Unmissable spots on your Whitsundays Sailing Itinerary

The Whitsundays are a tropical paradise, so it’s safe to say that wherever you go on your Whitsundays sailing itinerary, you’re going to have an amazing time. Beautiful beaches, azure seas, vast and vibrant greens, all while waking up on the water each day and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean each night – it’s like something out of a movie.

In our opinion though, there’s a few unmissable spots and we’ll explain why in more detail:

Whitehaven Beach
Hill Inlet Lookout
Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
Spion Cop (Hike)
Langford Sand Spit
Outer Great Barrier Reef (if possible)

& here’s why…

#1 on your Whitsundays Sailing itinerary: Whitehaven Beach

1. Whitehaven Beach

In 2021, Whitehaven got named the best beach in the entire world – as voted by Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet. If it’s good enough for the world, we imagine you’ll probably like it, too. This beach is like no other, white silica sands that stretch for km’s and the most beautiful coloured ocean we’ve seen. It is an absolutely unmissable stop on your sailing itinerary in the Whitsundays.

As the sand is such high grade silica it’s also a great exfoliant and a natural jewellery shiner! Make sure it’s the real stuff though, if it’s not, it’ll have the reverse affect. That’s one way to put your relationship to the test.

The magical swirling sands of Hill Inlet are truly breathtaking.

2. Hill Inlet Lookout

This place is incredible. The third most photographed spot in Australia and our personal favourite fact? No two photos are ever the same. As it’s influenced by so many factors (i.e. wind, rain, tide, current, cloud cover) it is constantly changing. If you were to visit it within the space of an hour, you would already be able to see a visible difference between your photos.

It looks stunning no matter the height of the tide – when it’s lower the sand banks are more exposed and it turns a greener colour from the mangroves, and on a high tide the sand banks are covered and it’s more blue. However you see it though, it’s a truly breathtaking spot of the Whitsundays.

Next up on our Whitsundays Sailing Itinerary? Snorkelling, of course.

3. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef

A bucket list moment this one. There’s two types of reef in the Whitsundays: the fringing reef which is found in the bays around the islands, and the outer Great Barrier Reef (that’s the giant expanse you can see from outer space).

Home to over 1500 species of fish, 400 species of coral and 4000 species of molluscs, the Great Barrier reef is a underwater oasis. There are quite a few sheltered bays depending on the wind direction, but you can definitely expect to see lots of fish, beautiful coral, might be lucky enough to snag a turtle selfie, and in our winter months you might even spot a manta ray!

If you want the chance of going to the outer reef, make sure your tour offers it because not many do. For Prosail you’ll need to go on one of our 4 day 3 night tours (as opposed to the shorter 3 day 2 night).

Panoramic views of the Whitsunday Islands? Sign us up please.

4. Spion Cop (Hike – South Molle Island)

This hike is super underrated if you ask us. It’s got everything you want from a hike: a contrast of sunny and shaded coverage, panoramic views at different times in all four directions, a couple of epic viewing platforms, and the best part? It’s really not challenging. You’re looking at 2 hours return, maximum, with a gentle incline that everyone feels is achievable.

If you’re looking for a more challenging hike then try adding the Whitsunday Peak or The Cairn to your Whitsundays sailing itinerary.

Short walk, beach chills, epic sunset spot and great for spotting turtles. This ones an all-rounder on the sailing itinerary.

5. Langford Sand Spit

Affectionatly also known as ‘one foot island’ this little sand spit attached to Langford Island can entirely disappear on a high tide and gets re-exposed on a low tide. It’s a cool little chill spot on your Whitsundays sailing itinerary. Pack yourself a little beach bag and watch the sun set, chill out on the beach with some snacks, all while keeping your eyes on the water to see if a turtle pops it’s head up.

There’s also a short walk you can do (approx 15 mins) with views back towards the boat and Hook and Hayman Islands.

How Can I Get More Information?

That’s it for our top 5 on your Whitunsdays sailing itinerary. Have a look at our tours or other articles if you have time – otherqise we have a live chat button at the bottom of your screen, or feel free to contact us by email info@prosail.com.au