Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island: Things to do, snorkel & kayak hire

The best things to do at Catseye Beach on Hamilton Island, Queensland, include walking on the sand flats, snorkelling the fringing reef and hiring a kayak.

Catseye Beach is the most popular beach on Hamilton Island, Queensland. This is because it’s on the resort side of the island, and an easy walk from the hotels.

Catseye Beach sand flats

It’s not just about ease of access, though. This is a properly beautiful white sand Whitsundays beach. This is particular the case at low tide when the sand flats are exposed. You can wander out onto the flats beyond the long, curving beach and see the island.

Catseye Beach on Hamiton Island, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

The other string to Catseye Beach’s bow is the watersports options. This is where Hamilton Island Beach Sports is based, and you can hire out paddleboards, kayaks, windsurfers and snorkelling equipment.

Half an hour in a double kayak costs $20, while it’s $30 for an hour’s kayak rental. The stand-up paddleboards cost the same.

3 Hamilton Island experiences worth booking in advance

Full day Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tour.
Full day Great Barrier Reef cruise to Reefworld pontoon – with underwater viewing gallery.
Private charter romantic sunset cruise.

Catseye Beach snorkel hire

If you’d prefer to go snorkelling on the fringing reef around Catseye Beach, you can hire snorkel, mask and fins from Hamilton Island Beach Sports. The set costs $20 per day, so if you’re planning on snorkelling at Catseye Beach, you’re better off bringing your own from home.

There are, of course, plenty of other things to do on Hamilton Island. These include buggy hire, quad bike tours, reef cruises, sunset cocktails on One Tree Hill and visiting koalas and kangaroos at the island’s wildlife park. Ways of getting to the island include flights from Brisbane or taking a day trip from Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island aboard the Hamilton Island ferry.