Cardwell lies in the heart of the Great Green Way driving route, and is the gateway to Hinchinbrook Island – the largest Island National Park in Australia. Made up of a diverse range of landscapes, Cardwell is the perfect place to relax or be adventurous.
Settled in 1864, Cardwell was the first settlement north of Bowen and is the only town in the world where two world heritage listed areas adjoin. The first being the wet tropics world heritage area, starting north of Townsville and finishing south of Cooktown. And the second - the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park world heritage area.
Cardwell offers a range of attractions, site seeing, annual events and historical places to visit. The Cardwell Rainforest and Reef Visitor Information Centre has a magnificent interpretative display capturing all the flora and fauna native to the area. Staff at the Centre provide expert advice on points of interest, along with information on the region's history. Cardwell also offers a wide range of accommodation.
Cardwell's Port Hinchinbrook provides a state of the art Marina, public boat ramp and repairs and maintenance facilities for anglers and boaties. It is widely acknowledged that Cardwell is ranked second to none when it comes to all-weather and all-tide boating and fishing in the north. The public boat ramp is free of charge. With 22 islands off the coast and the spectacular Hinchinbrook channel offering 45 kilometres of fully protected boating and fishing- it's a boaties paradise.
Cardwell lies about an hour's drive south of Mission Beach.
