.

When your week is over, don’t hurry along the 70km highway back to Cairns.

This is one of Australia’s most scenic drives where the rainforest meets the sea. Looking for a lunch stop on your journey home?

Awarded Best Destination Dining in the Gourmet Traveller 2022 Awards, Oaks Kitchen & Garden is 15 minutes’ drive south of Port Douglas in Oak Beach. It offers a south-east Asian inspired chef’s table dining experience and cooking classes.

After a week in the tropical climes of Cairns, Palm Cove and Port Douglas, you’ll discover that the only thing weighing on your mind is when can you return. It’s addictive.

Photos Tourism & Events Queensland

Plan your tropical north Queensland holiday with RACQ Travel