Top Things to do in Cooktown
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10 Free Things to do in Cooktown That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Cooktown, Australia including Grassy Hill, Trevethan Falls, Cooktown War Memorial, Cooktown Botanical Gardens, Endeavour Park, Nature's Powerhouse, Keating's Lagoon, Finch Bay, Kuku Bulkaway, Mount Cook National Park.
Restaurants in Cooktown
1. Grassy Hill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 527 reviews
Grassy Hill offers a 360 degree view of Cooktown, the Endeavour River and the Great Barrier Reef. Although now quite heavily forested, Grassy Hill is so known because local aboriginals deliberately burnt the forest on the hill to encourage re-growth of vegetation and draw animals to the area for hunting. The landscape you see today from the top of the hill has changed little since Captain James Cook and the crew of the HMB Endeavour climbed Grassy Hill in 1770 to view the surrounding reefs enabling him to navigate a safe passage. The views today, especially at sunset and sunrise, are still as spectacular as in 1770 making Grassy Hill one of Cooktown's most popular attractions.
Reviewed By coachfos_aus - Atherton, Australia
Grab some Fish and Chips to enjoy a fantastic sunset. 360 degrees views with lighthouse with history of Cooktown to displays. However, get up early and with a quick walk up the hill you will witness the magic sunrise!
2. Trevethan Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By FoodSnobAU - Cairns, Australia
Truely spectacular waterfalls and refreshing swimming hole. Not easy to find, but well worth the effort! A great place to swim and cool off!
3. Cooktown War Memorial
4. Cooktown Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By Handbag67
An oasis to wander around during the heat of the day. Very informative and well presented. Well worth a visit
5. Endeavour Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By joniquelife - Australia, null
There is so much history in the town, we parked the car and then walked down the Main Street going in and out of all the little cute shops and found lots of historical statues along the waterfront, Anzac Park and a new free water park they have opened at the end of town. This is a great place to be with excellent views and small town vibes. It’s also all sealed road from cairns to Cooktown so can be accessed easily by any vehicle or a good spot to leave your caravan while doing a run to the top “Jonique Life” Follow our journey around Australia on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as we highlight wonderful experiences and magical places you can add to your ever growing bucket list.
6. Nature's Powerhouse
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 122 reviews
Nature's PowerHouse, a large interpretive centre stunningly situated within Cooktown's historic Botanic Gardens, houses the nationally significant Vera Scarth-Johnson botanical illustrations, a natural history display, gift store, and café, as well as being the Cook Shire Visitor Information Centre.
Reviewed By Cate8867 - Brisbane, Australia
Family of 5 for lunch- meals good size $14-16 each. “Social Enterprise cafe providing training and opportunities to local people who face barriers to employment”. Was recommended here by a local- arrived without booking for lunch on a Sunday. Very comfortable on the outdoor deck with a slight breeze . Best squid I’ve ever eaten. Family had: vegetarian nachos, BLT, lamb yiros and tomato bruschetta. Total bill with drinks a bit over $80. Definitely recommend it.
7. Keating's Lagoon
8. Finch Bay
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By FoodieJessKa - Cairns, Australia
Finch Bay is a gorgeous secluded beach located just around the corner from the Botanical Gardens either by a short trip in the car or via a hike through the botanical gardens. We chose to drive there from the botanical gardens. I wish we had known about this place earlier, it’s like having your own private beach as long as steer clear of the water as it’s croc country. I can picture a family setting up a picnic for the day here and having fun on the sand. There is a set of stairs with a handrail to access the beach, although a little hard to see, we found it on our departure. There’s also one long drop toilet on site.
9. Kuku Bulkaway
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
Kuku Bulkaway Indigenous Art Gallery is owned and operated by the Yuku Baja Muliku people to display and support local Indigenous artists. All our artwork, jewellery, fashion and traditional implements are made locally by our people, and each item has a unique story. Our gallery is located on Cooktown's main street, or you can shop online, with free shipping anywhere in Australia.
10. Mount Cook National Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 10 reviews
