Lizard Island Travel Guide
Lizard Island accommodation, Lizard Island activities and attractions, Lizard Island maps, transportation to and around Lizard Island - the ALL NEW Jasons Lizard Island Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Lizard Island.
Lizard Island is a beautiful island positioned in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef in
Tropical North Queensland. Located 93km north east of
Cooktown and 27km from the
Queensland coast, Lizard Island is steeped in history – from the original occupation of the Dyiigurra and Dingall Aboriginal People who used the island for initiation and featured it in their Dreamtime stories, to Captain Cook's discovery of the Islands, to the tourist spot and a scientific centre that exists today. If visiting the island, take time to discover its fascinating past.
The coral reefs have always been Lizard Island's main attraction. Rising from the blue waters of the Great Barrier Reef to the north of Cooktown, Lizard Island has been attracting the world’s top marine biologists for nearly three decades. The island has become home to one of the most important reef research stations in the world.
James Cook was the first European to set foot on the island as he found himself trapped in the labyrinth of reefs surrounding the island. He saw numerous lizards – now known to the Gould’s sand monitor – which led him to name the island Lizard Island. In the 1860’s the island became a haven for beche de mer fishermen who found the waters contained substantial quantities of the asian delicacy, the sea cucumber. Declared a national park in 1939, the island is now popular with deep-sea fisherman and tourists who come to oogle the stunning reef.
The island is also popular with day trippers, who can enjoy any number of the 24 secluded beaches laced with white powdery sand, coconut trees and crystal blue ocean.