If you’re heading to the Whitsundays, be sure to include a visit to Hydeaway Bay! A true hidden gem, this post will share information about the area, how to get there, what to do and where to stay.
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An introduction to Hydeaway Bay
Hydeaway Bay, also known as Hideaway Bay, is a tiny coastal town hidden at the end of a no-through road, north of Airlie Beach. The name is often used as a catch-all, including the other small neighbouring towns of Dingo Beach and Cape Gloucester. I use the word town loosely because this area is really just a beautiful stretch of deserted beach, with a few houses, a handful of shops and that’s about it!
Historically, this area was used as a summer holiday place for farmers working inland. With a few tiny beach shacks back in the day, the area has developed a little more than that, but not much! True to its name, this hidden gem is the perfect spot for a hideaway. If you are coming from Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays Islands, this is the perfect spot to slow down, relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. We can guarantee you will find it here!
Throw in pristine, secluded, and usually empty beaches and you have the perfect recipe for relaxation.
How to get to Hydeaway Bay
We visited Hydeaway Bay as part of a day trip from Airlie Beach. It takes approximately 45 minutes to drive here from Airlie Beach, and there is only one road going in! Follow Gregory Cannon Valley Road, and keep your eyes peeled for the turnoff on Dingo Beach Road. This will take you all the way to the coast. You have the option to turn off left before you hit the beach to head to Hydeaway Bay and Cape Gloucester, or continue straight and right, towards Nelly Bay Beach and Dingo Beach.
🚘 Need to hire a car in Airlie Beach? Find one here
You really need your own wheels to visit Hydeaway Bay, as there is little to no public transport in the area. The drive there was part of the experience, passing through the typical northern Queensland sugar cane fields.
Hydeaway Bay Beaches
The main attraction in Hydeaway Bay is the beaches. Sparkling clear blue, calm waters. Long stretches of golden sand lined with palm trees. And lush green mountains of the surrounding area and islands everywhere you look! So rather than sharing a list of things to do, I am going to give you a rundown of each of the beaches, and the facilities that you can find there. The beaches are listed from south to north, and if you want to visit all of them, I would recommend doing so in this order.
Nelly Bay Beach
You will pass through the tiny town of Dingo Beach to get to Nelly Bay Beach. If you’re using Google Maps, you won’t find ‘Nelly Bay Beach’. But if you search for ‘Nelly Bay’ or ‘Nelly Bay Dune Management Area’ you will come to a small car park. There are no facilities at this beach. But what you will find is an untouched stretch of sand, with no one else in sight! Those beautiful mountains are everywhere you look, and the water here was calm and still.
We didn’t spend too long here, but it was an absolutely stunning beach, and it would have been the perfect spot to set up for a lazy afternoon reading a book and lapping up the scenery.
Dingo Beach
Dingo Beach Road will take you straight into the town of Dingo Beach. There is a little bit more going on in Dingo Beach, with a general store and a pub, Dingo Beach Hotel. We didn’t eat here, but the pub was in a great location and the outdoor seating would have had ocean views.
The Dingo Beach foreshore area has public toilets and showers, picnic tables, and a public boat ramp. The Great Dingo Beach Escape (also known as Dingo Beach Watersports in Google Maps) offers a variety of hire gear and a ton of local knowledge about the area and bay. You can hire boats (I believe there are options for those with or without a boat license), as well as kayaks and snorkel gear. Be sure to call ahead and lock in your boat, as demand can be high and boats are limited in peak holiday seasons.
Hydeaway Bay Beach
To get to Hydeaway Bay Beach from Dingo Beach you need to drive away from the coast for a short distance. Before turning off on Hydeaway Bay Drive. In terms of amenities, there is a caravan park in Hydeaway Bay, which has a small general store, but that’s about it! You will see many beach houses with vacation rental signs out the front, but no other shops or tourist facilities.
There is a small car park, for access to the beach. The beach itself is a beautiful stretch of sand, over 1.5 km long. Again, there wasn’t another soul in sight, and the scenery is breathtaking. The water looked very inviting, and you can snorkel right off the beach. We don’t recall seeing any toilet block at the beach here, but we could be wrong!
