Port Douglas Markets
Operating for over 20 years, the Port Douglas Markets are as much a tourist attraction as they are a local institution. Held every Sunday on the waterfront at Anzac Park from 8am until 1.30pm, the park buzzes for five and half magical hours, drawing thousands of customers to browse over 100 stalls.
There is no better way to spend a Sunday morning than savoring some of the delicious locally grown and produced foods while admiring arts and crafts, exquisite jewelry, handmade furniture, and toys or listening to the many buskers that delight the crowds.
Not only is a visit to the Port Douglas Market a must due to their fine fare, there is simply no other market in Australia that has such a beautiful backdrop. Bordered by the Dickinson Inlet and Wharf Street, as shoppers browse the stalls they also enjoy views of the Coral Sea and breathtaking mountain ranges.
The Port Douglas Market is totally unique compared to other markets. In 1998 it was decided that it would be a "Cotters Market." This means that each item for sale has been made or grown by the locally based stallholder or an immediate member of the stallholder's family. Shoppers are guaranteed that each piece is a one-of-a-kind as the strict stipulations ensure that anything mass produced must not be sold. So proud and excited to showcase their creative and culinary talents, just after sunrise stallholders begin to set up their booths so they are ready to greet the first wave of early Sunday morning shoppers.
A favorite weekly gathering place for locals and a great place for tourists to submerge themselves in Tropical North Queensland culture, a trip to the Port Douglas Markets is certainly one not to be missed.