Few places in the world put two UNESCO-listed treasures within reach of a single day. Offshore from Port Douglas lies the Great Barrier Reef; behind it rise the hills of the Daintree Rainforest, considered the oldest tropical rainforest on the planet. In between lies a seaside village in tropical Queensland, peaceful and well kept, where palm trees shade a main street you can walk in a few minutes.

Arriving by sea

Ships anchor offshore and bring their passengers ashore by tender to the marina, at the end of Macrossan Street, the main thoroughfare. Five to ten minutes on foot is enough to reach the cafés, galleries and shops downtown. This shortcut is a rare luxury: here, there is no need for a shuttle or a long drive; the port call begins right at the tender's gangway.

Four Mile Beach and the Flagstaff Hill lookout

At the end of the main street, Four Mile Beach unfurls a curve of firm sand lined with coconut palms, so long that walkers seem to dissolve into the sea haze. Early risers meet joggers and a few horseback riders. During the southern summer, a stinger net protects swimmers from jellyfish, as is customary on the beaches of tropical Queensland. In the opposite direction, a trail climbs in about fifteen minutes to the Flagstaff Hill lookout: the view then takes in the entire beach, the Coral Sea and the mountains of the Daintree, a panorama that alone explains why ships drop anchor here.

The outer reef, in the heart of the Coral Sea

From the marina, fast catamarans speed out to the Agincourt Reefs, on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. On pontoons moored offshore, everyone chooses their own way to approach the underwater gardens: snorkelling among parrotfish and giant clams, an underwater observatory or a supervised introductory dive. Less confident swimmers enjoy the sunny deck and the talks by marine biologists on board. These outings take up the whole day and are timed to fit ship schedules; book them early, as they are the main event of the port call.

Mossman Gorge, the gateway to the Daintree

About twenty minutes away by road, the Mossman River rushes between granite boulders at the foot of a dense forest. Suspended walkways cross the canopy, and guides from the Kuku Yalanji people, guardians of these lands for millennia, explain the uses of plants and the stories tied to the land. The community-run visitor centre provides a shuttle to the trails, and the river's cool water offers an invigorating swim after the humidity of the trail. It is the simplest way to set eyes on the world's oldest forest without straying far from the ship.

The village, between chapel and market

Back in the centre, the little white chapel of St Mary's by the Sea, set facing the water, frames the sea in its altar window; weddings follow one another here for this view alone. On Sundays, a market sets up under the mango trees of the neighbouring park: tropical fruit, macadamia nuts, crafts and musicians give the village the air of a neighbourhood festival. The terraces of Macrossan Street serve local prawns and grilled barramundi, and a nearby wildlife park lets those who stay in the village get close to koalas and cassowaries.

When it is time to re-embark, the sun sinks behind the mountains of the Daintree and tints the bay with coppery reflections. You leave with salt on your skin, your head full of coral images and the strange feeling of having visited two worlds in a single day. Few ports of call keep such a promise.