Montes Beach
From Hydeaway Bay, continue on Gloucester Avenue, which turns into a dirt road (fine in a 2WD). The road will take you to the final beach in the Hydeaway Bay area, Montes Beach.
Montes Beach is not a public beach. It is inside the Montes Reef Resort. There is good signage marking the turn-off to the beach, and all the signs include ‘guests welcome’. We had a bit of a weird experience when we visited this beach.
Our strange experience at Montes Beach…
We parked and arrived at the resort, and it was one of those awkward situations where you’re not sure what you’re allowed to do without being a guest.
You arrive at the entrance to their on-site restaurant. And we assumed that we would need to eat or drink something to use the beach here. Fair enough, and pretty common practice in other countries around the world but it is a bit unusual for Australia. We asked if we could go for a walk on the beach and swim, before coming into the restaurant for a drink.
We were told that was fine. Montes Beach is famous online for its beautiful palm trees growing on the sand. With one particular palm growing at an angle, with the stunning mountains in the background. We of course wanted to take some photos here. So we set up our towels and got the camera and drone out.
Moments later another staff member came up to rudely tell us that we were at a private resort, and we had to make use of the restaurant to enjoy the beach. We told him we had already spoken to someone in the restaurant and he reluctantly backed off. But it left us feeling weird and like we weren’t allowed to be there. We packed up and headed to the restaurant to order one cocktail each, before heading off.
But don’t be put off visiting because…
This place was PARADISE. Seriously, I can’t describe how stunning this hidden little beach resort was. It felt like we had stepped onto a Thai island. The water was so blue and calm. There are lush mountainous islands off in the distance. And of course, palm trees on the sand, with hammocks strung up.
It was heaven! There are small beach huts lining the sand, and it looked like the most perfect spot to escape and unwind. The restaurant was all open air, with bar stools lined up overlooking the ocean. Shells hanging and swaying in the breeze. Complete heaven! We would absolutely love to come back here and spend a whole week in a beachfront cabin, lapping up the serenity and scenery.
So it was such a shame that we had such a weird experience. As I mentioned, all the signs leading into the resort mentioned guests were welcome, so I think they need to be more clear about what day visitors are entitled to do, and how much they need to spend to do it. We would have happily paid an entrance fee, or minimum spend type arrangement to enjoy this slice of paradise if necessary.
Regardless, if you are in the area I would encourage you to go and visit Montes. Perhaps just having a drink or a bite to eat in the restaurant is the best option. Rather than setting up on their beach. Or, if you have the time, stay a night or more!
Cape Gloucester
I’m not sure if this is classified as another official beach in the area. But there is a second resort a little further down the road past Montes. Cape Gloucester Resort also offers a restaurant and a bar, which I believe are open to day visitors. After our strange experience at Montes, we didn’t continue down the road, but I wish that we had. I’m sure the vibe and scenery would have been very similar to Montes. And maybe the service would have been better! It looks like there is also a beachfront pool at the Cape Gloucester Resort, which may or may not be open to day visitors.
This seems to be a similar secluded beachfront resort to Montes, and we would love to go back and check it out on our next visit to the Whitsundays.
Other things to do in Hydeaway Bay
The main attraction in Hydeaway Bay is by far the stunning beaches, and peace and quiet. But there are a couple of other things to do in this area when visiting.
OMG Hill
This beautiful lookout is on the way down to Montes and Cape Gloucester Resort. Just as the road turns dirt, you will see a small area to pull into. There are stunning views over the bay and surrounding islands, and it’s well worth the stop. Look for ‘OMG Hill’ in Google Maps.
Stay for sunset
Unfortunately, we didn’t stick around for sunset but we wish we had! We hear the sunsets here are famous, and you can see the sunset over the water. A rarity for the east coast of Australia! Either of the resorts would be a great place to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand!
Walk to Blackcurrant Island
Blackcurrant Island is a small island between Dingo Beach and Hydeaway Bay. The island is connected to the mainland by a sand dune and mangrove area. We didn’t do this and haven’t found too much information about it. But it looks possible to walk over to the island at the right tide and go for a bushwalk. The Great Dingo Beach Escape can provide information about bushwalks in the area and Blackcurrant Island.
