The Cairns Lagoon: An unforgettable experience
Individuals with daring, bold, and spontaneous nature might prefer something adventurous, like hiking or surfing. For others, having a relaxing and quality time is more preferable, such as spending vacations in some vintage towns around the gloriously dreamy France or Europe. However, beach appeals to everyone, and the biggest question is “What makes an ideal beach site?”. It is hard to give a specific answer, since it depends on personal preferences and national pride; but I’d put forward one suggestion that might offer tourists a possible option for their holiday: The Cairns Lagoon.
Australia is so well-known for its climate that tourism seems to grow non-stop. Attracting millions of visitors every year, Australia is home to a variety of species and unique natural habitats, including national tropical parks and beaches. This time beaches are not the main discussion in this article, since I’m writing about a man-made swimming pool right in the heart of a tropical climate surrounded by ocean and national parks, a pool in the most natural sense. Let’s dig deeper into The Cairns Lagoon to see why it deserves a big article like this.
A standard swimming pool would be 100 meters in length with rows separating each swimming lane and flags to signal the swimmer when to turn if swimming in backstroke style. This kind of pool could be built either indoor or outdoor, but it is still a pool for practice and competitions. For The Cairns Lagoon, it has no such things. The pool is completely connected with an open environment, giving that natural vibes for tourists when immersing themselves in the water. If you reach the furthest point of the pool, you’re just a few steps away from the real beach, but who would risk swimming in that beach?
One of the reasons why this pool deserves an article of its own is because of the danger in Australia. Beaches here are full of stingers - jellyfish that could harm you or, in the worst case, kill you. Therefore, with the exception of the Great Barrier Reef, swimming in beaches we don’t know can be a risky gamble. This is why the Lagoon swimming pool was born: to give travelers the most relaxing and quality time of their visit, and it does fulfill its roles.
In the heart of Cairns lies the Cairns Esplanade that is a scenic 2.5km under control by the Cairns Regional COuncil and free for the public along the waterfront of the Coral Sea. With increasing popularity over the years, the Cairns Esplanade definitely ranks high in the list of must-visit places among locals and visitors, whose demands require parklands, playgrounds, and recreational facilities, all of which are packed within the Esplanade. Another extra point is the swimming destination that is safe and spectacular in which visitors can relax under the burning sun in the middle of the day. Despite an overwhelming number of nearby restaurants and coffee shops near the Esplanade, visitors and locals would prefer to have an on-the-spot picnic right inside the pool under the huge Banyan Trees. On the right of the Swimming Lagoon, along the boardwalk, are 12 BBQ facilities with careful maintenance and cleaning daily and availability for use during the day.
Opening from 6:00 am to 10:00 am everyday, visitors can choose to stay in the pool all day if they wish, though this is not advisable health-wise. This policy of opening the whole day caters for every type of visitors, from those wanting to bath under the sun to those wanting to chill when the sun goes down. With that being said, we’ll get into accommodations with specific details for you to consult easier.
Accommodations:
1. Mantra Trilogy Cairns
With a surprisingly close distance from Cairns Lagoon and restaurants, Mantra Trilogy Hotel and Apartments is an ideal hotel for visitors to stay during their visit. This hotel is known for its views to Cairns Harbour and Hinterland, and it surely won’t disappoint even the most demanding customers
Mantra Trilogy Cairns offers a range of accommodation options including Hotel Rooms, and self contained 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Holiday Apartments. Enjoy views over Cairns Esplanade from the outdoor Swimming Pool, or build up a sweat at the fitness centre - all in the heart of Cairns.
- Price: from $ 137 AUD
2. Mantra Esplanade Cairns Resort
You probably ask yourself:”Which hotel should I choose if I want to be in the heart of the city’s action?” Well there you go, Mantra Esplanade Resort Cairns is the perfect choice for you. The moment you step outside, you will be overwhelmed with restaurants and BBQ’s waiting for you to come. This place is definitely a no-brainer when it comes to choosing the perfect place to stay.
What makes this hotel so outstanding is the range of customers it could serve. From business travelers, families of all sizes, adventurers, or even newly-wed couples, accommodations and plenty of things to do are always on offer, especially when staying at Mantra Esplanade. And do not forget the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s seven wonders, where you could experience first-hand the joy of seeing reefs and underwater creatures. If you’re an avid shopper, Cairns Central Shopping Center is the ultimate attraction that you cannot resist.
- Price: from $147 AUD
3. Breakfree Royal Harbour Holiday Apartments Cairns
A more accessible place for middle-class travelers, this accommodation is located central right in the middle of the famous Esplanade, which overlooks the ocean and, especially, is situated right on top of the very popular Cairns Night Markets. No transportation is needed, as the 5-star position makes this hotel accessible to every Cairn attraction.
The Holiday Apartments offer views of Cairns infamous Marlin Marina boat harbour, the Cairns Esplanade Parklands and the popular lagoon swimming pool (which is a sandy, lifeguard patrolled swimming area that can hold 1000 people at a time!) is just across the street from your Cairns accommodation.
Other activities right outside your hotel are the very popular Esplanade Parklands, including kilometres of walking/ jogging and cycling tracks, a children’s playground and water-park called Muddy's playground, a skateboard park and competition style beach volleyball courts, gym work out stations and acres of soft green grass on the beachfront and an amphitheatre that comes alive with local musicians, festivals and markets each night and weekend.
- Price: from $135 AUD
Other belongings that should be brought with during the vacation:
1. Books
Definitely a go-to choice if you wish to fully enjoy the beach-like vibes. Imagine lying under the sun while kids are splashing water everywhere but you, only you, are reading some old novels. There are boardwalks surrounding the pool particularly designed for visitors that you could flex your whole body holding a book.
2. Sun cream
Australia is known for its tropical climate, so harsh and annoying sun during midday is pretty much intolerable. To avoid having sun tan, bring a bottle of sun cream. Not a single person chooses to enjoy the pool while being burned by the sun in the noon. Protect your health.
3. Watertoys
If you’re a man, a husband, or a father of a family, water-toys might be a perfect idea to increase the bondings with your children. Every children enjoys shooting water on their parents because they can actually use a “weapon” for real. If you think you’re too old for this then you’re not. Push your wife to the pool and start using water-guns to shoot her and you’ll get the best on-water battle of your life.