When Is The Best Time To Visit Airlie Beach And The Whitsundays

When is the best time of year to visit Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays?

Spring is the best time to visit, more specifically, the months of September to November because the weather is perfect and town is pumping.

Why?

Weather

Weatherwise this is our best time of year because it’s hot, but not too humid for our friends that are not used to tropical heat. The humidity only starts to ramp up around the end of spring which makes for nice cool nights for the majority of the season.

Average daily temperatures in Spring hover around 27 degrees which is ideal for sipping a cocktail by the pool or heading out to explore The Whitsundays. when is the best time of year to visit airlie beach and the whitsundays (1)

Sea Conditions

Spring is by far the best time to be out on the water in The Whitsundays because we will normally get very calm sea conditions, clear water, no rain and clear blue skies. This combines to make a day on the ocean look as good as the brochures. Our tour boats Tongarra and Thundercat were both built specifically for cruising The Whitsundays which makes them great in bad weather and exceptional in good weather! thundercat whitsundays

Marine Life

At the start of spring, we can still have humpback whales hanging around. They tend to go south as our temperature heats up, but there will normally be a few male humpback whales to see in September. when is the best time of year to visit airlie beach and the whitsundays (2)

Airlie Beach Activities

The big event for us here in Spring is The Airlie Beach Music Festival which officially runs from the 5th to the 7th of November. In the lead up to the festival, you will find many restaurants and bars hosting live musicians all day and night. Officially there are 74 bands playing in honour of the 74 islands in The Whitsundays.

The live acts are spread throughout 18 venues along the main street of Airlie Beach, which means you will only have to walk 20 meters to hear the next act.

The party in Airlie Beach at this time is second to none as our main street basically becomes a festival of live acoustic music. Acoustic really is the theme of this festival as it fits with our relaxed attitude. You will be hard-pressed to find a DJ ‘playing’ during the Airlie Beach Music Festival. when is the best time of year to visit airlie beach and the whitsundays (3)

Is It Safe To Swim In Airlie Beach in Spring

In Spring, it’s very safe to swim at our beaches. The jellyfish don’t normally arrive until summer and even still, it takes northerly winds to blow them onshore. Even still, it is possible to have box jellyfish stings all year round, which is why we recommend swimming in the lagoon or inside the netted area at Boathaven Beach.

Summary

So there you have it. Pretty conclusive evidence as to why the Spring months are the best to visit Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays.

Try not to write off the other months though as you really can have a great time here in any month of the year. If you are planning to visit in Spring then make sure you book super early as it is our peak time and accommodation and tours can be hard to get at the last minute. when is the best time of year to visit airlie beach and the whitsundays (4)