Go out on a fishing charter
If you’re a keen angler without a boat, you can head out on a charter with Reel Addiction Sports Fishing Charters. You can choose from a 3/4 or full-day charter, departing from the Cape Gloucester Resort. For the 3/4 option, you can enjoy lunch at Cape Gloucester Resort on your return. Either something from the menu or have your catch cooked up! And for full-day charters, you will have lunch on the boat, prepared by the chefs at the resort.
Camp on Gloucester Island
If you want to get even further away from it all, you can camp on some of the surrounding islands of the Gloucester Islands group. A national park, the campgrounds are run by Queensland Parks. There are a couple of different sites on Gloucester Island and a couple on neighbouring islands. Bona Bay Campground on Gloucester Island has the most facilities.
With composting toilets, picnic tables and a shelter shed. To get out to the islands, you will need to have your own boat or organise a drop-off with The Great Dingo Beach Escape. Campers need to be self-sufficient and carry in and out everything they need.
Tips for visiting Hydeaway Bay
Quiet and seclusion are some of the perks of this hidden gem. But it also means a bit of pre-planning is required for your visit. Here are some tips to consider before your visit.
- 🩱 Marine stingers may be present in the ocean from October – May. You will need a stinger suit, and would probably need to bring your own with you. Otherwise, Dingo Bay Beach has an enclosed swimming area for stinger season.
- 🤿 BYO snorkels. You can jump in the water from any of the beaches and walk out to the fringing reef. But come prepared, snorkels aren’t readily available.
- 💧 Bring water and snacks with you. There are no grocery stores, just a few convenience/general stores. You can get lunch at the resorts, but for nibbles throughout the day it’s best to bring your own.
- 🎲 Bring everything you need to keep yourself occupied. The beauty of this place is that there is not much to do at all! But be sure to bring whatever you use to relax – a book, beach games, magazine etc.
- 🏝️ Allocate at least a day to enjoy this area. We crammed this in with a visit to Bowen in one day and it was far too much. There was no time to relax on the beach and enjoy chilling out and doing nothing. We would recommend at least a full day here, which would include plenty of down time and a slow, lazy lunch at one of the resorts. And of course stay for sunset!
Where to stay in Hydeaway Bay
We are already dreaming about returning to this area, to stay a few days and completely bliss out in such a beautiful setting. If we went back, these would be our top choices for accommodation.
Hydeaway Bay Caravan Park
If you’re road-tripping, this caravan park was a stone’s throw to the beach. Nestled in a beach setting, plenty of wildlife regularly pop by to say hello. There are powered and unpowered sites, a kiosk on-site, BBQs and a fire pit.
Montes Reef Resort
Despite our awkward experience here, we would be back in a flash to stay in their beachfront cabins. They are fully self-contained with kitchens, all with beachfront balconies, and there are one and two-bedroom options.
🏩 Check Prices and Book Montes Reef Resort Here
Cape Gloucester Resort
Similarly beachfront, Cape Gloucester Resort offers motel-style rooms, studio cabins and two-bedroom cabins. They all have some kitchen facilities, and the resort itself has a restaurant, bar and pool.
Hydeaway Bay guide
It is so rare these days to stumble across somewhere that is so naturally beautiful, yet untouched by tourism. Hydeaway Bay is this place, and it is a true slice of secluded paradise in the Whitsundays. Every now and then it is so refreshing to go somewhere where the best thing to do is nothing. And there is no pressure to be exploring every day. We can’t wait to come back to Hydeaway Bay to spend a few days soaking up this little slice of heaven!
📍 Need more Whitsundays travel info? Check out our guides to Airlie Beach and Bowen
The Comments
Norman
This is a very good overview
Not complicated not full of tourist jargon just straight up experience – great to understand the area
Even the problem accessing the beach thro the Resort – it’s what you should know/ learn.
Well done
Norm j
Sally Rodrick
NormanThanks Norman, glad you found it helpful! Our first visit was a few years ago, not sure things have changed with the resort. I hope they have as its beautiful but I’d love to hear your experience. All the best!