Cooktown makes for an excellent day trip or overnight stay from Port Douglas. Guided tours, typically by 4WD vehicle, take visitors through the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Daintree National Park and across the Daintree River to the historic settlement. Tours often include free time to explore the town and its attractions, including the statue of Captain Cook looking out to sea from Bicentennial Park, the James Cook Museum, Grassy Hill Lookout, and the Botanic Gardens.
Cooktown is the last major settlement on Australia’s east coast before entering the wilderness of Far North Queensland. Most people arrive by car or camper, and the nearest major international airport is in Cairns, some 185 miles (300 kilometers) to the south.
Cooktown has a tropical climate with very little seasonal variation throughout the year. The best time to visit is during the dry season, between May and November, when rainfall is scarce and temperatures are cool.
James Cook made landfall in what is now Cooktown to repair the hull of his ship after striking the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cape Tribulation. He and his crew went on to spend more than 40 days in the area. Some historians consider this Australia’s first non-Indigenous settlement, although it wasn’t officially founded until 1873.