Shopping in North Queensland

Shopping is a relaxed affair in Tropical North Queensland. Put on some comfortable shoes and spend the day visiting the regions shopping centres, browse the boutique and vintage stores or stroll through the vibrant weekebnd markets in the beachside villages.

Cairns Esplanade Markets

(Every Saturday, 8am–4pm)

You’ll find this marketplace in one of the most visually beautiful spots in Cairns city, right by the busy hub of the Cairns Lagoon, a man-made swimming pool on the foreshore. It accommodates a mixture of bright and colourful market stalls selling your usual tropical trinkets, hand-made clothing, art works and jewellery. 

Rusty's Market, Cairns

(Friday & Saturday, 5am–6pm; Sunday, 5am–3pm)

Every Friday to Sunday since 1975, Rusty’s Market has been supplying Cairns locals with their fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s the first point of call for juicy mangoes as they come into season and home to fresh, local coffee, French patisseries, Vietnamese food vendors and more. In recent years, Rusty’s has become quite a trend-setter and is also home to an assortment of culinary delights and street food with a range of pop-up food truck style eateries now available.

Palm Cove Markets

(First Sunday every month (Apr – Dec), 8am–2pm)

Plonked under 500-year-old melaleuca trees, right on the beachfront of picturesque Palm Cove, these monthly markets are a big drawcard for the seaside village, enticing people to give their poolside day-beds a miss in lieu of massages by the beach and stalls featuring tropical clothing and hand-made wares. Team your morning at the markets with brunch at one of the restaurants along the esplanade or bring your fishing rod and throw a line in at the jetty before cooking your catch at one of the free BBQ stations and picnic areas along the esplanade.

Port Dougals Markets

(Sundays 8:30am-1pm)

the Port Douglas Markets are famously positioned on the waterfront of Port Douglas’ iconic promenade. Filled with art, locally sourced produce including sauces, jams, fruit and vegetables and more, these well-established stalls have been delighting visitors from all over the world as they discover the essence of Port Douglas and its colourful characters. Grab a refreshing drink of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice or crack a coconut before picking up a bite to eat at one of the food trucks.

Cooktown Markets

(Sundays 7am-11am)

The Cooktown Markets are a great place to meet local characters full of stories and regional knowledge – and find a souvenir or two. Like the town itself, the markets are full of hidden treasures and you’ll want to come here for fresh local fruits, chutneys, hand-made trinkets and natural soaps and creams. For a bite to eat, head to nearby Coffee Kitchen Riverside, famous for their pie flavours.